A £1,000 RAMP used to help disabled people board trains at Woodford Station during the 2012 Games will remain in place for the next few months while TfL reviews its benefits.

The ramp is one of 16 introduced at stations on the Central Line where the gap between train and platform has previously made it difficult for wheelchair users to access tubes.

The news has been welcomed by Woodford Green disability campaigner Sulaiman Khan, 27.

Mr Khan of Spring Gardens, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, said: “In the last eight weeks I have used the tube to go to Stratford at least 20 times.

“In the six years prior to that I used it maybe once or twice a year. So the ramp has made a huge difference to my life.”

TfL say their review will consider benefits to customers, reliability, cost, level of usage and potential locations for future use.

Multiple sclerosis sufferer Sanjay Chadha, 44, of Well Cottage Close in Wanstead, says TfL must keep the ramps.

He added: “In the past I’ve had to pay for a taxi from Wanstead to Stratford to access the Jubilee Line.

“This is a small ramp but it opens up a lot of options where before there just weren’t any.”

TfL say they are continuing to invest in accessibility improvements ‘where funding is available’.

And they say new trains on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines are wheelchair accessible and provide level access at platform level.

But Mr Khan said: “The ramps have been positive but there is still a huge amount to be done to increase access across the network.

“For example the only station in zone one which is really accessible is Green Park.

“We need improved access at stations like Oxford Circus and Camden Town and we need the ramps rolled out across more stations.”

And Bobby Ancil, Project Manager at Trailblazers part of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign charity, said: “Trailblazers are now calling for the retention and expansion of the ramp programme with ramps being provided at all stations and staff trained and available to use them.

“Wheelchair users should be able to travel independently which is why we also want to see more lifts and raised platforms on the Tube network.”

Mike Brown, London Underground Managing Director, said: “These ramps have proved to be very useful for our customers and we are going to continue to use them after the Games whilst we review whether they are permanently viable.”

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