The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal, visited Newbury Park Station to see improvements which have made it step-free - boosting accessibility for thousands of residents.
Two new lifts have been installed to help make access easier for the 5.5million annual customers in Eastern Avenue.
Speaking yesterday (Thursday, November 16) Mr Khan said: “I’m delighted to be back in Redbridge to see the major improvements at Newbury Park station.
“The introduction of step-free access will make a big difference to the daily lives of thousands of people who use this busy station every year, including the disabled, older people and those with young children.”
Cllr Jas Athwal added: “Newbury Park is used by many of our residents who travel across the borough and into central London, so I’m pleased this important project is now completed.
“On his first visit to a London borough following his election, Mayor Sadiq Khan met with me at Newbury Park Station and promised this important project would be completed; and I am pleased it has now been delivered. “Step-free access will hugely benefit many of our residents with mobility issues, luggage or buggies, making it much easier for them to access this station and the capital’s public transport system.”
Dr Adrianne Tobias, chairwoman of Redbridge Pensioners’ Forum, welcomes the installation and said the project acknowleges the needs of some older and disabled residents.
“They will now be able to travel directly from there and not have to worry about arranging to get themselves to another Underground station that has lifts,” she said.
“I look forward to this practice spreading to as many other underground stations as necessary and practical so that everyone, including those who are not as mobile as they would like to be, can use the tube with less difficulty.”
TfL has introduced a number of measures to make travelling on public transport more comfortable for those with accessibility needs.
This includes clearly marked priority seats for anyone who needs them, a free ‘Baby on Board’ badge for expectant mothers and a free ‘Please Offer Me a Seat’ badge for customers living with invisible conditions whose needs may not be immediately obvious.
Mark Kennedy of Seven Kings and Newbury Park Residents Association (SKNPRA) thanked the mayor for listening to residents’ voices and hoped staff would be trained on assisting with the lifts.
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