Transport for London and Sadiq Khan have just unveiled a b-loo-ming ambitious plan to increase and improve the toilet facilities at many London stations. The hefty £15 million pledge will be the biggest dedicated investment in toilet provision that London’s transport network has ever seen, and will run over five years.
In support of TfL’s Equity in Motion plan to make the capital’s transport network more inclusive, the programme will see many new, free-to-use, and accessible toilets introduced across the network, alongside the improvement of existing facilities.
There are currently toilet facilities at 145 TfL sites (plus an additional 40 toilets at stations not managed by TfL). The plans aim to ensure that passengers will always be within 20 minutes of a toiletwithout having to change trains.
Which stations will be the first to receive their new-and-improved loos?
A plan of action has been created following engagement with customers, campaigners, and staff; ensuring that the new toilets are benefitting those who need them most. Stations were prioritised based on factors inc-loo-ding whether the location operates a night service, has step-free access, has high passenger footfall, the station’s onward connections, and proximity to other toilets on the network. Taking the findings into account, these are the stations that have been shortlisted for new toilet provision in the first round of works:
- Camden Road
- Clapton
- New Cross Gate
- South Tottenham
- White Hart Lane
- Morden
- Hammersmith
TfL is also planning to convert toilets at a further 4 stations (Amersham, Green Park, Sudbury Hill, and Seven Sisters Overground station), where existing facilities are currently non-accessible. Construction work is expected to start at several locations within the next year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Toilet provision is critical for many Londoners and visitors, and can even determine whether somebody travels on public transport at all. That’s why I’m planning to make the biggest ever investment to increase toilet provision across TfL services and boost accessibility. I’m pleased that the first round of my funding will enable toilet provision in new stations as well as upgrading current facilities – helping us to build a better, fairer London for everyone.”
More information regarding TfL’s toilet plans can be found here.
