Tube stations see 'unacceptable' sharp rise in lift closures due to staff shortages

A popular South West London Tube station was the worst affected in the capital for lift closures caused by staff shortages last year, with passengers left without step-free access for nearly 1,500 hours, new figures have revealed.

Data from Transport for London (TfL) shows lifts across the Underground network were shut for a record 6,365 hours in 2025 because of trained staff shortages.

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, show Wimbledon Park station recorded 1,435 hours of lift closures across 244 separate incidents during 2025. One incident saw the lift close continuously for 424 hours, from November 20 until December 8, after no trained staff were available at the station.

The 137-year-old District line station is heavily used by commuters despite its relatively small size, and only gained step-free access in 2021 following a £200m investment. Neighouring station Southfields also made the unwanted list for a high number of closures.

“This is completely unacceptable, particularly given the station only recently became step-free,” Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler said. “Passengers who rely on lifts, including disabled people, older passengers and parents with buggies, are being badly let down.”

Lib Dem MP Kohler told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “These closures happen suddenly and without warning, meaning people can arrive at a station and simply be unable to complete their journey.”

Kohler said he had repeatedly raised concerns over staffing levels and lift reliability on the Underground. The MP secured a parliamentary debate on the issue last year and has since pressed ministers on what improvements are expected following the rise in closures.

“TfL’s goal was to have zero lift closures due to staff shortages,” Kohler told the LDRS. “Instead, the situation has spiralled in the wrong direction.”

The figures show a sharp rise in staffing-related closures across the network in recent years, increasing from a total of 499 hours in 2021 to 2,460 in 2022 and 3,301 in 2023. The total then rose above 6,000 hours in both 2024 and 2025.

Kingsbury station in North West London had the second highest number of closure hours with 531, followed by fellow District line station Southfields station with 517.

Other stations heavily affected by staffing-related lift closures included Osterley station, Debden station and Kilburn station. Hundreds of hours of disruption were also recorded at Hendon Central station, Hillingdon station, Bromley-by-Bow station and Knightsbridge station.