The Greenwich foot tunnel is a vital link across the Thames, connecting the Isle of Dogs with Cutty Sark. Locals have been relying on it even more since the closure of Cutty Sark DLR station until Spring 2026.
However, the North Side lift has been broken since May 28. Now, a Twitter campaign group – Escalate Now – warns that thousands of people are being cut off from jobs, families, and basic mobility.
For 63-year-old Canary Wharf resident Tami Smith, the broken lifts mean isolation. Tami is a survivor of a devastating car crash that left her with severe injuries, including a reattached foot, neurological damage, and lasting mobility issues.
She uses a Brompton bike as a medical mobility aid on doctors’ advice. Tami said: “I feel trapped. I can’t cross the tunnel now because there’s no way I can carry that down the stairs.”
Tami used to rely on the Greenwich foot tunnel for everyday life – from seeing her hairdresser to visiting her cleaner. She can only pedal and swim with her reattached foot, so the tunnel was also a way to stay active without taking the DLR.
Her voice shook as she recalled breaking down in tears: “I shouldn’t be punished or judged because I want to take care of myself… So I can’t wait until that elevator is fixed. Please recognise this should be for all. Not just the able.”
Karin Tearle, 67, a leader of the residents’ campaign group, said she has seen commuters, parents, and vulnerable people struggling every day. She told MyLondon: “I met a wheelchair user in the tunnel two weeks ago who only realised the lift was broken when they reached the other end. No one could carry him, so he had to turn back and take the DLR – a journey that ended up taking an hour.”
She added: “We’ve got about four thousand people a day that use it… I’ve helped women with push chairs up the steps. It’s a serious issue for delivery riders, for disabled people, for everyone – and we’re just not being told the truth about why these lifts aren’t fixed.”
According to Karin, the lifts, refurbished in 2011, have faced repeated failures for more than a decade, with Royal Borough of Greenwich Council admitting parts are difficult to source. Precision Lifts holds a £12m maintenance contract until 2027, but campaigners say updates have been vague and unhelpful.
Greenwich Council says it is waiting on a single spare part and insists that works are underway to repair the lift. But shop owners based right next to the tunnel at Island Gardens told MyLondon they have not seen maintenance crews at the site for more than a month.
Karin Tearle said the council has not been transparent about the delays. She added: “They’re being very elusive… we’ve contacted the council and Precision Lifts and they’re just not giving us the correct information.”
For Karin, the solution is clear – Transport for London should take responsibility. She said: “The lifts were run by the GLA until 1986, and since then Greenwich Council hasn’t done a good job. It should go back to the GLA and TfL.”
Greenwich resident Stacey Smith, 68, agrees. She said: “The broken lifts give the impression that we’re going to be waiting quite a little while. I would love to see the maintenance go to Transport for London, because the current system isn’t giving us good service.”
Stacey added that her weekly walks with friends and grandchildren have become a struggle. She said: “My friend brings a tiny baby, a four-year-old and a seven-year-old – getting them safely down those stairs is a challenge.”
Talks are now planned between Greenwich, Tower Hamlets and Newham councils about the future of both Greenwich and Woolwich foot tunnels. According to The Greenwich Wire , the council has signalled it may ask Transport for London to fund replacement lifts, at an estimated cost of £3.7m.
But for Tami and others, every day of delay means exclusion from their own community. She concluded: “Let’s stop judging, and start stepping in first with compassion. I want to ride over there. Until then, I’ll just stay on this side.”
MyLondon has contacted Greenwich Council for comment but has not received a response at the time of publishing.
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