Mace Group

Step-free access for London Underground users

As part of Transport for London's £10bn five year investment programme, London Underground (LU) is implementing capacity enhancement and step-free access works to various stations. The programme will provide essential access improvement for mobility impaired users and will improve quality of access for all users.

In 2005 the Mayor of London announced that a third of stations on the Underground network would be step-free by 2013. The current programme requires 25% of the network to be step free accessible by late 2010 with the remaining 8% being delivered by 2013.

Mace was appointed in 2007 to provide project planning and cost management services to the programme. The Mace transport team has provided an improved approach and management of design and construction at several key suburban stations.

The current portfolio of stations where step free access will be implemented varies from major interchange stations, strategic Olympic deliverable stations through to outlaying stations such as Oakwood and Hendon Central.

London Underground is delivering this programme through various routes which include using existing PPP providers such as Tube Lines as well as specialist suppliers from the external market.

Due to the diverse delivery routes being taken Mace is providing LU with project management and commercial support. Mace is also implementing processes and procedures to ensure that the programme is delivery focused to enable this difficult and complex programme of works to be achieved whilst retaining corporate governance that is required within the public sector.

Key successes:

• Improved programme structure

• Improved cost management certainty

• Focused construction supervision