This is the final weekend (commencing 26th April 2025) of Knightsbridge tube station as a facility that offers access to its platforms solely by way of a bank of escalators and stairs. From next week Knightsbridge station will offer new accessible elevators (lifts) and corridors via a new entrance in Hoopers Court – and that will complete a series of upgrade that have completely altered the station’s appearance from its 1930s look.
Alas modernity in those far off days didn’t consider disability in any way or form – thus many stations from that period which offer escalator only options are now seen as greatly inconvenient. Knightsbridge’s former lifts and old station entrances were either demolished or put to other uses. Almost a hundred years later there is now a restored lift service as well as the introduction of two new station entrances.
The new entrance in Hoopers Court just off Brompton Road.
There will be three lifts in use. Two of those will go from the new tube ticket hall in Hoopers Court as shown above. Its ticket machines will accept only cards as payment.
The two lifts will take one down to a lower level lobby where a pair of passageways will take one to either a further lift or a flight of stairs – depending on which is needed.
One passageway is dedicated to the use of the stairs thus its essentially a walking route. The other is dedicated to sole use of the second lift – hence its a route that will be used by those who are **PRM – that’s wheelchair users, the disabled and families with buggies etc.
The Hoopers Court lobby has ticket machines. In line with current TfL policy these are card payment only.
I have compiled some pictures taken of those final days (24th and 25th April 2025) of the station’s non-accessible status. The original station that is repurposed for modern needs was opened by the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton railway in 1907. After nearly a hundred years out of use it has been brought back into use as part of TfL’s programme to introduce accessibility to yet more tube stations.
The reopening of the 1907 part of the station (plus its 21st century enhancements) as part of normal service hours will no doubt be one of little celebration – its what is known as a soft opening. However it’s likely a proper official reopening celebration will be held later.
Though the station is joining the growing list of accessible tube stations – ‘full access’ won’t be realised until the entire compliment of new 2024 Piccadilly line tube stock is put into service and the various track/platform interfaces have all been altered to afford true level boarding. Unfortunately wheelchair users will still need to use ramps onto the trains while the old 1973 tube stock continues in use.
The new Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea signs which have the unusual designation – ‘step-free access to station’. Its not a designation that has been used on the road name signs in London so far!
This week the lift entrance at platform level had these notices apologising for the lifts not working. See the enlarged image of these below.
It was a bit strange to see notices that apologised for a lift not working – when in fact the lift had never been brought into pubic use!
On Friday 25th April the notices apologising for the non working lifts were removed and a simple ‘Lift out of service’ banner was employed.
The signs saying ‘Lift to Way out’ seem a bit generic. Surely Hoopers Court or Brompton Road would be a better indication as to where one is going?
The new lift signs on the westbound platform – again quite generic. TfL haven’t actually finished the work at the station as the walls surrounding the platform entrances to the lower level lift landing need new tiling. Maybe this will be done at a later date if not over the weekend?
**PRM = People with Reduced Mobility.
This is a follow up to the Knightsbridge opens soon post. At that time it wasn’t known exactly when the new part of the station would open!