Margaret Mullane, who represents constituents in Dagenham and Rainham, has called on Transport for London (TfL) to upgrade the District line station, claiming access issues are “consistently raised” by constituents.
Dagenham East station opened in 1931 and there is no step-free route from the entrance to the platform.
This, Ms Mullane has said, makes using the station extremely difficult for mothers with young children and people with mobility problems.
“We have mothers relying on the kindness of strangers to get out and about, and we also have wheelchair users and those with severe mobility issues, who live minutes from Dagenham East, getting a taxi to the Heathway to travel,” she added.
The 2021 census showed that more than 30 per cent of households in Dagenham and Rainham are home to at least one disabled person, with 16,825 people (14.1 per cent of the population) classed as disabled, above the London average.
Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Dominic Twomey, has also written to TfL backing calls for the station to be made step-free.
Campaigners have pointed out that the new Eastbrook film studios near the station furthers the case for an urgent upgrade to the station.
Ms Mullane said: “My hope is that this provides a further incentive.
“It is absolutely vital that workplaces such as the new film studios are accessible, and it falls to TfL to ensure that our transport systems are fit to further empower and support those with mobility issues into work.”
In the coming years, TfL has committed to upgrading a dozen Tube stations so that they have step-free access – but none of these are in east London.
TfL has been approached for comment about the campaign to upgrade Dagenham East station.
