Failure to ensure step-free access at station beside iconic venue, despite £1.3 billion redevelopment, ‘is humiliating and cruel’

The £1.3 billion redevelopment of an iconic cultural venue has failed to ensure step-free access at its neighbouring rail station, in a “slap in the face” to disabled visitors, staff and local residents.

Millions of people every year are likely to visit the redeveloped Olympia estate when it opens later this year with two new hotels, a conference centre, theatre and cinemas, more than 30 restaurants, bars and cafes, offices, and a new private secondary school.

Olympia has been an iconic London venue since it opened in 1886, but the owners of the site have failed to ensure that the neighbouring Kensington Olympia rail station will be completely accessible to many visitors, local residents and on-site workers with mobility impairments.

Most of those visiting the new Olympia Events – which plans to be a “world-leading arts, events entertainment and experiential district” – are likely to arrive via the rail station, but there are long-standing concerns over its lack of lifts.

This means that the only access from the east side of the station to its west side – where the ticket office and toilets, and the entrance to Olympia, are situated – is via a stepped footbridge.

Those who cannot use stairs have to leave the station and make a 600-metre walk from one side of the tracks to the other.

It means that all visitors with mobility impairments arriving by rail from north of Olympia – which is likely to be most visitors from outside London – will have to make the extra 600 metres journey to the Olympia entrance.

Funding for transport improvements was put aside by the developers under a section 106 agreement when they were granted planning permission, but it was not used to install lifts at the station.

Residents have now launched a petition aimed at forcing Network Rail, Transport for London, and the site owners – Deutsche Finance International and Yoo Capital – to invest in installing lifts at Kensington Olympia station.

Wheelchair-user Jane Bird, who lives about half a mile from the station and helped draw up the petition – which already has more than 1,000 signatures – says she feels “outraged” and “dismayed” at the failure to ensure the station is accessible ahead of the expected flood of visitors.

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed to her last week that Kensington Olympia “was not one of the stations recently announced in future step free access plans”.

She told Disability News Service (DNS) that it felt “humiliating, cruel and dismissive” that no thought appears to have been given to ensuring access for disabled people.

She said the lack of step-free access at the station was a “really serious impediment” to local disabled residents, visitors and Olympia workers.

“We were told when they said they were going to develop Olympia that lifts at the station would be one of the community benefits.

“What scandalizes me is that planning permission should ever have been granted by Hammersmith and Fulham council if the developers were not undertaking to provide lifts at the station.”

She added: “I feel incredulous that a project on this scale – it’s the equivalent of the O2 or Wembley Stadium – that they could actually think of doing this without making it accessible for disabled people using public transport.

“It’s a drop in the ocean compared to the budget for rebuilding Olympia.

“It feels like a slap in the face, that they have not even bothered to think of access.

“It feels extraordinary that they should do this now, 30 years after the Disability Discrimination Act. It really does feel like an insult.”

Responses from the various organisations with an interest in the station were complicated this week by confusion over who owned and managed Kensington Olympia, and who was responsible for making decisions on access improvements.

TfL said it was owned by Network Rail but failed to point out that the station was managed by Arriva Rail London on behalf of TfL.

Hammersmith and Fulham council said the station was owned by TfL.

Network Rail said Olympia was managed by Arriva Rail London (ARL), but this information came this morning (Thursday), too late for DNS to obtain a comment from Arriva.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “The total funds for future station works were subject to a feasibility study following the 2019 section 106 agreement.

“Funds for upgrades at Olympia station will continue to be prioritised by the station operator, ARL, ensuring both safety and access for passengers

“Olympia has step-free access to platforms. However, further upgrades would improve the experience for all passengers.

“We will continue to work with the developer, the local authority and rail partners (ARL and TfL) on improving accessibility and where additional funding can be unlocked to deliver further improvements.

“Olympia isn’t a station that is managed by Network Rail – it is managed by ARL.”

When contacted by DNS, TfL wrongly claimed that the station was already step-free, despite admitting to Jane Bird last week that it was not.

It said the station was owned by Network Rail and so declined to produce a statement.

But it said it had sought section 106 funding from the developers to improve accessibility of the station and that this would be used for improvements such as the installation of customer shelters, an easier entry and exit to the station, and improved staff areas.

Yoo Capital had refused by noon today (Thursday) to say why it was not funding the installation of lifts at the station, when most of the rail passengers would likely be visiting Olympia, although it said the station was not part of the Olympia estate.

But a spokesperson for Yoo Capital said: “With new Olympia venues due to start opening their doors later this year, we fully support the calls for lifts at Kensington Olympia station.

“It’s important to us that our venues and events are as accessible as possible for all to enjoy.

“We have explored ways to achieve this with Network Rail and TfL during the redevelopment planning process and we welcome the opportunity to continue conversations with them and local residents.”

A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham council said: “We have always supported the introduction of step-free access at Kensington (Olympia) station to make it as accessible as possible for visitors to this new cultural quarter.

“And we will continue to lobby [the station owner] to make these improvements.

“Meanwhile, we have secured many other station improvements for customers as part of the historic Olympia London planning application, including additional gates and platform shelters.”

The council said it had not received the section 106 developer contributions, which instead were paid to the owners of the station.

Picture: An image showing how Olympia Events will look when completed, produced by the developers

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