Forum topic: Palmers Green station: how step-free access will be provided

It is extraordinary how far they got with the planning before realising it wasn't possible. It is the same situation with Winchmore Hill Station and several more stations further up the line but they haven't wasted any resources on proposals and detailed drawings.

I asked Dave Cockle from the Enfield Society, who's something of an expert on public transport in the borough, if he had any news. He didn't, though he thinks that the station will be made step-free eventually. He did think that an alternative way of making the station step-free that I suggested was viable. This would use existing slopes or ramps on either side of the station to get from Aldermans Hill down to platform level. For the northbound platform this would involve widening the gate to the car park and removing the steps there. The pavement up to Aldermans Hill would have to be widened too to be big enough for wheelchairs (it needs widening anyway, even for able-bodied people!) On the southbound "Up" side, there's a path that runs next to the platform up to a door between two shops on Aldermans Hill. This was used by builders working on repairs to the station a couple of years ago, and Dave says that, back in the day, it was used by porters to transfer parcels to and from trains.

This solution would be far cheaper than installing lifts. But, of course, it would mean people could access platforms without passing through "revenue gates". However, it seems that when improvements due at Alexandra Palace Station are carried out, the gate there that forces everyone to go through the turnstiles in the station building is going to be removed - so it's not totally out of the question.

Updates about work at Ally Pally were obtained by a Haringey councillor, who posted this to a community website on 1st March and this to the same site back in 2023. From what she writes it seems that, for cost-cutting reasons, the improvements there will be reduced in scope.