Tube lifts closed almost twice as often in 2024

The amount of time lifts on the London Underground 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.

TfL has been approached for comment.

Ms Berry added: "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am calling on the mayor of London and the Labour government to urgently get to grips with this crisis and modernise our outdated transport system."

Additional reporting by Tom Edwards

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]