Overview

This is a mixed review has I had a very positive experience with passenger assistance but while I was there the lift got stuck and no one came to assist even through I was ringing the alarm and the newly refurbished accessible toilet has a few problems.

Transport & Parking

There are lots of buses that stop close by and that is how I got to Waterloo Railway Station. There is a tube but only the Jubilee Line is step free, making travelling here by tube not an option for me.

Access

ENTRANCE I used the step free entrance from Waterloo Road, which is a wide open space when the station is open. LIFT On arriving I took the lift. It then stop about 15 inches later. I immediately pressed the emergency alarm. I realised that you have to keep your finger on the button otherwise it will stop. I pressed it for what seemed like 3-5 minutes and no member of staff came to see if we were ok. No one came on an intercom to speak to us in the lift. The lift then restarted without anyone in the lift pressing a button. When we got to the upper floor there was a member of staff there. I told them what happened and they called for assistance. Waterloo Station need to have a better response to the emergency alarm going off in the lift, as some passengers many be claustrophobic or have young children with them who will feel very frightened when this happens. On my return the lift was out of service. Thankfully I had passenger assistance, so the member of staff immediately took me to an alternative lift, which I was told was the goods lift. We exited in what was described as the basement, an area which is not usually seen by the public and we exited out of a side door. CONCOURSE Waterloo station is a very busy station with 20+ platforms. I find it very difficult to get about as the concourse is huge and I was constantly trying to avoid people who were coming towards me from all directions often with suitcases. There are some seats on the concourse, but the majority were occupied. There is also a problem of poor signage. I went to the upper floor as the accessible toilet was pointing upwards, only to have to come back down again, as there was no accessible toilets there, and the arrow signage had meant straight ahead not upstairs. PASSENGER ASSISTANCE I remembered from the last time I visited in September 2023, that I had put on my Euan's Guide review that passenger assistance was difficult to find. As Euan's Guide sends the reviews to the venues, I can only assume that no one bothered to read it and certainly no one had taken action. The signage to it is poor and it is not easy to spot. There is a large Rail Information sign above the passenger assistance desk, so it is not obvious that it is the passenger assistance desk. It also means that other passengers use this as an information point, which meant I had to painfully stand for several minutes while the person in front of me was served. There was nowhere to sit while I was queueing and there was only one member of staff on. The passenger assistance sign is on the side of the desk making it virtually impossible to find, especially if the station is very busy. The rail information sign should be replaced by a passenger assistance sign so it is more easy to spot especially for people with visual impairments. Also there is an inadequate number of seats in the passenger assistance area. There is a bench with about room for 8 people maximum. When I arrived there were no free seats, and a woman as the woman sitting next to her if she was able to give me her seat (she was the only person without a mobility aid). I double checked with her as she stood up for me, and said I know not all disabilities are visible so was she sure? and she replied that she had just found the seat and was sitting there texting her friend. More seating needs to be provided for the passenger assistance area.

Toilets

Last year when I visited the accessible toilet was outside the station as the toilet area was being refurbished. There are now two adjacent accessible toilets, see photo. Both require a RADAR key and have manual doors. I used the toilet on the right hand side. It has a right hand side transfer. I did not have the opportunity to use the other toilet so I am not sure what side the transfer is on. However, if they are on different sides it would be helpful if there was a sign on the door staying which side the transfer was. The toilet was spacious, well maintained and clean. There were plenty of grab rails around the toilet and sink area but none on the back of the door. It shared the space with a drop down baby changing bench, which had not been push back up. It would be helpful if there was a sign reminding people to push it back up when finished. Also I am not sure what people wanting to use the baby changing facilities open the door given they are less likely to have a RADAR key. So it feels like the shared space has not been thoughtfully considered. My main concern about these brand new accessible toilets as this one had a locked door next to the toilet, saying store room, staff only. It is not acceptable to put a cupboard here, which may then make the toilet out of service when staff are using the cupboard. It's another one of those tick box exercises, we have an accessible toilet but we do not think about how people with lived experience use the space.

Staff

Staff very helpful and friendly. I had great passenger assistance. Despite the difficulties getting to the passenger assistance desk, once there the staff were excellent. The member of staff came to check I had got a seat. Then some else came quickly to take me to my train. She whizzed me up a ramp which was lovely and quiet and away from the main crowds. Then she had to whizz me back again to another platform. She helped with boarding and ensured that the destination station knew I was coming. On the return journey, I had another member of staff assist me. They came quickly after my train pulled in and again whizzed me around the quiet areas, which I appreciated as I was coming back in the rush hour. He already knew the lift was not working and took me to the service lift to exit the station.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Waterloo Station is a busy mainline station and one that I use from time to time. I find the size and busyness of it daunting. It is one station where I would love passenger assistance to start from the entrance of the station, as walking to the passenger assistance is a struggle. However, once there things were very well managed.

Photos