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Northolt station on the Central line now has a lift from street to train
The platform was too narrow for a lift at the end, so it had to go in a new corridor beside the tracks. Two accessible toilets are still to open.
Key facts
- Northolt station now has a lift and walkway for step-free access from street to train
- Work began just before the pandemic and restarted in February 2025 after a cost review
- Two accessible toilets at the station are due to open shortly
- Leyton station is due to become step-free in summer 2027
Northolt Underground station in west London is now step-free from street to train. A new lift and walkway have opened there after a long building project.
The station has a small ticket hall facing a busy road, with stairs going down to an island platform that has trains on both sides. At many stations that have gained lifts, the lift sits beside the stairs at the end of the platform. The platform at Northolt was too narrow for that, so a standalone corridor has been built along one side of the tracks. It leads to a new lift shaft roughly a third of the way down the platform.
Step-free access at Northolt: lift, ramps and toilets
Manual boarding ramps are available to get on and off trains. The lift broke down over its first weekend but has since been fixed and is working again. Two accessible toilets are also part of the upgrade and are due to open soon.
Building work started shortly before the pandemic and was then halted. It resumed in February 2025 following a review of costs.
Dominic Moffitt, who holds the climate action brief in Ealing Council’s cabinet, called the finished work “fantastic news for our residents” and said it was a big step for accessibility in the borough.
Which Tube stations are next to go step-free
According to TfL, more than a third of Tube stations are now step-free. It says the average extra journey time for passengers who need step-free access has fallen by 43 per cent since 2016. Closing that gap is one of the main aims set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
Leyton station on the Central line is due to become step-free in summer 2027, and work has started at Burnt Oak on the Northern line. Feasibility or design work is under way at 45 more Tube stations. Alperton and Eastcote are among them, and both are close to the end of the design stage.
Key questions
Is Northolt Tube station step-free?
Yes. A new lift and walkway, together with manual boarding ramps, give step-free access from street to train.
Where is the lift at Northolt station?
A standalone corridor along one side of the tracks leads to the lift, which reaches the platform about a third of the way along.
Which Tube stations are next to become step-free?
Leyton is due in summer 2027, work has started at Burnt Oak, and Alperton and Eastcote are nearing the end of the design stage.
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