London Underground stations with only lifts

[ValleyLines142]

Hi guys,

How many London Underground stations have only lifts to get to street level, and what are they?? Yesterday I got off the Northern Line at Goodge Street, only to have the pleasant surprise of four lifts being the only way up to street level!! Although I went in it (albeit having no choice!), I'm petrified of lifts!! I actually prefer to climb/descend the 193 steps to the platform at Covent Garden!!

This happened to me before; I can't remember where it was though. I got off the tube, went to what I thought was the stairs/escalators, was greeted by lifts, realised this was the only option out so I went straight back on the Tube and onto the next stop instead!!

Thanks!

 

[dzug2]

According to http://www.directenquiries.com/londonunderground.aspx there is a route using stairs only

Play about with it, mark X for no lifts and it will show you

Hampstead has no (easily accessible to the public) stairs route . One exists - 310 steps. Don't know if there are any other

 

[jopsuk]

Goodge Street does have steps like Covent Garden- and isn't quite as tall. Hampstead is the deepest- 320 steps if you avoid the lift.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
one of the problems with searching for this is that "lift only" stations can manage not to be step-free. Covent Garden is a classic- short flights of steps from the bottom of the lifts to the platforms.

 

[W-on-Sea]

Anywhere with lifts will have an emergency staircase as well.

Off the top of my head (so not guaranteed to be 100% correct), stations with lifts (and no escalators are) as follows:

BAKERLOO LINE
Edgware Road Bakerloo Line station, Regents Park, Lambeth North, Elephant and Castle (both Bakerloo and Northern line ends of the station)

CENTRAL LINE
Lancaster Gate, Queensway, Holland Park

NORTHERN LINE
Hampstead, Belsize Park, Chalk Farm, Tufnell Park, Mornington Crescent, Goodge Street, Borough, Elephant & Castle (also at the Bakerloo line exit), Kennington

PICCADILLY LINE
Holloway Road, Caledonian Road, Russell Square, Covent Garden, Gloucester Road (Piccadilly line only).

Basically older (pre-1930s) stations that are (with the obvious exception of Covent Garden - although that reflects how very greatly that neighbourhood has changed over the last 30/40 years) relatively quiet, for which a case for converting/rebuilding them to include escalators has not been made

Of those I know well, I'd say Chalk Farm, Borough and Lambeth North are among those with relatively short (well, <100 steps) emergency staircases, while Hampstead, Covent Garden and Russell Square are among those that are unbearably long, at least to go up.

 

[SS4]

Isn't it considered a fire risk to have only lifts? Given the risk of fire I'd imagine they'd all have some stairs/escalators even if one is discouraged from using them

 

[Brucey]

Isn't it considered a fire risk to have only lifts? Given the risk of fire I'd imagine they'd all have some stairs/escalators even if one is discouraged from using them

They all have stairs, but at stations like Goodge Street there are 320 steps in a spiral staircase (like climbing a 16-storey building)!

 

[Oracle]

Aldwych of course has closed. I have seen photos of the stairs.

 

[Daniel]

Don't quite believe a station without stairs would get past H&S these days. I do count escalators as stairs, though..

 

[Nym]

They all have stairs, but at stations like Goodge Street there are 320 steps in a spiral staircase (like climbing a 16-storey building)!

I did climb all the way up to K Floor in the UMIST main building once, and it pointed out just how unfit I currently am...

But the new lifts that are being installed when being renewed should be 'fire lifts' but the're pretty much useless since they tend to drop by gravity in a case of fire, in this case, into the fire.

I do one day though want to actually clim the full length of stairs in some of these places, is this simply discouraged or is it actually an offence to do so when the lifts are functioning?

 

[causton]

I did climb all the way up to K Floor in the UMIST main building once, and it pointed out just how unfit I currently am...

But the new lifts that are being installed when being renewed should be 'fire lifts' but the're pretty much useless since they tend to drop by gravity in a case of fire, in this case, into the fire.

I do one day though want to actually clim the full length of stairs in some of these places, is this simply discouraged or is it actually an offence to do so when the lifts are functioning?

Why would it be an offence? I once climbed the stairs of Russell Square tube station as I was picked to do the honourable task of walking the girl up the stairs because she was afraid of lifts (even though she's on her way to getting a pilot's licence... yes I know, she said it was cause she's in control of a plane!) except she was either very unfit or scared of stairs as well as we had to stop and she sat down halfway up... with some lost foreigners who thought the stairs were the main exit climbing over her... yeah that was fun!

The gateline staff looked a bit weirdly at us when we emerged from the top of the staircase but we made it in the end!

 

[SS4]

They all have stairs, but at stations like Goodge Street there are 320 steps in a spiral staircase (like climbing a 16-storey building)!

I hate lifts though and always use the stairs, it is not such an enclosed space and I am master of my journey in however small a way it is. Spiral staircases are fun as long as you don't run anyway
Only way I can imagine the stairs to be illegal is if it's a designated fire exit and only to be used in case of fire/evacuations of any kind.

 

[jopsuk]

At Covent Garden they used to announce how many steps there are; now they say how tall a building it is equivalent to (ten floors, in that case).

 

[ValleyLines142]

At Covent Garden they used to announce how many steps there are; now they say how tall a building it is equivalent to (ten floors, in that case).

Yeah I've heard that, there's a guy who says something along the lines of 'There are 193 steps to the top of this station at street level. This is the equivalent of a 15-storey building.'

 

[Daniel]

Hampstead is the deepest station on London Underground, and has the longest spiral staircase.

We have signs on each "floor" telling you how far you have to go, from Level 1 to Level 17.

It's not an offence to climb the stairs, many people do. An elderly gentleman does a couple of circuits (lift down, stairs up) every morning at Hampstead.

There is even the "Hampstead Challenge" for LU staff working on the Hendon group - a record in the supervisors office of the fastest times (running or walking) up the stairs.

 

[tsr]

I don't often use Russell Square station, and even less frequently in the rush hour, but the next time I am there, I will be using the stairs, should there be a queue of any length for the lift. I have waited for a good 20 minutes before at rush hour, which should be ample time to climb manually, and I sincerely hope I won't need a rest on the way up...

When you are talking about "floor level" scales, I am assuming you are using the latest building regulations for office space? Any "equivalent" scale from the date of construction could be misleading, since it may be that the regulations now require more space between floors, and that this has changed since construction.

Personally, I would rather know the ascent height in metres. But there we are...

 

[SS4]

I don't often use Russell Square station, and even less frequently in the rush hour, but the next time I am there, I will be using the stairs, should there be a queue of any length for the lift. I have waited for a good 20 minutes before at rush hour, which should be ample time to climb manually, and I sincerely hope I won't need a rest on the way up...

When you are talking about "floor level" scales, I am assuming you are using the latest building regulations for office space? Any "equivalent" scale from the date of construction could be misleading, since it may be that the regulations now require more space between floors, and that this has changed since construction.

Personally, I would rather know the ascent height in metres. But there we are...

+1 for metres, can't stand feet. I would imagine a floor is defined as a certain number of metres anyway sort of like celeritas is fixed by the definition of the metre

I take the stairs because it feels like I'm passing the time more quickly due to actually doing something and making appreciable progress towards the exit as well as providing a facade of being healthy

 

[tsr]

+1 for metres, can't stand feet. I would imagine a floor is defined as a certain number of metres anyway sort of like celeritas is fixed by the definition of the metre

I take the stairs because it feels like I'm passing the time more quickly due to actually doing something and making appreciable progress towards the exit as well as providing a facade of being healthy

I actually meant to say that I prefer a measurement according to a standardised scale - metres, feet, whatever - rather than in "floors", which is pretty arbitrary. In fact, metres or feet will do for me - I can make rough approximations on how long the climb will be based on each measurement.

As I said previously, various building regulations will probably be used to define a floor's height, in various contexts, and so on - but we do not know which edition of the regulations, nor what the measurement actually will be, unless we feel a burning desire to look up said regulations (actually, that's something that my father happens to be an expert in, so I have no need to know, but that's not too handy for me when I am on my own and deep underground!).

 

[jopsuk]

"floors", as a rough estimate, make more sense to non-geeks.

 

[Daniel]

At Hampstead at least, the 'Floors' (which are called Levels not floors), aren't a specific height apart, it's just the landings between an equal number of stairs on the way up/down.

 

[HSTEd]

I did climb all the way up to K Floor in the UMIST main building once, and it pointed out just how unfit I currently am...

But the new lifts that are being installed when being renewed should be 'fire lifts' but the're pretty much useless since they tend to drop by gravity in a case of fire, in this case, into the fire.

I do one day though want to actually clim the full length of stairs in some of these places, is this simply discouraged or is it actually an offence to do so when the lifts are functioning?

Ah K-floor.

The floor with the random Gym that has apparently been built on the roof for some reason.
Its a good thing they werent able to sell that building off, it has history unlike some of the new buildings on the current main campus.

 

[JoeGJ1984]

I think Holloway Road has lifts, but it is not much of a climb using the stairs (which I used when I once used Holloway Road). With the long spiral staircases though, I'll use the lift unless it's not working.

 

[pitdiver]

Goodge Street does have steps like Covent Garden- and isn't quite as tall. Hampstead is the deepest- 320 steps if you avoid the lift.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
one of the problems with searching for this is that "lift only" stations can manage not to be step-free. Covent Garden is a classic- short flights of steps from the bottom of the lifts to the platforms.

I know all those steps at Goodge Street. Many a time I've walked down and up them during the night whilst doing a station patrol. As the night SS you were considered to be on your own. You were therefore not allowed to use the lifts so
stairs it had to be. Plenty of exercise to keep Station Supervisors fit, and burn of the calories from the KFC next door.

 

[David Goddard]

At Covent Garden they used to announce how many steps there are; now they say how tall a building it is equivalent to (ten floors, in that case).

They still do tell you how many (193). I arrived at Covent Garden the other week and had just missed all four lifts. Opted to take the stairs and after a couple of pauses mid way emerged at the top.
There should be stairs at all stations for emergency reasons, but clearly these will almost always be spiral cases.

 

[HSTEd]

Is procuring sufficient surface space to fit escalators really prohibitely expensive at Covent Garden?
The supressed usage there must be huge.

 

[TEW]

Covent Garden suffers badly from overcrowding, the station is exit only at busy periods already. As its such a short walk to nearby stations its not such a problem though.

 

[sprite]

I did climb all the way up to K Floor in the UMIST main building once, and it pointed out just how unfit I currently am...

I have a fear of lifts and do this at least twice every exam period in Sackville Street. Also having to hand in work in Schuster on the 7th floor was a killer in first year.

 

[Cliveblackpool]

This would be a great idea - a 'mile' of artwork to enjoy
Would get me climbing the stairs!
Abbesses (featured in the film 'Amelie', a must watch film)
http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/05/18/abbesses-paris-metro-station-for-montmartre-and-amelie-fans/

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I'm fine with stairs, can run up the whole Covent Garden set without getting tired/aching!
Elephant and Castle's lifts are snazzy, so I use them.

 

[SS4]

This would be a great idea - a 'mile' of artwork to enjoy
Would get me climbing the stairs!
Abbesses (featured in the film 'Amélie', a must watch film)
http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/05/18/abbesses-paris-metro-station-for-montmartre-and-amelie-fans/

I watched that in French class at the end of term sans les sous-titres

I always take the stairs where possible largely because I hate lifts and I want to see myself making progress. I've took the stairs up to the 8th floor of Uxbridge travelodge on more than one occasion with an overnight bag (only the first and last times admittedly )