No step-free access to or from the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras International from Monday 15 June to mid-September 2026
There will be no lift / step-free access to or from the below-surface Thameslink platforms (platform A and platform B) at St Pancras International station from Monday 15 June until mid-September.
This is because the lifts are being refurbished to improve their long-term reliability, which will mean fewer short-notice unplanned closures.
The escalators and stairs serving platforms A and B are unaffected and will still be available.
How will this affect my journey?
If you need lift access to or from the Thameslink platforms and cannot use escalators or stairs, you will still be able to access St Pancras International station, but you will need to use an alternative nearby station with step-free access as part of your journey:
- The main alternative route is to travel via Farringdon using London Underground Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines to connect to or from King’s Cross St Pancras.
Alternatively:
- EMR services to/from Bedford, Luton Airport Parkway and Luton may also be an option, as these trains use different platforms at St Pancras International.
- If you are using the Cambridge or Peterborough routes, nearby London King’s Cross station is also available as an alternative, depending on your journey origin or destination. Getting to or from London King’s Cross may involve changing trains en-route. Alternatively, you can also change at Finsbury Park and use London Underground Piccadilly or Victoria line services to/from King’s Cross St Pancras.
Speak to station staff who can help plan alternative routes and arrange for assistance with your journey.
If you would normally choose to use the lifts, but can use escalators or stairs with support, there will be additional staff available at St Pancras International to provide assistance. For parents with pushchairs, if using the stairs, children will need to be removed from pushchairs and carried.
Staff at St Pancras can help with carrying empty pushchairs, as well as luggage that is of reasonable weight and size (in line with the National Rail Conditions of Carriage), and which one person can lift comfortably and safely.
You can find more information about our policies on luggage weight and size here.
Ticket acceptance
If you cannot use Thameslink services to or from St Pancras International because you require step-free access, your Thameslink ticket will be valid on London Underground between King’s Cross St Pancras and Farringdon stations, and between King’s Cross St Pancras and Finsbury Park stations, as well as between King's Cross St Pancras and Blackfriars. Please show your Thameslink ticket to Tube staff to be let through the ticket barriers.
Thameslink tickets will also be accepted on alternative Thameslink and Great Northern trains to or from nearby London King’s Cross.
Alternative step-free routes to or from St Pancras International
If travelling to St Pancras International from short-to-medium distance stations on the Bedford route (from stations between Harpenden and West Hampstead Thameslink)
Use Thameslink services to Farringdon, changing there for London Underground to King’s Cross St Pancras
- Use your regular Thameslink service, but travel to Farringdon
- Change at Farringdon for westbound Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan line services to King’s Cross St Pancras
If travelling to St Pancras International from longer-distance stations on the Bedford route (from stations between Bedford and Luton Airport Parkway)
Use alternative EMR services to St Pancras International
- Use an EMR service from Bedford, Luton or Luton Airport Parkway, which use platforms 1 to 4 at St Pancras International
- If travelling from stations in between Bedford and Luton, you will need to use a Thameslink service and change for an EMR service to St Pancras International
If travelling to St Pancras International from stations on the Peterborough or Cambridge routes
Use alternative Thameslink or Great Northern services to London King’s Cross
Alternatively, you can change at Finsbury Park for London Underground services to St Pancras International
- Use your regular Thameslink service but alight at Finsbury Park
- Change at Finsbury Park for westbound Piccadilly line or southbound Victoria line services from Finsbury Park to King’s Cross St Pancras
If travelling to St Pancras International from stations in Central London or south of London
Use Thameslink services to travel to Farringdon, then change for London Underground
- Take a Thameslink service to Farringdon
- Change at Farringdon for westbound Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines to King’s Cross St Pancras
If travelling from St Pancras International to short-to-medium distance stations on the Bedford route (to stations between West Hampstead Thameslink and Harpenden)
Use London Underground to Farringdon and change there for onward Thameslink services
- Use eastbound Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines from King’s Cross St Pancras to Farringdon
- Then change at Farringdon for a northbound Thameslink service
If travelling from St Pancras International to longer-distance stations on the Bedford route (to stations between Luton Airport Parkway and Bedford)
Use alternative EMR services from St Pancras International
- Take an EMR service from platforms 1 to 4 at St Pancras International
- These services call at Luton Airport Parkway, Luton and Bedford, so you will need to change for an onward Thameslink service if you require stations in between
If travelling from St Pancras International to stations on the Peterborough or Cambridge routes
Use alternative Thameslink and Great Northern services from London King’s Cross
- Exit St Pancras station and follow signs to London King’s Cross
- Use Thameslink or Great Northern services (you may be required to change trains at a station en-route to reach your destination)
Alternatively, you can travel to Finsbury Park via London Underground and pick up onward Thameslink or Great Northern services from there
- Use eastbound Piccadilly line or northbound Victoria line services from King’s Cross St Pancras to Finsbury Park
- Change at Finsbury Park for onward Thameslink or Great Northern services
If travelling from St Pancras International to stations in Central London or south of London
Use London Underground to Farringdon and change there for Thameslink services
- Use eastbound Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines from King’s Cross St Pancras to Farringdon
- Change at Farringdon for southbound Thameslink services
Please note, there may be times when these alternative routes are not available, so always check your route before travelling.
Assistance using alternative routes
The level of assistance and support provided by staff at Farringdon station and within King’s Cross St Pancras Underground station may differ to what is offered at other Thameslink or National Rail stations. This is because these are managed and staffed by London Underground, where there are different rules and expectations in place, in accordance with TfL’s Conditions of Carriage.
For example, while station wheelchairs are available at St Pancras International station, there are no station wheelchairs at Farringdon.
Staff at National Rail stations such as St Pancras International will accompany a wheelchair user in a lift and/or help with luggage, while on the Underground, customers are not normally accompanied in a lift but will be escorted to and from lifts.
For further information on the type of assistance offered on the Underground network, please visit the TfL website.
Additional points to bear in mind
While the lifts serving the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras International will not be available, there are some other works on the transport network which could mean the alternative options outlined above may not be available at certain times:
- Over the weekend of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, there will be a planned closure of London Underground Piccadilly line between Cockfosters and King’s Cross St Pancras, and Victoria line trains will not stop at Finsbury Park. If travelling on these dates, you will not be able to use London Underground services between Finsbury Park and St Pancras.
- On the morning of Saturday 22 August, from the start of service until approximately 10:30am, there will be no London Underground Circle, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan line services running between King’s Cross St Pancras and Farringdon or Blackfriars. If travelling on that morning, you will not be able to use Underground services on those lines to get to or from St Pancras.
On all the above days, please speak to staff for help planning a suitable alternative route if your original chosen option is temporarily unavailable.
- From 13 July to end of November, separate work is taking place affecting the lift that serves the Southeastern platforms 11-15 at St Pancras International station. This lift also provides one of the step-free routes down to the London Underground ticket hall areas. Step-free access to and from the relevant London Underground platforms connecting to and from Farringdon, Blackfriars or Finsbury Park remains available by using alternative lifts. Step-free access to and from the Southeastern platforms will also be available via a temporary lift.
- Between Saturday 26 July and Sunday 16 August, there will be no Southeastern trains to or from Waterloo East and London Charing Cross. More information about this can be found on their website here.
- Planned engineering work on the Thameslink network may also affect journeys, especially late at night or weekends. You can find more information about all the upcoming work on our planned works calendar.
Further help and support
Please speak to a member of staff or contact the Thameslink Assisted Travel team for help in planning your journey:
Phone: 0800 058 2844
Text phone: 0800 138 1018
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to travel to St Pancras for assisted travel?
No, in some cases it will be faster to travel directly to or from the alternative stations suggested, or depending on where you are starting or ending your complete journey, to avoid using St Pancras completely.
All the alternative suggested stations have staff available to help you.
Do I need to use one of the suggested alternative routes?
If required, staff can organise an accessible taxi between St Pancras International and another nearby accessible station. However, there may be long waits at busy times. The alternative suggested step-free rail and Underground routes are likely to provide a faster overall journey time.
Is ticket acceptance in place on alternative options?
Yes. If you require step-free access, your Thameslink ticket will be valid on the suggested alternative routes. This includes London Underground between King’s Cross St Pancras and Farringdon or Finsbury Park stations. Please show tickets to Tube staff to be let through ticket barriers.
As a result, we do not expect customers to incur additional costs.
Why are the lifts serving both the Thameslink platforms at St Pancras International being refurbished at the same time?
The layout of the station means that carrying out the work on the two lifts simultaneously is the only practical way that this work can be done. This is because the lift to and from the southbound platform also provides the only step-free route between street-level and the lower concourse.
Keeping the northbound lift open while the southbound lift was being worked on would not have provided a full step-free route from street and platform, meaning there would have been limited benefit to carrying out the work on the lifts one at a time.
Doing the work on both lifts at the same time also means we can get all of the work done faster, reducing overall length of the disruption.
I have further questions about the works or have encountered difficulties when travelling – who should I contact?
For more information or help, please contact our customer relations team, referencing the St Pancras lift scheme.