Here is the letter that Angela Young wrote.

Size of gap at Kew Bridge Stn

Dear South West Trains,
I am writing to express my concern about the size of the gap between the train and platform edge at the stairs end of both platforms at Kew Bridge Station. This gap is very hard for many people (especially old and very young) to negotiate, and I think it is dangerous.
The old (1993) British Rail requirements for platform design state
"The limiting dimension shall relate to the stepping distance from the nose of the platform to the stepboard or floor of passenger rolling stock.
The following maximum dimensions shall be complied with wherever practicable:
Horizontal 275 mm
Vertical 250 mm
Diagonal 350 mm"
I am sure the vertical gap is much more than 250mm. Older people and others who may walk with difficulty often prefer to board and alight near the stairs but this gap makes this very hard for them.
Other stations (such as Northwich in Cheshire, I understand) have found ways to solve this problem, possibly by building up the platform in the area where the gap is greatest. I think in this day and age this problem should have been solved at Kew Bridge by now.
Please let me know what can be done about it.
With many thanks
Angela Young

Hi Angela,

Good luck with this! To show South West Trains that there's strong feeling around this, there are a few more steps you can take if you'd like to.

You could take a snap next time you encounter this problem, to show graphically what the issue is.

If you see others struggling, eg those with pushchairs, wheelchairs and the elderly, it might be worth having the URL printed out so that others can add their name to this page.

I see that your local MP has an interest in the station as well! http://marymacleodblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/improving-kew-bridge-station.html - maybe leave her a comment.

Here's hoping you get a good response.

Local MP is leading a move to improve the station (partly because expensive flats are being built nearby). Nothing about the platform, but I will make contact with her campaign.

Thanks to the site moderator I've learned that the local MP has convened a group to press for improvements at Kew Bridge station. I've made contact with her asking if the Kew Bridge group can add this to the improvements it's pressing for.

This is a problem at many of the stations on the TFL network. If you are elderly, and your mobility is impaired, getting on and off the train at some stations is a nightmare. It would help if all trains had grab handles by the doors, so there was something to hold on to while negotiating the gap and the high step from the platform. The Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines are good for that,also the new part of the Jubilee Line, but the District Line is not for the faint hearted, and Willesden Junction High Level platform, where you get the train to Kew, is worse than Kew itself. I have written to TFL, and after six weeks they replied. It seems new trains with lower floors are to be brought into service, after 2014! The temporary new trains on the District Line now have grab handles on the end doors of the carriages, but there is no indication on the outside that they are there, and I only discovered them by sheer accident. Wheelchairs can access through the wide middle doors, but the sign showing you where you are supposed to park the chair is right at the end of the carriage, so the chair has to be pushed through the narrow gap between peoples' feet, or over them. Why do they not consult disabled people when planning provision for them. I am sure they have the best intentions at heart,but that is not enough.
On another tack,there is not a single station in the London Borough of Harrow where I live which has either a lift or an escalator, and they all have long flights of stairs. The only exception is Harrow and Wealdstone, and that is only because the main line trains between Euston and the North stop there, not because it happens to be the terminus for the Bakerloo Line. If you have mobility problems in Harrow, you are trapped if you wish to travel on your own.
I have only just discovered your website, but I will be keeping an eye on it in the future. Hanna Corbishley

Delighted to say that Mary Macleod MP tells me that Kew Bridge improvement group will add this problem to their action list. I'll keep an eye out for more info about their progress. And thanks to Hannah Corbishley for interesting message. I know accessibility within stations is a chronic problem - can't tackle everything so am focusing on what affects my mother.

South West Trains emailed me asking that I send my comments by one of their regular channels! So I've re-sent the email (with the reference number they've given my comment) to their customer relations email address. Not really progress, but we'll see what happens next.

I have also been in touch with Transport for London about high and wide gaps in general. Hope something gets done .Thanks for taking this matter up.
Hanna Corbishley

Well done Angela and Hanna, please do keep us updated.

Hello Angela- any progress?

Haven't been able to post for a few weeks as there are family health problems. BUT here is a picture of the gap on Platform 1 at first carriage, taken on 12 September. The pictured gap measures 39cm.

Hi Angela,

So sorry to hear about the family problems.

My goodness though, what a graphic picture. Thank you for adding that - it really shows the issue very clearly. Did you actually stoop down and measure it?!

I'm going to suggest that you write to the London Assembly member for the Kew Bridge station constituency (South West London). There are 11 more of them too, if you don't get any satisfaction from this one - you can see them all on http://www.writetothem.com/who?pc=TW8+9QS+.

Making sure that public transport is adequate for all constituents is part of their responsibility, so he ought to be interested.

Once again, good luck,
Myf

Dear Mr Arbour,
I wonder if I might ask for your support on an accessibility issue that affects the elderly and infirm on Kew Bridge station.

The gap between train and platform edge at the stairs end of the platform is particularly high - 39cm in fact - and causes difficulties for many people (especially older ones who may prefer not to walk further along the platform).

This has been a problem for a number of years but nothing has been done about it. Other stations with such a problem have been adapted (usually by building up the platform a bit in the affected area) - why has Kew Bridge not been?

I have raised the issue now because my mother is no longer able to use Kew Bridge station because of this problem. When she needs to use the train, she has to take a taxi to Chiswick station - an expensive and time-consuming complication. I have corresponded with South West Trains but with no result as yet - you can see a record of our correspondence on this page: http://www.fixmytransport.com/campaigns/reduce-the-gap-between-train-and-platform-at-kew-b - where there is also a photograph to show the issue.

I would be most grateful if you could intervene and have a word with the train company to see if anything might be done. You can contact me by replying directly to this email.

With many thanks,

Angela Young

Just written to Tony Arbour, London Assembly member for the area including Kew Bridge station, asking him to support this issue and take it up with South West Trains. Thanks to site moderator for this suggestion.

Dear Mary Macleod In response to an item in your blog, I emailed you in early September about the huge gap (39cm) between the train and the platform edge at Kew Bridge Station, on both platforms at the stairs end. You kindly agreed to add this to the agenda of the Kew Bridge Station improvement group you have been convening. I'm very grateful, and I wondered if there has been any progress on this? I'm publicising this issue on the new "FixMyTransport" website, which has helped me find ways of pursuing this issue (it's been a problem for years, as you may know). With many thanks for your reply. Angela Young

A reply from MP Mary Macleod's assistant:

Hi Angela, Thank you for your email. This issue was discussed amongst the group at our last meeting. We were informed by Network Rail that this would be the responsibility of South West Trains to address. They have now been invited to our next meeting next month where we will be able to express our concerns to them. We hope that we can make some progress on this and I will update you on the result. Kind Regards, Ashley Shackleton Parliamentary Caseworker Office of Mary Macleod M.P. House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

The PDF attachment to the email from Tracy Jermy can be viewed at:

http://www.fixmytransport.com/campaigns/reduce-the-gap-between-train-and-platform-at-kew-b/incoming_messages/1194/attach/2

In short, the PDF says that older stations can have excessive gaps and that various measures are in place to try to maximise safety.

These include announcements and staff being on hand to help those who need it. It also mentions that gap distances are listed on the Office of rail Regulation website.

The local MP convenes a Kew Bridge Station Improvement Group.

Here is what happened at their September meeting. This issue was discussed amongst the group at our last meeting. We were informed by Network Rail that this would be the responsibility of South West Trains to address. They have now been invited to our next meeting next month where we will be able to express our concerns to them. We hope that we can make some progress on this and I will update you on the result.

Hi Angela,

I've got some advice for you. What I think you should do next is write to London Travelwatch.
They can stop the operators from passing the blame on to each other, as it seems the operators are doing this at the moment.
It is actually Network Rail's responsibility to manage the stations and track, so maybe London Travelwatch can contact Network Rail on your behalf.

Good luck!

Mark Jones

I couldn't agree more,the trains step is too high and there is a big gap between the train and the station.
Children only have short legs meaning they could easly just fall down on to the train track!
There is also people who may not want to do big steps.
Good luck!

Thank you everyone who commented.All support is most welcome. Hanna Corbishley

Last night I raised this issue at a meeting of the local association - they are on the group convened by the MP to look at improving the station. There was much support, and the association will pursue the issue in the station group. Thank you, Mark, for your suggestion - I will email Travelwatch as soon as possible and also keep in touch with the MP myself.

Well done Angela Young. Tyhe more people you can get involved, the better.. |I have just signed the petition to get a lift or escalator installed at Harrow on the Hill Station. It is a nightmare of an obstacle course if you are not very
mobile. If you or anyone else would like to sign it, the link is
www.ipetitions.com/petition/access-at-harrow-on-the-hill-station.
Funding was promised and then withdrawn. Now is the time to push the Mayor, with elections coming up in May. He says it is on his agenda, but who knows how far down? Hanna Corbishley

I find this problem is also really bad on certain platforms at Clapham junction.

Why cant fillers be installed on the platforms like they are in parts of Hong Kong and New York

Shirley