Ministers have told Havering MP, Julia Lopez, that they have cancelled the step-free access project at Upminster station, despite the scheme having previously been green lit. The dropping of the station from the Government’s Access for All programme comes despite many years of campaigning that included a petition by the MP signed by over 1000 residents.
The cancellation halts planned work to make Platform 6 accessible. The platform serves a busy interchange between Romford and Upminster used by thousands of passengers each day, and will now remain inaccessible for many disabled passengers, parents with buggies and people with reduced mobility as no lift will now be installed.
The Hornchurch & Upminster MP has campaigned for step-free access at Upminster throughout her time in Parliament, consistently highlighting to the Department for Transport the station’s use as a key interchange. She had been informed in Spring 2024 that the project had been approved to move to its next stage.
Ministers have since suggested a lack of third-party funding means the project must be cancelled. This explanation has been strongly questioned since this week is the first time it has been raised as a determining factor.
Commenting, Julia Lopez MP said:
“I have real concerns about the explanation being given for Upminster now being dropped by Ministers from the Access for All programme. It's been acknowledged that there is a high need for step free access at this busy station. We had been given the green light for the project to go to the next stage.
“At no point during my discussions with ministers was a lack of third party funding raised as an issue. That line is particularly questionable now that the railway is effectively nationalised, removing any realistic opportunity for operators like c2c, previously a high performing franchise but now absorbed into Great British Railways, to contribute to getting this project over the line.
“I’ve campaigned on this for almost the whole duration of my time as an MP so that constituents have a more accessible transport network. To see the Government pull the rug like this is incredibly disappointing, especially for the people of Upminster. It's the same story with Hornchurch tube, which needs step free access too. I want to see a Labour government and Labour Mayor invest in outer London, not just take our high performing c2c franchise and use it to make nationalised rail look a better idea than it is.”
While stations across the network are being funded under the Access for All scheme without the need for third-party funding, it seems this criterion is also being applied by TfL to determine whether Hornchurch Station gets step-free access. Mrs Lopez has been campaigning to make that key station made accessible too and is now concerned that this reasoning will be rolled out by Mayor Sadiq Khan to turn down Hornchurch’s bid.
Representations will continue to be made to Transport Ministers as well as the Mayor to make sure outer London and its transport needs cease to be bottom of the priority list.
