Examination of Witnesses (Questions 13080
- 13099)
13080. Elsewhere, there is some good evidence
of good practice, in particular, in light rail and that is partly
because it is actually easier to provide good access in a newly
built, closed system and most often it is actually the legacy
of existing infrastructure which I spoke about a bit earlier that
causes the problems. That is kind of nicely demonstrated if you
take the Sheffield Supertram, for example. That was almost a totally
accessible system with the exception of the link to the mainline
station. The mainline station was existing infrastructure, so
when the Sheffield Supertram was built, you could not get from
the Supertram stop to the mainline station if you needed secondary
access. That has only now been implemented ten years, give or
take, after the opening of the Supertram. That demonstrates the
problems that you get when you compete against existing infrastructure.
If you look at Crossrail, effectively the central part of Crossrail
is a new build, so achieving access there is reasonably straightforward
and cost-effective.
13081. The DDA has certainly focused attention
on accessibility and things are now improving, as I say, but one
of the things is that the current appraisal system for transport
projects tends to militate against good practice because projects
have to jump the value-for-money hurdle first and the value of
disabled access is not effectively accounted for in that value-for-money
hurdle. I think it is a positive thing that Crossrail has managed
to move past that hurdle and with the decision to address access
issues at the four extra stations, it has effectively jumped the
hurdle, if you like.
13082. Crossrail has actually taken a proactive
approach to the issue of inclusion in general. It is being integrated
into the design at the appropriate stages, so straightforward
layout and step-free access are being addressed now and other
issues will be addressed as the design matures. Broadly, there
are four types of station. Firstly, you have new build, such as
Farringdon and that provides 100 per cent step-free access and
will be 100 per cent accessible in other respects, except where
this is impossible, as in the example of the connections to the
Thameslink platforms because of the uncertainty around Thameslink
2000. Secondly, there are rebuilds, such as Ealing Broadway which
provides 100 per cent step-free access. Thirdly, there are upgrades,
like Southall, where step-free access is going to be provided
as far as possible. Then, fourthly, there are places where only
platform extensions will be done, and that is at places like Burnham
and Manor Park.
13083. The diagram which you can see on the
screen shows where step-free access is currently available at
the locations where Crossrail is going to fall.[12]
Just to explain it, a filled green blob indicates 100 per cent
step-free access at that location, so you can get to all the platforms,
a half green blob indicates 50 per cent step-free access at that
location, and in most cases what that means is that you can get
to one side of the station, but when you come home you are a bit
stuffed and you cannot get back the other side. An empty red blob
means that there is no step-free access at that station to any
of the platforms, so very few of the locations that you are looking
at on the map, as you can see, are accessible to people with reduced
mobility who actually need step-free access.
13084. If we look at the next diagram, you can
see the effect that Crossrail is going to have on the ability
of people who need step-free access to get to and from these locations.[13]
There are still a few locations where Crossrail does not provide
step-free access, but we believe that the negative effect on people
with reduced mobility will be fairly small because of the proximity
of Crossrail stations where step-free access is being provided.
Many of the stations where it is being provided are interchanges
with other transport modes, such as the bus terminals at Ilford
and Romford. Other locations provide better ticketing facilities,
other better facilities, more staff assistance and that is extremely
important, particularly for disabled people, but in general for
people with reduced mobility. Generally these stations, because
of their larger size and greater importance to the network, are
better stations to use and many people prefer to use them, and
you can tell that from the footfall figures that we have for those
locations.
13085. Mr Mould: Before you move on,
I would like Mr Berryman just briefly to explain to the Committee,
first of all, as part of the review that is mentioned in the information
paper which I referred to in opening, have we looked at the case
for making provision for step-free access at the remaining stations
which are shown in red on the diagram in front of us?
(Mr Berryman) Yes, we have and I think, as
you explained in your opening, the criteria which we have used
are the number of passengers, the difficulty and complexity of
making step-free access available and the proximity to other stations
where step-free access is available, and it is on those bases
that the choice has been made about which stations should be treated.
13086. So, in a nutshell, the Promoter's position
is that in those cases the benefits really of upgrading to step-free
access would be pretty limited?
(Mr Berryman) Yes. If I can give you an example,
Maryland Station, which would be very expensive to alter, is only
700 metres from Stratford Station, so any person who is accessing
by car or cab or whatever to the station would not find it much
more difficult to get to a nearby station which has full step-free
access.
13087. We ought to make it clear of course that
the position you have just described relates to the stations which
are shown with the red circles, but also to those, I think it
is, two stations in the western section, Taplow and Langley, where
there is only partial step-free access. Those are treated for
those purposes as being in the same category as the red.
(Mr Berryman) Yes, we treat these as non-accessible
because frankly having access in one direction only is of limited
use.
13088. Mr Binley: Perhaps I could just
ask a question in relation to that. It does seem to me that, whilst
it might be easier to deal with Stratford Station than Maryland,
if the journey to somebody's home is more difficult from that
station, then there is an impact and I just wonder if any work
has been done on that. I am not suggesting it should have been,
but it is a question that I think we ought to ask.
(Mr Berryman) No specific work has been done
on that point other than a general appreciation of the direction
from which people come to access the station, the bus routes that
go to that station, the disposition of the main roads in the area
and, as Ms Maynard said, one of the other criteria that has been
considered is the incidence of other transport modes which are
going to that station. For example, Romford and Ilford, which
have quite powerful bus services, are themselves being provided
with step-free access and that is an important consideration in
selecting which stations to take forward.
13089. Mr Mould: I think, Ms Maynard,
you were making that point, as I understood you, in your commentary
to this slide a minute ago.
(Ms Maynard) Yes.
13090. Can I turn to you before we move on and
pick up a point which Mr Binley raised when I was introducing
the information paper in opening. It was the point, if you recall,
as to what arrangements were proposed in relation to those stations
where step-free access is not available, and what the information
paper says is that dignified, alternative arrangements will be
employed. Can you just give an indication of what in practice
that might entail?
(Ms Maynard) Yes, at the moment the practice
on the national rail network is to provide alternative accessible
transport to the station that someone wants to travel from. Sorry,
if they want to travel from a station which does not have step-free
access, they get alternative accessible transport to the nearest
accessible station from which they can then travel, and obviously
it is difficult to get to 2016 and see whether there will be any
more innovative solutions by then, but certainly the provision
of a taxi to the nearest accessible station would be quite common.
13091. Thank you. Please continue with your
presentation.
(Ms Maynard) I just wanted to give some examples
of some of the issues that we have come across in Crossrail. Two
examples of major infrastructure upgrades will give you an idea
of the way that Crossrail has approached access provision. One
of these is a successful example and the other is actually an
unsuccessful example. If you take Tottenham Court Road, Crossrail
has worked with LUL to provide a station with fully accessible
ticket halls with accessible links to the Central and Northern
Lines from street to platforms and with interchange between all
three lines, so that was a plus point. However, if you take Paddington,
in fact Mr Mould showed the interchanges at Paddington and if
you were quick to spot it, you would have noticed that the step-free
access from Crossrail to the Bakerloo Line is not currently proposed
to be available and it is going to have to wait until modernisation
of the Bakerloo Line releases space to insert a lift underground,
and that is the problem. You saw that on a visit, I believe, if
you were there and if you remember.
(Mr Berryman) I did point that out to members
of the Committee.
13092. Mr Binley: I am getting to the
stage when I do not remember if I was there!
(Ms Maynard) It is very hard to look at something
which does not yet exist. So that is an example of a slightly
less than successful attempt at providing access, but hopefully
in due course when something else happens it will trigger the
provision of access. If you take building improvements, at Paddington
again alteration of the LU station building has allowed a step-free
link between Crossrail and the Circle and District Lines. Then
if you take the platform improvements where the platforms are
improved, not only will extensions be built in gauge, which was
mentioned in the information paper, but tactile paving will be
provided to the whole of the platform which, as you know, is very
important to people with visual impairments. This is an example
of the creative approach that Crossrail has taken to the issue
because it is easy to put the tactile paving on the extension,
but putting the tactile paving in in a way which is not disruptive
on the main part of the platform, I can tell you having worked
at Network Rail, is not a straightforward issue. Crossrail has
found an innovative solution with hard-wearing plastic studs which
are very quick and cheap to install.
13093. Mr Mould: We have brought some
samples, I think.
13094. Mr Binley: Free samples?
13095. Mr Mould: If it would be helpful,
we can certainly just give you an indication of them. (Same handed).
Perhaps, Mr Berryman, you can explain what we are looking at.
(Mr Berryman) They are very simple to install.
I understand it is an Australian invention, which always seems
a contradiction in terms, I think! What you do is you cut a longitudinal
saw-cut with a diamond saw in the platform and then just bash
them in. They are straightforward things to fit.
13096. Mr Binley: You could not put some
of these around my golf course, could you!
13097. Mr Mould: Ms Maynard, please continue.
(Ms Maynard) Making a journey experience seamless
for people with reduced mobility does involve working with partner
organisations, such as London Underground and Network Rail. As
you can see from the situation at Tottenham Court Road, that is
an example of partnership working. It also requires a level of
investment by them. One of the issues is that it is not always
clear at this stage how much partners are going to have achieved
by the time that Crossrail completes, so Crossrail has to base
its plans on the existing strategies that those partner organisations
have. Meanwhile, it is taking a proactive approach to partnering
so that where there are solutions to be had, it can happen, as
it were. This is an example. Ealing Broadway Station is going
to be rebuilt and if you take a look at these two photos, you
can see that it is riddled with steps.[14]
If we then take a look at the artist's impression of what it will
be, actually perhaps Keith could describe this.[15]
(Mr Berryman) For those of you
who are familiar with Ealing Broadway Station, this is the existing
building which I believe is occupied by the BBC (indicating),
the existing office block we have there, and this is the existing
London Underground station (indicating), and this is the
new station structure that we are proposing to build (indicating).
What we are proposing to do is to have a level concourse from
the street level coming right through to here (indicating) with
bridges distributing passengers to various lines and lifts at
each point where there is a station platform which people would
need to access shown in the red structure, so the Crossrail project
will be providing access not only to the Crossrail platforms here
and here (indicating), but also to the London Underground District
and Central Line platforms, so there will be quite a significant
upgrade resulting from the Crossrail project at this location.
(Ms Maynard) Access has been quite a long time
coming at Ealing Broadway, as someone I know who lives there will
tell you, but it is Crossrail which is going to make a difference
there and I think that is an important point to consider. If we
take a look at the difference that Crossrail is going to make
in London as a whole when it opens in 2016, I wanted to take a
comparison with London Underground. Going back to the point I
made about working with people's strategies, London Underground
has a clear strategy for 2013 which is going to result in 21 per
cent of journeys beginning and ending at a step-free station,
but they have not yet firmed up their figure for 2016. They have
two possible directions they can go in, and that is either that
50 per cent of stations are accessible, which gives 50 per cent
of journeys, or 60 per cent of stations which gives 33 per cent
of journeys. I know that sounds very strange, but I think that
is about sharing the same pot of money around a series of different
stations and, therefore, putting different stations into the mix,
as it were. On Crossrail, 93 per cent of journeys will be step-free
since the four additional stations have been incorporated. This
tells us two things. The first is it tells us that London underground
has an extremely aging infrastructure. The second thing it tells
you is Crossrail will make a difference to people with reduced
mobility in London in 2016. When I started, I talked about it
not being all about step free access, and I want to come back
to that to finish with because that is a really important issue.
It is not just about wheelchair users' difficulties and step free
access, except that today it kind of is because the fundamentals
of the design at this point are straightforward layout and step
free access, so straightforward layout in absolute new builds.
That is very important, for example, for people with learning
difficulties and vision impairments, but we can only do it with
new builds. Step fee access is also key at this point because
it can only be designed from the outset, it can be done later,
but it would be extortionately expensive. Essentially in design
terms, we are at the outset, so in due course, as the design matures,
Crossrail is going to need to look at things like the colour of
materials and those people with visual impairments. Towards the
end of the project, as the provision of information, including
signage, is considered, the needs of people with sensory impairments
and learning difficulties are going to become particularly paramount.
There are different needs at different points in the design. Crossrail
has an involvement and consultation that is going to be key throughout
the project to engage the right people at the right time, to provide
good advice where there are no standards or accepted good practice.
Obviously where there are standards Crossrail will follow the
standard, and where there is accepted good practice Crossrail
can do that, but in many cases, particularly with some of the
issues for people with hearing impairments and people with learning
difficulties, there is very little clearly accepted good practice.
We will need to look at those issues then. Crossrail will be contributing
to the development of good practice as long as it is operating
at the cutting edge of design for disabled people in the transport
environment. Lastly, access is not just about hard things, it
is also about things like good management of station infrastructure.
You can have the best step free access in the world and if you
then put a cleaning sign in the middle of the route, it is not
very helpful. Good management is important, also training is important,
effective co-ordination with other operators is important and
journey planning and assistance is important. As the specification
for Crossrail's operation is developed this must be borne in mind
13098. Mr Binley: Can I thank you for
your comprehensive and professional presentation. We are most
grateful.
13099. Mr Mould: If there are any questions
from Petitioners, then obviously my panel will answer those, and
any questions which you and your colleagues may have?
12 Crossrail Ref: P103, Step free access to platforms
(LINEWD-GEN12-010). Back
13
Crossrail Ref: P103, Step free access to Crossrail stopping platform
(LINEWD-GEN12-011). Back
14
Crossrail Ref: P103, An Example Ealing Broadway (LINEWD-GEN12-013). Back
15
Crossrail Ref: P103, Ealing Broadway as it will be (LINEWD-GEN12-013). Back
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