Station with a view
4
4
Date of visit: July 2026
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Good
Blackfriars Station is connected to the District and Circle lines on the Tube and also provides National Rail services. It has two entrances, one on either side of the river Thames. The bridge between the two is also where the platforms are located which means there are some amazing views across London from the platforms. Staff were available on all the platforms to assist with boarding. There was a raised section on the platforms, which made the platform level with the train. This meant there was a medium gap between the train and the platform to navigate, but no step. Those using prams or a walking aid, like a walking stick, may find that this provides enough security to board and disembark without staff assistance. For me, in my wheelchair, the staff provided a small ramp which just bridged the medium-sized gap, providing a smooth and safe boarding and disembarking option. Staff were quick to board me on the next available train and communicated with the staff at my destination station; they were also there as requested when I returned. I didn’t use the Underground platforms on this visit, only the Thameslink service. The Underground lines are only available from the north side of the station but there are lifts on either side of the station which connect to each end of the platforms. I found the south side of the station slightly harder to navigate in my wheelchair. It brings you out on the Southbank which is really lovely and perfect if you are travelling to any of the attractions located on that level. However, I realised that I actually needed to get to the level above, where the Blackfriars road bridge is, and there were only stairs to get up there. It meant I had to take quite a long winded route to get to the roads I needed to be on to continue my journey. Overall, I had a good experience using this station, the staff were incredibly helpful and were there when I needed them and expected them to be. The station is relatively small, with only four National Rail platforms, which makes it quite easy to navigate as the signage is clear throughout the station.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
There are two entrances to the station. One on the north side of the river and one on the south. The one on the north side of the river is larger and also provides access to the District and Circle lines on the Underground. The north side is also where the toilets are located, including an accessible toilet. There is also a WHSmith and a manned ticket desk. There are lifts to each of the platforms, as well as escalators, and then there are ticket barriers at platform level on the north side. On the south side, it is a smaller entrance with ticket barriers on the bottom level and lifts behind them to the platforms. The manned ticket desks are all lowered counters with intercoms that have hearing loops. There are grab rails along the edge of the lowered counter with gaps at the central part of each desk meaning they don't obstruct anyone getting as close to the desk as possible, but still provide support or a place to rest walking aids. The lifts have tactile buttons that also have Braille on them, there are grab rails inside the lifts, there is a hearing loop for the lifts' intercom system and there is also a second, lowered alarm in case someone falls and requires help. The floorings throughout the north side of the station are a smooth, stone tiling and it is all very even and I didn’t notice any inclines. The lifts then provide access to the platforms on the level above. On the south side of the station, the flooring was also quite smooth with very little gradient. There are four National Rail platforms in total. They all have tactile markings at the edge of the platform and a painted yellow line. There is a section near the middle of the platforms that is raised to the level of the train. This is where the staff are able to provide step-free access to the train. There is still a bit of a gap between the train and the platform and the staff are able to provide a small ramp that bridges this for those that need it. Some people may find that the gap is small enough to navigate without assistance as the train and platform are level and the gap isn’t huge. There is seating all along the platforms and they are all completely enclosed so they are not subject to the weather outside. There are help points distributed along the platforms where you are able to notify staff of any emergencies or request assistance if there are no staff visible on the platform. These help points are the same as the ones you see in Underground stations. They are white, circular fixtures with a fire alarm, an emergency button and an information button. On the floor by each help point, there was a painted yellow and black hearing loop symbol. This also helped make the help points easily identifiable from a distance, due to the colour contrast to the floor.
Accessible facilities: Lift to all areas, Step-free entrance, Seating at regular intervals, Step-free access to most areas
Parking & Transport
Good
I travelled to this place by train
There is no parking available for this station. This station has four National Rail platforms which offer services from Thameslink and Southeastern. These services include routes to Brighton via Gatwick Airport, Horsham, Three Bridges, Rainham, Sevenoaks, Sutton, St Albans City, Luton, Bedford, Cambridge and Peterborough. There are two London Underground platforms which provide services on the District and Circle lines. These platforms are listed as providing step-free access from the train to street level without need for a boarding ramp, according to Transport for London. I didn’t use either of the platforms myself on this visit but I usually find the TfL listings to be accurate. Blackfriars Station is within rolling/walking distance of Southwark Station which is on the Jubilee line and is an accessible station that provides step-free access from train to street level, without a boarding ramp, and has lifts. It is roughly 900 metres between the two, which is around a 15 minute roll/walk. There are two bus stops outside the northern entrance to the station, on Queen Victoria Street, both called Blackfriars Station. There is one on either side of the road and the buses 786, 788, and 789 stop at both. The bus 4 also stops at the stop that is designated Stop A, as opposed to the other which is Stop B.
Accessible Toilets
Average
The accessible toilet was located on the north side of the station. It was located in the same area as the other toilets and was clearly signposted with a large sign above the archway leading to all the toilets which had text saying ‘Toilets’ and symbols for male, female, accessible toilets and baby-change. The accessible toilet door required a RADAR key to enter and the door opened outwards. It was quite a small toilet inside and it wasn’t helped that there were three different bins that were obstructing the transfer area. I have a small manual wheelchair and I was using my power attachment and I found it very cramped and quite difficult to navigate the small space with the bins. If you had a large chair, powerchair, or required additional assistance, I think it would be very difficult to manage in this toilet. The toilet itself had a few grab rails around it, one height-adjustable grab rail and a fixed grab rail on either side. It had no lid and the flush was an automatic sensor on the wall behind the toilet. There would have been space for a left-side transfer if the bins I mentioned before weren’t almost entirely obstructing it. In front of the toilet was a small sink which had a single tap on the left side of the sink. The tap was manually operated and had a flat lever which seemed like it could be operated with a fist or elbow. The tap twisted to control the temperature of the water and lifted to control the flow. There was a vertical grab rail on either side of the sink and a manual soap dispenser above it. To the right of the sink was a Dyson hand dryer that requires you to put your hands vertically down into the dryer and then pull them out. I found it difficult to use this with the lack of space in the toilet and it was slightly too high to use comfortably in my wheelchair. If you have any dexterity issues it’s possible that you might struggle with this dryer. There were no paper towels options available. A red emergency cord was hanging freely to the floor in between the toilet and sink.
Facilities: Accessible toilet
Staff
Excellent
The staff were really friendly and helpful. I first spoke to someone at the ticket desk to ask where I should go, as I had pre-booked assistance. They let me know that someone would be at the ticket barrier on my platform and to head over that way. There were actually two members of staff at this location and when I explained where I was going they radioed to a colleague that was positioned at the raised section of the platform where the step-free boarding was located. They then met me in this area and provided the ramp to get me onto the train. All of these members of staff were wearing high-vis vests which made it really easy to spot them. When I returned, a member of staff was waiting with the ramp to help me off the train and made sure I knew where I was going to exit the station before leaving me to go on my way.
