“I am delighted to announce that TfL have included East Putney station in the list of stations they are considering for access works,” Putney MP Fleur Anderson announced on social media this week, thanking the “3000+ people who signed my petition with Cllr Ayres.”
Far from getting excited, however, disability organisations slumped in their seats on hearing the news as well as her follow-up comment: “It’s not the short list for immediate works so the campaign continues…”
This is the third time in five years that efforts to get East Putney on the path to step-free access have faltered, which likely means it will be at least another two years before the next attempt can be made, and at least until 2030 before people can access trains without climbing steep stairs.
As accessibility campaigners have unfortunately come to recognise, TfL’s “consideration list” is nothing at all what it sounds like. The main distinction between the list – also known as the “secondary list” – and those Tube stations on the primary shortlist is that they won’t receive funding or backing.
In reality that means that no work, not even the initial feasibility study that is the start of the process for step-free access, will take place. What’s more, unlike the official shortlist, you won’t find a copy of the secondary list anywhere. TfL hasn’t disclosed which stations are on it, or even how many they are (yes, we have asked). The only real value of the list at all is to TfL as a way to acknowledge local campaigns without making financial commitments.
So what does this mean for the thousands of Putney residents who struggle with the station’s notoriously steep staircases? And what can realistically be done to speed the process up?
A long-running campaign
The campaign for step-free access at East Putney is not new. Fleur Anderson first highlighted the issue in 2020 when she made it the subject of her first Adjournment debate three months into becoming an MP.
Since then, nine Tube stations have gained step-free access, six have work underway, and a further seven are currently being assessed. To put that in context: 93, or 34%, of the 272 Tube stations across London currently have step-free access.
On the District Line that runs from West to East London with a branch down to Wimbledon via Putney, 17 of the 60 stations are step free, with 6 of the 9 on the Wimbledon branch step-free: only Parsons Green, Putney Bridge and East Putney remain step-only.
Three years after the first attempt and in the lead-up to a new shortlist announcement, Anderson renewed her efforts with a petition campaign. Then in July 2023, TfL announced ten stations that would be “prioritised for further step-free access work” but, again, East Putney wasn’t on the list. It was however added to the new secondary category of stations, which is where it remains to this day while TfL is expected to announce a new raft of stations in the coming weeks.
There is however hope. Nearby Putney Bridge station has seen promising developments with Chelsea and Fulham MP Greg Hands leading a determined campaign, securing over £150,000 in funding from the Fulham Football Club redevelopment specifically earmarked for step-free access studies and moving the station into more concrete planning discussions with TfL.
Why is step-free important?
Step-free access isn’t just about wheelchair users—it’s about creating a transport system that works for everyone. When you’re carrying heavy luggage, pushing a stroller, recovering from an injury, or simply aging, those stairs and gaps become real barriers.
By making stations accessible, parents can travel with young children, elderly people can stay independent, tourists can navigate the city with ease, and people with disabilities can access jobs, education, and social connections just like everyone else. It’s an investment in a transport network that serves all Londoners and visitors, regardless of their circumstances.
Caroline Stickland, CEO of Transport for All, has highlighted the serious implications of the slow progress being made:
“Currently, only 1 in 3 London Underground stations has step-free access. This shuts disabled people out of vast swathes of the network, forcing us to take long and convoluted routes, and even preventing us from travelling entirely.”
The anatomy of successful step-free access campaigns
While East Putney remains stuck in consideration limbo, other stations have successfully secured funding and implementation for step-free access. Successful examples include Colindale and Leyton stations, which secured £43.1 million from the government’s Levelling Up Fund in 2023. Construction at Colindale began in early 2024, with Leyton following in summer 2024.
But behind every step-free station has been a determined local campaign, often highly public. So what distinguishes these successful campaigns from others? The answer is that five crucial elements are needed to move from consideration to construction:
1. Third-Party Funding is Essential
The most decisive factor in determining which stations receive step-free access is securing substantial third-party funding. Colindale’s success came after the London Borough of Barnet committed £13.5 million in section 106 and direct funding, while Leyton secured £9 million from Waltham Forest Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy receipts.
2. Integration with Housing Development
Successful campaigns often position accessibility improvements within broader regeneration contexts. Both Colindale and Leyton emphasized how their station upgrades would support major housing developments in rapidly growing communities – a powerful argument when applying for government funding.
3. Engagement with Disability Organizations
Stations specifically championed by organizations like Transport for All and Age UK London have gained additional credibility and visibility in TfL’s decision-making process. These advocacy groups have successfully pushed TfL to prioritize specific stations and areas with accessibility gaps.
4. Innovation to Reduce Costs
Greenford station on the Central Line became a success story when it installed the Tube network’s first inclined lift in 2015, significantly reducing costs compared to traditional lift shafts. When TfL claimed a conventional lift would cost £10 million, local councillors commissioned independent research suggesting an innovative approach would cost just £2.2 million.
5. Passenger Numbers Make a Strong Case
Stations serving higher numbers of passengers can make a stronger economic case for accessibility improvements on a cost-per-benefit basis. Developing this into a formal business case or cost-benefit analysis can significantly influence TfL’s decision-making.
The East Putney campaign: missing pieces
East Putney has strong potential as a candidate for step-free access. Anderson has been particularly vocal about the station’s high passenger numbers, noting in February 2023 that “East Putney has 6.2 million passengers a year, a relatively high foot fall” compared to stations like North Ealing with only one million passengers that have received accessibility funding.
Yet despite this public advocacy and petition success, the campaign appears to be missing several key elements that have proven crucial for success elsewhere:
- The public campaign has focused primarily on petition signatures rather than securing local funding commitments from Wandsworth Council, either through Community Infrastructure Levy funds or section 106 contributions from nearby developments.
- While there was a debate in Parliament in March 2020 highlighting East Putney, there appears to be less emphasis on connecting the improvements to specific housing growth targets or regeneration schemes in the surrounding area – connections that have proven persuasive in successful funding bids.
- The campaign would benefit from more visible formal partnerships with London-wide disability advocacy organisations that have successfully influenced TfL’s prioritisation in other cases.
- East Putney has interesting infrastructural potential – including a staircase that is essentially unused and could potentially be converted into an inclined accessible entry point at lower cost than a conventional lift installation. This type of innovative engineering approach helped secure success at Greenford station.
The political landscape
The current political landscape presents both opportunities and questions for the East Putney campaign. Sadiq Khan, a Labour Mayor who spent his childhood in Wandsworth and previously represented Tooting in Wandsworth, has made increasing step-free access a priority of his administration. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing for a spending review next month that could provide additional funding for TfL’s accessibility improvements.
This alignment of Labour politicians at City Hall, Westminster, and locally in Wandsworth creates a unique moment where progress on long-standing infrastructure issues might be possible. The upcoming spending review represents a particularly critical opportunity for securing explicit Treasury funding for East Putney as part of a broader transportation accessibility package.
For Putney residents, two infrastructure issues have lingered for years without resolution: step-free access at East Putney station and the repair of Hammersmith Bridge. Both affect thousands of local people daily, and both require similar approaches: securing funding commitments, building cross-government partnerships, and developing compelling business cases.
These twin challenges have become something of a barometer for local infrastructure progress. With the current alignment of political parties across different levels of government, many residents are watching closely to see if long-standing issues can finally be resolved.
Looking forward
For residents hoping to see step-free access at East Putney, the path forward likely requires more than petitions and announcements about “consideration.” The experiences of successful campaigns at other stations suggest that specific funding commitments, particularly from local government, and innovative technical solutions are essential.
The technical potential for a cost-effective solution using the station’s existing infrastructure, combined with its high passenger numbers, should make East Putney a compelling candidate. Moving from the “consideration list” to actual implementation will likely require a comprehensive strategy addressing funding, partnerships with disability organizations, and innovative engineering approaches.
Until then, inclusion on TfL’s secondary list remains what many accessibility campaigners understand it to be – a gesture of acknowledgment that, without additional concrete steps, may not translate into meaningful action on a problem that has persisted for far too many years.
