On Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:10:54 -0700 (PDT)
Neil Williams wrote:
On Apr 15, 11:48=A0am, wrote:

Why not? If something is time critical using the tube is a bad idea for
anyone, wheelchair bound or not, as it simply can't be relied on.

And London's roads can? Don't be silly. Most of my rail journeys are
pretty punctual these days.

No , you can't rely on any one road but you can listen to the traffic news
and divert as appropriate. A train generally can't. I'd certainly never use
the tube to go the heathrow - yet again this morning the service from hatton
to heathrow was apparently suspended for god knows what reason. And no doubt
LU gave its usual shoulder shrug about stuck passengers and did less than
bugger all to help them out. I live in london and I have no idea how to get
from hatton cross to the terminals by bus - what chance would a tourist who
doesn't speak much english stand?

Like the people who think luggage, bicycles and standing passengers in
the way of doors are a serious safety issue, you're making the mistake
of comparing a train, an electric one at that, with an aircraft.

Yes they can be a safety issue - obviously not as much as on an aircraft.
But its not just that - in the rush hour where you literally can hardly
move how do you expect to squeeze a wheelchair on? Even luggage causes
serious problems especially on the tube.

People tend to help people in the event of disasters, yes.

Maybe, maybe not. If theres a right panic on probably not.

I thought we were talking about mainline or LO railway stations, which
are mainly accessible and are far cheaper to make so. FWIW, to make

Easier , but still not easy. Most platforms arn't at train floor height so
they'd have to be raised or the track lowered (though the situation in
europe must be almost impossible to solve , they barely have platforms in
some countries).

the District/Circle/H&C/Met line stations accessible is quite easy -
mostly it just requires adding short lifts. The deep Tube is harder

Umm , just adding a lift into a 150 year old structure is not necessarily
a simple exercise.

(except new build like the Jubilee Line). Though I don't recall
seeing wheelchair spaces on deep Tube trains (the standbacks on the
Picc are for luggage for Heathrow passengers!), but if there are they
will otherwise provide room to stand, not wasted space.

I think from 95 stock onwards there have been wheelchair spaces in tube trains.
I've yet to see one being used by a wheelchair.

B2003