How Crossrail's delay is causing problems for Londoners who use a wheelchair
For anyone who's been waiting for Crossrail to open, the constant delays will be frustrating. But for Londoners who use a wheelchair, it can be almost impossible.
Crossrail was billed as the project that would transform accessible transport in London - with step free access provided across every one of its 41 stations. The now three year delays to the opening of the brand new central section have made things difficult enough. But I've also found out that step free access upgrades at existing stations - that were supposed to be delivered as part of the project - are way behind schedule.
A total of 19 TfL stations were supposed to be getting new step-free access upgrades by the end of last year. But figures obtained by ITV London show that only eight of these have been completed - and only one was delivered on schedule.
Andy Adamson is on of those affected by the delays. He moved to Woolwich partly because of Crossrail and the promise of a new accessible station. But while he waits for it to open his commute can be a nightmare - trains too busy to even get on with his chair, meaning he needs to travel in the wrong direction to even get a spot. He told me on bad days his commute can take nearly two hours, and he's fed up.
In terms of the existing stations, campaigners like Transport for All told me they don't see any reason why step free access at stations like Ealing Broadway couldn't just be delivered right now - before the rest of the network opens.
TfL Rail's director of operations did apologise for the delays, but said the engineering challenges posed by stations that in some cases are 50 or 60 years old were proving harder than anticipated. He says step free access is on track to be delivered across most of the existing stations on the Crossrail route by the December 2020, with the new section opening in 2021. But when I pressed him, he couldn't absolutely promise. So it looks like those who have planned their lives around Crossrail will just have to keep hoping there are no more delays.
There are 32 existing TfL stations which will become part Crossrail
19 of these were supposed to be getting step free access upgrades by the end of last year
Figures seen by ITV London show only 8 have been completed so far
Only one was delivered on time