In message , Charles Ellson
writes
The "step-free" Underground map (and large-print etc. maps) is on :-
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx

That's quite useful - but actually quite complicated to use because of
all the footnotes and restrictions. But thanks for pointing it out.

What would be *really* useful would be a guide to using both national
rail and TfL services with reasonably step-free access. Here I'm
thinking not so much of those people in wheelchairs (for which
travelling is really difficult, I realise) but the rather larger numbers
of us who sometimes travel with heavy luggage, and find the effort of
dragging it up long flights of steps, or even escalators, can be pretty
unpleasant.

I haven't had time to try this myself, but for example I have plotted a
route from stations on the northern Thameslink line (such as Bedford and
Luton) to Heathrow which is feasible with luggage:

1. Take the Thameslink train to Farringdon, from where there are just a
few steps to the anti-clockwise circle line (and maybe a lift after the
current modernisation works are complete?).

2. Take Circle line to somewhere on the western section such as
High St Kensington, and switch to a southbound District line.

3. Take this to Earl's Court where one can change to a Heathrow-bound
Piccadilly line train using the lifts.

Coming back, the route involves switching at two points to end up on an
anti-clockwise circle line to Moorgate, from which one can at present
get on the level to a train to Luton/Bedford at certain times of the
day. Unfortunately this possibility will soon vanish forever. After
this things get a lot more complicated...


--
Clive Page

On 31 Jan, 12:15, Clive Page wrote:
1. Take the Thameslink train to Farringdon, from where there are just a
few steps to the anti-clockwise circle line (and maybe a lift after the
current modernisation works are complete?).

End of next year, though I'm not sure about access to the circle line.

3. Take this to Earl's Court where one can change to a Heathrow-bound
Piccadilly line train using the lifts.

Surely it's easier to do a cross platform change to a westbound
District to get the Piccadilly cross-platform at Baron's Court or
Hammersmith?

Coming back, the route involves switching at two points to end up on an
anti-clockwise circle line to Moorgate, from which one can at present
get on the level to a train to Luton/Bedford at certain times of the
day. *Unfortunately this possibility will soon vanish forever. After
this things get a lot more complicated...

Get a southbound Thameslink at Farringdon, and use the ramps at London
Bridge to get a northbound?

(alternatively, there are lifts from SSL to Thameslink at St P, if the
walk between them isn't too much)

U

In message
, Mr
Thant writes
Surely it's easier to do a cross platform change to a westbound
District to get the Piccadilly cross-platform at Baron's Court or
Hammersmith?

Probably, but not all trains go that way do they?

Get a southbound Thameslink at Farringdon, and use the ramps at London
Bridge to get a northbound?

Or just go to City Thameslink, and hope both lifts are working (which
they are occasionally), or use the escalators to go up and over.

(alternatively, there are lifts from SSL to Thameslink at St P, if the
walk between them isn't too much)

There are lifts from Thameslink (but rather a stupid design, you need
two lifts to get just to the main ticket barrier level where with
sensible design one would have done). I think you then need 2 more
lifts to get to the Circle/Met/H&C lines don't you (one to the ticket
hall, one down from there)? As well as the walk of 8-10 minutes, of
course. So it feasible, but depends upon having 4 lifts all working,
the probability of which is in my experience vanishingly small. The
route via Farringdon depends upon a flight of about 4 stone steps, and
I've never yet known them to suffer a mechanical fault. :-)

Eventually, I guess, there will be a lift to the Picc line platforms,
which will make it all a lot easier.


--
Clive Page

On 31 Jan, 12:49, Clive Page wrote:
There are lifts from Thameslink (but rather a stupid design, you need
two lifts to get just to the main ticket barrier level where with
sensible design one would have done).
Because you can have a lift emerge on its own on the other side of the
road...

lifts to get to the Circle/Met/H&C lines don't you (one to the ticket
hall, one down from there)? * As well as the walk of 8-10 minutes, of
course. *
I can't see why they can't just have an escalator connection from the
south end of the Thameslink platforms to the northern line.

The route via Farringdon depends upon a flight of about 4 stone steps, and
I've never yet known them to suffer a mechanical fault. :-)
They are being rebuilt.

Eventually, I guess, there will be a lift to the Picc line platforms,
which will make it all a lot easier.
Until they built the Victoria line through them, in such a far-sighted
way, there were lifts to the piccadilly platforms.

In message , at 12:15:18 on Sat, 31
Jan 2009, Clive Page remarked:
1. Take the Thameslink train to Farringdon, from where there are just a
few steps to the anti-clockwise circle line (and maybe a lift after the
current modernisation works are complete?).

Why not exit at StP and take the Circle direct from there? It's a long
walk, but step-free.

2. Take Circle line to somewhere on the western section such as
High St Kensington, and switch to a southbound District line.

Some District Line trains start from a distant bay platform at HSK, but
there's not much you can do about that.

3. Take this to Earl's Court where one can change to a Heathrow-bound
Piccadilly line train using the lifts.

If you stay on the train as far as Hammersmith (changing at Earls Court
if necessary) then it's a cross-platform change to the Picc.

Coming back, the route involves switching at two points to end up on an
anti-clockwise circle line to Moorgate, from which one can at present
get on the level to a train to Luton/Bedford at certain times of the
day. Unfortunately this possibility will soon vanish forever. After
this things get a lot more complicated...

Just stay on the Circle as far as St Pancras, then it's step free to
SPILL (see above).

Another route is HEx (or Connect for the impecunious) to Paddington,
then there's a lift down to the clockwise Circle Line in the middle of
the "Lawn" area.

Island platforms are often helpful, so another way from the
anti-clockwise Circle at Farringdon to the north (avoiding StPancras
LUL) is to catch a southbound Thameslink to Loughborough Junction, then
cross platform to catch a northbound.
--
Roland Perry