Avoiding escalators on the London Underground
Some of my friends are guide dog users and prefer to avoid taking their guide dogs on escalators where possible. For each station, I have tried to indicate whether there are routes without escalators or whether escalators are unavoidable. I have listed the stations alphabetically. If you have suggestions for improvements or you find mistakes, please contact me. I am grateful to the help that I have had from Amy Eycott and Robert Johnson.
A
Acton Town
No escalators.
Aldgate
No escalators.
Aldgate East
No escalators.
Alperton
No escalators.
Amersham
No escalators.
Angel
Unavoidable escalators.
Archway
Unavoidable escalators.
Arnos Grove
No escalators.
Arsenal
No escalators.
B
Baker Street
Unavoidable escalators to Bakerloo and Jubilee line platforms. No escalators between Bakerloo and Jubilee line platforms. No escalators to Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan line platforms.
Balham
Avoidable escalators.
Bank
Avoidable escalators.
Many of these routes go via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to avoid escalators.
- Waterloo & City line to Northern line. Take the long transfer passage, turning left at the end towards the Central line. On the Central line platform, turn through 180 degrees and take the second spiral staircase. This leads into another corridor, and eventually to some stairs down to the Northern line.
- Waterloo & City line to DLR. Take the route above, but instead of descending the final stairs to the Northern line, turn right then left, and descend the stairs to the DLR.
- Waterloo & City line to Central line. Take the long passage, turning left at the end. This leads straight to the Central line.
- Waterloo & City line to Circle and District lines. Follow the instructions for the DLR, then continue following the corridor, and take the stairs to Monument.
- Northern line to Central line. Take the stairs at the northern end of the platform. Continue in a straight line, taking the fourth turning on the left, leading to the spiral staircase up to the platform level.
- Northern line to DLR. Go up the stairs at the northern end of the platform, take the first turning on the left, then left again, before descending to the DLR.
- Northern line to Circle and District lines. Head for the DLR as above, but continue along the corridor, using the stairs between the escalators.
- DLR to Circle and District lines. From the inbound platform, go into the main corridor and turn right. Take the stairs between the escalators.
- DLR to Central line. From the inbound platform enter the main corridor and turn left. Ascend the stairs, then either keep going straight ahead up the stairs and follow the corridor until you get to the Central line or take the first turning on the right. Take the next left, then the third left after that. Ascend the spiral staircase to the Central line.
- Circle and District lines to Central line. Take the route toward the DLR, not the Northern line passage. Descend the stairs BETWEEN THE escalators, walk to the far end of the passage, then follow as above.
Barbican
No escalators.
Barking
No escalators.
Barkingside
No escalators.
Barons Court
No escalators.
Bayswater
No escalators.
Battersea Power Station
Avoidable escalators.
Becontree
No escalators.
Belsize Park
No escalators.
Bermondsey
Avoidable escalators.
Bethnal Green
Unavoidable escalators.
Blackfriars
No escalators. Unavoidable escalators to National Rail station.
Blackhorse Road
Avoidable escalators.
Bond Street
Unavoidable escalators.
Borough
No escalators.
Boston Manor
No escalators.
Bounds Green
Avoidable escalators.
Bow Road
No escalators.
Brent Cross
No escalators.
Brixton
Avoidable escalators.
Bromley-by-Bow
No escalators.
Buckhurst Hill
No escalators.
Burnt Oak
No escalators.
C
Caledonian Road
No escalators.
Camden Town
Avoidable escalators (using emergency stairs).
Canada Water
Avoidable escalators.
Canary Wharf
Avoidable escalators.
Canning Town
Avoidable escalators.
Cannon Street
No escalators.
Canons Park
No escalators.
Chalfont & Latimer
No escalators.
Chalk Farm
No escalators.
Chancery Lane
Unavoidable escalators to platforms. Avoidable escalators between platforms.
Charing Cross
Unavoidable escalators to platforms. No escalators between Bakerloo and Northern line platforms.
Chesham
No escalators.
Chigwell
No escalators.
Chiswick Park
No escalators.
Chorleywood
No escalators.
Clapham Common
Unavoidable escalators.
Clapham North
Unavoidable escalators.
Clapham South
Avoidable escalators.
Cockfosters
No escalators.
Colindale
No escalators.
Colliers Wood
Avoidable escalators.
Covent Garden
No escalators.
Croxley
No escalators.
D
Dagenham East
No escalators.
Dagenham Heathway
No escalators.
Debden
No escalators.
Dollis Hill
No escalators.
E
Ealing Broadway
No escalators.
Ealing Common
No escalators.
Earl's Court
Avoidable escalators.
East Acton
No escalators.
Eastcote
No escalators.
East Finchley
No escalators.
East Ham
No escalators.
East Putney
No escalators.
Edgware
No escalators.
Edgware Road (Bakerloo line)
No escalators.
Edgware Road (Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City lines)
No escalators.
Elephant & Castle
No escalators.
Elm Park
No escalators.
Embankment
Avoidable escalators to Bakerloo and Northern line platforms (using emergency stairs). No escalators to Circle and District line platforms. No escalators between Bakerloo and northbound Northern line platforms. No escalators between Circle and District line and southbound Northern line platforms.
Epping
No escalators.
Euston
Unavoidable escalators to platforms. No escalators between northbound Northern line (Bank branch only) and northbound Victoria line. No escalators between southbound Northern line (Bank branch only) and southbound Victoria line.
Euston Square
No escalators.
F
Fairlop
No escalators.
Farringdon
No escalators.
Finchley Central
No escalators.
Finchley Road
No escalators.
Finsbury Park
No escalators.
Fulham Broadway
No escalators.
G
Gants Hill
Unavoidable escalators.
Gloucester Road
No escalators.
Golders Green
No escalators.
Goldhawk Road
No escalators.
Goodge Street
No escalators.
Grange Hill
No escalators.
Great Portland Street
No escalators.
Greenford
Avoidable escalator.
Green Park
Avoidable escalators.
Gunnersbury
No escalators.
H
Hainault
No escalators.
Hammersmith (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)
No escalators.
Hammersmith (District and Piccadilly lines)
No escalators.
Hampstead
No escalators.
Hanger Lane
No escalators.
Harlesden
No escalators.
Harrow & Wealdstone
No escalators.
Harrow-on-the-Hill
No escalators.
Hatton Cross
No escalators.
Heathrow Terminal 4
No escalators.
Heathrow Terminal 5
Avoidable escalators.
Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3
Avoidable escalators (lift available on request).
Hendon Central
No escalators.
High Barnet
No escalators.
Highbury & Islington
Avoidable escalators.
Highgate
Avoidable escalators.
High Street Kensington
No escalators.
Hillingdon
No escalators.
Holborn
Unavoidable escalators.
Holland Park
No escalators.
Holloway Road
No escalators.
Hornchurch
No escalators.
Hounslow Central
No escalators.
Hounslow East
No escalators.
Hounslow West
No escalators.
Hyde Park Corner
Avoidable escalators.
I
Ickenham
No escalators.
K
Kennington
No escalators.
Kensal Green
No escalators.
Kensington (Olympia)
No escalators.
Kentish Town
Avoidable escalators (using emergency stairs).
Kenton
No escalators.
Kew Gardens
No escalators.
Kilburn
No escalators.
Kilburn Park
Avoidable escalators.
Kingsbury
No escalators.
King's Cross Saint Pancras
Avoidable escalators.
Knightsbridge
Avoidable escalators.
L
Ladbroke Grove
No escalators.
Lambeth North
No escalators.
Lancaster Gate
No escalators.
Latimer Road
No escalators.
Leicester Square
Unavoidable escalators to platforms. No escalators between Northern and Piccadilly lines.
Leyton
No escalators.
Leytonstone
No escalators.
Liverpool Street
Unavoidable escalators to Central line. No escalators to Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines.
London Bridge
Avoidable escalators.
Loughton
No escalators.
M
Maida Vale
Avoidable escalators.
Manor House
Unavoidable escalators to platforms.
Mansion House
No escalators.
Marble Arch
Avoidable escalators.
Marylebone
Unavoidable escalators to platforms.
Mile End
No escalators.
Mill Hill East
No escalators.
Monument
Avoidable escalators.
Many of these routes go via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to avoid escalators.
- Waterloo & City line to Northern line. Take the long transfer passage, turning left at the end towards the Central line. On the Central line platform, turn through 180 degrees and take the second spiral staircase. This leads into another corridor, and eventually to some stairs down to the Northern line.
- Waterloo & City line to DLR. Take the route above, but instead of descending the final stairs to the Northern line, turn right then left, and descend the stairs to the DLR.
- Waterloo & City line to Central line. Take the long passage, turning left at the end. This leads straight to the Central line.
- Waterloo & City line to Circle and District lines. Follow the instructions for the DLR, then continue following the corridor, and take the stairs to Monument.
- Northern line to Central line. Take the stairs at the northern end of the platform. Continue in a straight line, taking the fourth turning on the left, leading to the spiral staircase up to the platform level.
- Northern line to DLR. Go up the stairs at the northern end of the platform, take the first turning on the left, then left again, before descending to the DLR.
- Northern line to Circle and District lines. Head for the DLR as above, but continue along the corridor, using the stairs between the escalators.
- DLR to Circle and District lines. From the inbound platform, go into the main corridor and turn right. Take the stairs between the escalators.
- DLR to Central line. From the inbound platform enter the main corridor and turn left. Ascend the stairs, then either keep going straight ahead up the stairs and follow the corridor until you get to the Central line or take the first turning on the right. Take the next left, then the third left after that. Ascend the spiral staircase to the Central line.
- Circle and District lines to Central line. Take the route toward the DLR, not the Northern line passage. Descend the stairs BETWEEN THE escalators, walk to the far end of the passage, then follow as above.
Moorgate
Avoidable escalators.
Moor Park
No escalators.
Morden
No escalators.
Mornington Crescent
No escalators.
N
Neasden
No escalators.
Newbury Park
No escalators.
Nine Elms
Avoidable escalators.
North Acton
No escalators.
North Ealing
No escalators.
Northfields
No escalators.
North Greenwich
Avoidable escalators.
North Harrow
No escalators.
Northolt
No escalators.
North Wembley
No escalators.
Northwick Park
No escalators.
Northwood
No escalators.
Northwood Hills
No escalators.
Notting Hill Gate
Avoidable escalators.
O
Oakwood
No escalators.
Old Street
Avoidable escalators (using emergency stairs).
Osterley
No escalators.
Oval
Avoidable escalators.
Oxford Circus
Unavoidable escalators from ticket hall. No escalators for interchanges.
P
Paddington (Bakerloo, Circle, and District lines)
Avoidable escalators.
Paddington (Circle and Hammersmith & City lines)
No escalators.
Park Royal
No escalators.
Parsons Green
No escalators.
Perivale
No escalators.
Piccadilly Circus
Unavoidable escalators. No escalators for interchanges.
Pimlico
Avoidable escalators.
Pinner
No escalators.
Plaistow
No escalators.
Preston Road
No escalators.
Putney Bridge
No escalators.
Q
Queensbury
No escalators.
Queen's Park
No escalators.
Queensway
No escalators.
R
Ravenscourt Park
No escalators.
Rayners Lane
No escalators.
Redbridge
No escalators.
Regent's Park
No escalators.
Richmond
No escalators.
Rickmansworth
No escalators.
Roding Valley
No escalators.
Royal Oak
No escalators.
Ruislip
No escalators.
Ruislip Gardens
No escalators.
Ruislip Manor
No escalators.
Russell Square
No escalators.
S
Saint James's Park
No escalators.
Saint John's Wood
Avoidable escalators.
Saint Paul's
Avoidable escalators.
Seven Sisters
Unavoidable escalator to National Rail (unless you exit the station and change at street level). No escalators elsewhere.
Shepherd's Bush
Avoidable escalators.
Shepherd's Bush Market
No escalators.
Sloane Square
Avoidable escalators. Use the entrance stairs to exit from the platforms.
Snaresbrook
No escalators.
South Ealing
No escalators.
Southfields
No escalators.
Southgate
Avoidable escalators.
South Harrow
No escalators.
South Kensington
Unavoidable escalators to Piccadilly line. No escalators to Circle and District line.
South Kenton
No escalators.
South Ruislip
No escalators.
Southwark
Avoidable escalators.
South Wimbledon
Avoidable escalators.
South Woodford
No escalators.
Stamford Brook
No escalators.
Stanmore
No escalators.
Stepney Green
No escalators.
Stockwell
Avoidable escalators.
Stonebridge Park
No escalators.
Stratford
No escalators.
Sudbury Hill
No escalators.
Sudbury Town
No escalators.
Swiss Cottage
Avoidable escalators.
T
Temple
No escalators.
Theydon Bois
No escalators.
Tooting Bec
Avoidable escalators.
Tooting Broadway
Unavoidable escalators.
Tottenham Court Road
Unavoidable escalators. No escalators for interchange from Central line to Northern line.
Tottenham Hale
No escalators.
Totteridge & Whetstone
No escalators.
Tower Hill
No escalators.
Tufnell Park
No escalators.
Turnham Green
No escalators.
Turnpike Lane
Unavoidable escalators.
U
Upminster
No escalators.
Upminster Bridge
No escalators.
Upney
No escalators.
Upton Park
No escalators.
Uxbridge
No escalators.
V
Vauxhall
Avoidable escalators.
Victoria
Unavoidable escalators to Victoria line. No escalators to Circle and District lines.
W
Walthamstow Central
Avoidable escalators.
Wanstead
Avoidable escalators.
Warren Street
Avoidable escalators.
Warwick Avenue
Avoidable escalators.
Waterloo
Avoidable escalators.
- Main National Rail station concourse to Waterloo & City line. In the middle of the concourse, near platform 6, there are stairs down to the London Underground station. Instead of turning right to go down to the Jubilee line, turn left. Along that corridor there is a turn on the right, which is sometimes open, giving access to stairs down to the Waterloo & City line. If that route is not open, carry on along the corridor, which eventually turns right and opens out on to a wider corridor that meets the stairs that come down from the National Rail platforms and open at peak times only. Along this wider corridor, there are two slopes down to the Waterloo & City line on the right. If you had continued down the wide corridor, you would have reached the Bakerloo and Northern line ticket barriers.
- Main National Rail station concourse to the Bakerloo, Jubilee and Northern lines via the Shell Centre. This route is only available during weekdays and closes at night (at around ). Walk west along the concourse, past the high-numbered platforms and the old Eurostar balcony, and onto a bridge. Do not descend the stairs under the Victory Arch. The bridge passes over a quiet side-road, through a building and over a much busier road. On the other side, immediately before it goes under the Shell Centre, turn left and descend the stairs to the pavement below. Turn through 180 degrees at the bottom and walk back under the bridge, with the road on your right, to find the entrance to the London Underground station immediately on your left. After going through the barriers, turn right through 180 degrees then left, to find the stairs between the escalators. At the bottom of these stairs, you can reach the Bakerloo line along passages to your right. The Northern line is to the left. For the Jubilee line, go left as for the Northern line, but continue across another lobby area and down a further passage to reach the travelators. There is a fixed walkway between the two travelators. The Jubilee line interchange area is a short way beyond the end of the travelators. On the far side, take the lift, which is between the two sets of escalators ,down to the Jubilee line platforms.
- Main National Rail station concourse to the Bakerloo, Jubilee, and Northern lines via the Jubilee line ticket hall. Locate the Jubilee line ticket hall on the lower concourse. Either use the lift next to the taxi queue and the escalators to the lower concourse or use the subway accessed from stairs leading down from each platform (peak hours only) or from the main concourse, approximately opposite platforms 7 and 8. Go through the wide gate and veer left to avoid the escalators, then follow the right edge until shortly before it ends. The lift is on the left. For the Jubilee line, simply press the button marked
P
to get to the Jubilee line platforms. For the Bakerloo and Northern lines, press the button markedI
to get to the interchange level. After exiting the lift on the interchange level, turn left and cross the concourse to reach the travelators. Use the fixed walkway between the two travelators and continue straight on at the end, crossing over a lobby area. The Northern line is the next line you meet. For the Bakerloo line, continue across the next lobby into further passages.
Watford
No escalators.
Wembley Central
No escalators.
Wembley Park
No escalators.
West Acton
No escalators.
Westbourne Park
No escalators.
West Brompton
No escalators.
West Finchley
No escalators.
West Ham
No escalators.
West Hampstead
No escalators.
West Harrow
No escalators.
West Kensington
No escalators.
Westminster
Avoidable escalators. Use the lift between the westbound Circle and District line platform and the westbound Jubilee line platform level. Use the lifts or stairs between other levels. Emergency stairs are also available.
West Ruislip
No escalators.
Whitechapel
No escalators.
White City
No escalators.
Willesden Green
No escalators.
Willesden Junction
No escalators.
Wimbledon
No escalators.
Wimbledon Park
No escalators.
Woodford
No escalators.
Wood Green
Unavoidable escalators.
Wood Lane
No escalators.
Woodside Park
No escalators.