Locals are raising their concerns about the frequent closures of the new lifts at Teddington Railway Station.

The new lifts officially opened in March after a five-month delay.

Originally, the lifts were set to open in October, but this was delayed until the end of December, and was then again delayed until March.

They were built to improve accessibility for elderly and disabled travellers, as well as families with young children and heavy prams.

The £3.6m 'Access for All' scheme began in September 2023 and saw two lifts opening between the two platforms on Station Road and Victoria Road.

The two lifts have a capacity of 16 people each.

However, since their opening, the lifts have often been out of service causing obstacles for people who need to use them.

The new lifts at Teddington Station have frequently been out of service since their opening (Credit: William Wilson)

According to local resident, William Wilson, the "long-awaited lifts have been out of service since 11 September.

He told Teddington Nub News: "After five years in the planning and almost two years in construction at a cost of £3.6m, the lifts have been operational for about three months.

"There does not seem to be any prospect of them being fixed anytime soon.

"Apparently, someone was trapped in a lift, and the fire brigade had to "vandalise" the lifts to get them out. Surely the lifts should have been tested properly - Balfour Beatty were certainly paid enough for what should surely have been two fairly simple pieces of construction and two lifts.

"Bad enough for passengers with heavy suitcases but a disaster for wheelchair users and for those with pushchairs and prams." 

A person got trapped in the lifts last month (Credit: William Wilson)

Another resident, Patty Lloyd added: "I went to the inauguration of the Teddington Station lifts on 23 May and have been dismayed that there have been a few times since then that the lift hasn't worked and the emergency call button doesn't get answered by anyone, a very poor show on their behalf. 

"I also used Teddington Station on 5 August, and the lift was out of order. As a disabled person, I find this unacceptable. I demand that they get the lift working, and if in the event of a breakdown, that someone answers the emergency button (as that's why it's there!)."

A third resident said: "They took ages to be built - very helpful when finished - not so helpful now. Please fix them asap."

In response to the recent closure, a Network Rail spokesperson said: " "We're really sorry for the continued disruption caused by the lifts being out of service at Teddington station.

"Network Rail's engineers rebuilt lift one following the delivery of the replacement parts on Friday, but during the mandatory safety testing process, a software fault was identified.

"Our teams are currently waiting for a final sign off before the lifts can enter into service, and we're hopeful that this can be completed as soon as possible."