New Lift Approved For Leyton Tube Station

Leyton tube station in East London has been approved for refurbishment work, including the addition of new lifts to enable step-free access to all the platforms. The plans also include the addition of a new ticket hall, which would be three times as large as the existing one, and extra staircases to the platforms.

The existing tube station is prone to overcrowding at peak times, resulting in emergency staircases being opened to ease the pressure on several occasions. The proposed upgrade scheme would cost £18-20 million, and it has received the approval of the Mayor of London. However, there is currently a funding shortfall that needs to be met.

A TfL spokesperson said: “The approval of a GLA grant will enable us to complete the initial plans for station improvements at Leyton, including details of the programme and cost estimates for both detailed design and construction.”

They added: “We will continue discussions with both the London Borough of Waltham Forest and GLA on how the wider programme can be funded and delivered. While this is a positive step for the project, future enhancement programmes like Leyton remain dependent on securing sufficient long-term funding from Government.”

A new residential development of 7,000 homes is being built near the station, and this is expected to put even more pressure the already overcrowded platforms. The station is currently used by 14 million passengers per year, and this is expected to increase to 17 million by 2041.

Waltham Forest council has agreed to provide £9m of funding, and initially TfL agreed to fund the rest. However, the pandemic has since put further pressure on TfL’s finances, and the funding negotiations are still ongoing.

If you are looking for lift companies in your area, please talk to us today.