Transport for London (TfL) has revealed that one third of the lifts on its transport network now automatically report when they are out of service, and send real-time updates to TfL’s Journey Planner and TfL Go app.

This development makes it easier for passengers to know when step-free access is not available at a particular station. People who need to access stations without encountering steps – including some disabled passengers, and passengers with pushchairs or luggage – will benefit from this technology.

At present, 93 lifts at 28 Tube stations self-report as out of service. This means that station staff do not have to report the fault. As well as updating journey planning tools, this also means that lift repair workers can be quickly alerted to the need to get a lift back into service.

The first phase of the project has focused on busy central London interchange Tube stations and stations at the end of lines. TfL now plans to upgrade more than twenty lifts by the end of March 2026.

The next phase will start next year, and will involve upgrading the rest of the lifts on London Underground, and on the Elizabeth line, London Overground, the IFS Cloud Cable Car and at Hammersmith Bus Station.

Since launching a consultation four years ago, TfL has been working to extend step-free access to its network. At present, 93 Tube stations, 60+ London Overground stations and all 41 Elizabeth line stations have step-free access.

The upgrade to lifts is part of TfL’s Equity in Motion strategy, which also includes Disability Equality Training for frontline London Underground staff, the Access DLR travel assistance service and a new design for priority seats.

“We have been calling for real-time lift updates for a while now, so the news that a third of lifts can self-report when they are out of action is a positive move in the right direction, as is the plan to extend the initiative to other Tube stations. More widely, there is much still to do – from reversing the increase in lift closures in recent years to improving the availability of staff to help passengers and ensuring effective disability equality training is rolled out to all frontline Underground staff. We look forward to continued progress under TfL’s Equity in Motion strategy.”

Michael Roberts, CEO at London TravelWatch