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From phone thieves to rogue Lime bikers, Londoners face all sorts of perils every day.
One danger, and it’s actually quite a serious one, especially if you have accessibility needs, is the gap between the tube and the platform – in 2024 a total of 1,893 passenger train interface (PTI) incidents – AKA falling down the gap – were recorded, Metro reported. Out of those, 522 people were injured, and in the past five years six people have died after falling in, according to TfL figures.
One Londoner, Sarah de Lagarde, lost her right arm and leg after she fell down and was run over by two trains at High Barnet in 2022. Meanwhile, Lord Blunkett, who is blind, called tube platforms a ‘death trap’ in 2024 after he was injured by falling when out without his guide dog.
So which tube stations pose the biggest risks? And where should Londoners pay extra attention to the gap? Here, we reveal which tube stations have the largest gaps.
Bank
Bank station platforms are thought to have some of the largest gaps in the Underground network. The gap on the Central line platform eastbound at its west end is around 37cm, while the westbound platform throughout measures approximately 30cm.
Piccadilly Circus
The biggest gap at Piccadilly Circus station is a hair-raising 35cm. This is found at the north end of the Bakerloo line’s southbound platform. The gaps at the northbound platform’s north end and the southbound platform’s south end measure around 32cm.
Waterloo
Waterloo station’s biggest gap is around 25cm on the Bakerloo line’s southbound platform at its north end and southbound platform’s south end.
Mansion House
This station has one 25cm gap, located on the District line eastbound at the western end of the platform. However, this gap is only thought to be an issue with certain trains (D stock) due to the central position of the train doors.
Paddington
Paddington Underground station’s biggest gap measures 22.5cm. It’s located on the northbound Bakerloo line platform at its north end.
Accessibility on the tube with Time Out
In 2024 TfL published a plan to make the tube more accessible, which included installing mini ramps at a number of stations. Read more about that here. TfL also plans to install more toilets across the Underground network. Plus, this map published in 2022 shows all the stations with step-free access.
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