We call on Transport for London to urgently accelerate the repair and replacement of both escalators at Abbey Wood station, which have now been out of service for an extended period, and to keep the public fully informed of a firm completion date.

Both escalators at Abbey Wood station are currently out of service. According to www.railwaydata.co.uk the station had 11,873,686 entries and exits in 2024/25, making it the 39th most used station out of the 2,586 stations in Great Britain. The continued lack of escalator provision is clearly unacceptable.

While staff are on hand from first train to last train to assist customers, including with boarding ramps, and alternative step-free routes remain available via lifts to the main concourse and stairs between platforms, this is no substitute for working escalators at a busy interchange station.

Abbey Wood is a key gateway station on the Elizabeth line and wider national services, serving large numbers of commuters, families, older residents and disabled passengers every day. A prolonged loss of both escalators creates pressure on the lifts and stairs, and places a disproportionate burden on those with mobility issues, heavy luggage, pushchairs or young children.

We are calling on TfL to:

• Treat the replacement of both escalators as a priority project and mobilise the resources needed to complete it as quickly as possible.
• Publish a clear, public timeline for the works, including expected start and completion dates.
• Provide regular progress updates to passengers and the local community until the escalators are fully restored.
• Ensure that staffing levels and step-free assistance at Abbey Wood remain sufficient for the full duration of the works.
  
  

Organised by Cllr Tom Creswell, Cllr Jummy Dawodu, and Cllr Gaumaya Gurung