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London Underground is celebrating the opening of the capitals 60th step free station. Spectators heading to the Wimbledon finals this weekend will find it even easier to get to the headquarters of British tennis as Southfields Station was made accessible to all. During Wimbledon fortnight, around 30,000 people a day, three times the usual number, pass through Southfields on their way to cheer on Andy Murray and the other top names at Wimbledon and thousands more are expected to use the station when Wimbledon hosts tennis events during the 2012 Games. Currently, all 8,500 buses are wheelchair accessible as are all DLR stations. The £14.54m upgrade is part of Mayor Boris Johnson's and TfL's multi-billion pound Tube investment programme. 62 Tube stations will go step free by the end of 2010, and a total 65 stations by 2012. By autumn the Richmond stop will have a new ticket office, new ticket barriers, CCTV, help information points, improved signage and new electronic display boards.
"Commitment to disabled people"
Gold medal winning Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson, who sits on the Transport for London Board which sets the agenda for transport in London, said: "Public transport is the best way to get around London, this may be a commitment to disabled people but it also makes the experience better for everyone." The station upgrade will support the new District line trains due in passenger service in 2013 and the two together will result in quicker, easier and less congested journeys for thousands of Londoners.
Important for Olympics
Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London's Transport Adviser, said: "The Mayor is determined to make our Tube stations more accessible, safer and easier to use for the thousands of people that rely on them every week. With visitors and Londoners flooding through Southfields station for the tennis we wanted to make sure nobody struggled to get to a vital match. Southfields will be a key station for the Olympic Games when we will be welcoming the world to London and we want to ensure our thousands of visitors find it easy and safe to get around our city."
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