Barking and Dagenham Council have set up a petition for step-free access at Dagenham East tube station.
Built in 1931 and serving a population of over 200,000, the station has no step-free access and its usage has surged by 37% in three years, with 233,694 passengers in January 2025 alone.
Barking and Dagenham Council leader Dominic Twomey highlighted how, as Dagenham grows, the need for an accessible and fit-for-purpose station grows, which has led to the demand for action.
Cllr Twomey said: “It’s all about accessibility.
“It’s about being able to get people to and from work and to and from school.”
Twomey added that for those in the areas with mobility issues and young families with push chairs, it is important that they can make use of transport links both in and out of the borough.
Currently, only 93 of London’s 272 Underground stations have step-free access.
Dagenham and Barking Council hope the campaign will get Dagenham East on the list of stations to be reviewed for step-free access by the Greater London Authority.
Twomey said: “We are really pleased that the mayor of London is going through this process to try and identify stations to look at in terms of doing a viability study.”
Schools, businesses and clubs in the area have shown support for the campaign too.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club, London East-UK and Eastbrook Film Studios’ owner MBS have all written open letters to Transport for London (TfL) setting out why step-free access to the station is vital.
Brook Sixth Form & Academy principal Kim Donovan said in their open letter to TfL: “This is not only essential for ensuring equal opportunities but also vital for supporting the economic and social growth of the area.
“We urge Transport for London and relevant authorities to prioritise this matter and ensure that the momentum of this positive change in Dagenham East is not hindered by the outdated infrastructure.”
TfL’s chief customer and strategy officer Alex Williams said: “We are committed to doing all we can to make sure that London’s transport network is as accessible and inclusive as possible.
“We have previously confirmed that a number of stations are undergoing feasibility studies, and recently we identified 30 further stations [including Dagenham East] that are being looked into further as options for future work.”
More information on the petition can be found here.
Image license courtesy of Sunil060902.
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