Tube lifts closed almost twice as often in 2024

The amount of time lifts on the London Underground (LU) have been closed due to lack of staff has almost doubled in the last year, new figures reveal.

Lifts were out of action for 6,197 hours in 2024 compared with 3,301 hours in 2023 and 2,480 in 2022, a Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats shows.

Campaigner Jennie Berry said she has had to crawl up stairs when lifts are broken. She wants Transport for London (TfL) to be "held to account" and to reduce the time taken to fix issues.

Nick Dent, director of customer operations for LU, apologised, adding: "We are reviewing this data to see how we can do better to keep stations open for customers who require lifts."

Ms Berry told BBC London: "Countless times I've had to climb up the stairs by myself and ask strangers or friends or whoever's with me to carry my chair up the stairs.

"It's the same for a lot of disabled people across the board.

"You only have that option if you're able to do it: if not you have to take the long-winded journey, and figure out how to go backwards, come up to ground and get a bus."

Paul Kohler, Liberal Democrats MP for Wimbledon and the party's transport spokesperson, said: "We are supposed to have one of the best transport systems in the world, yet in its current state too many people are excluded from it altogether."

He added: "Across London, wheelchair users and others with accessibility needs are left stranded due to a sudden lift closure.

"This doesn't just cause significant disruption to someone's day but can also create an upsetting or distressing experience.

"This is simply unacceptable which is why I am calling on the mayor of London and the Labour government to urgently get to grips with this crisis and modernise our outdated transport system."

Mr Dent said: "Our vision is a London where everyone can move around the city safely, comfortably and sustainably.

"Keeping step-free stations open as much as possible is a priority and we always try to minimise lift disruptions by moving station staff to cover key locations.

"Where this is not possible and no alternative journey is available, we provide a taxi service at TfL's cost to help customers reach their destination or to reach another step-free station from where they can continue their journey."

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