This week Jon Cruddas MP has been contacted by a number of constituents raising their concerns about accessibility at Dagenham East Station. Dagenham East is one of many Transport for London stations that is still yet to undergo upgrades to provide step-free access for residents.
It is estimated that by 2024, 38% of the Tube network will be step-free, compared with only 28% being step free in 2018. The issue had previously been raised by Unmesh Desai AM for City and East which received the following response from TfL: "Dagenham East did not meet our initial criteria for step-free access funding under this programme as the estimated costs were much higher than the others on the network".
Jon Cruddas MP has now taken this up directly with the Mayor of London stating, "there has been lots of regeneration in Dagenham, particularly recently with the planning for the new Dagenham Film Studios. It is surprising that making Dagenham East Station accessible for all is not a priority in terms of regeneration and the step-free access programme. Especially when we consider its highly residential surroundings with many local commuters."
The MPs office has requested that making Dagenham East step-free be considered as part of the next phase of Transport for London upgrades. Enquiries have also been made into potential timelines and the feasibility of adapting the station. When a response comes in Jon will feed back to residents.