Planning an epic journey to visit a great London landmark

I thought I'd set myself a little challenge. I thought I'd take a trip from Mill Hill Broadway to Stratford, to see the Olympic site. That's easy, you may think. Train from Mill Hill Broadway to Farringdon, Tube from Farringdon to Liverpool Street and then a Tube to Stratford. Total Journey time less than 1 hour.

That's too easy though. Just suppose I wanted a day out and I was in a wheelchair and I couldn't use stairs or escalators? Well you may say, that is a bit harder. How much? Well this is the route TFL's Journey planner suggested.

16:22 16:26	Mill Hill Broadway Station Take the Route Bus 186 from Stop: F towards Northwick Prk Hosp Social Club	Average journey time: 4 mins	Mill Hill Broadway Station
16:43 17:11	Mill Hill / Apex Corner  Stop:  D Take  Route Express bus 797 towards Green Line Coach Station	Average journey time: 28 mins	Mill Hill / Apex Corner
	Baker Street Station Take the Route Bus 205 from Stop: D towards Bow Bus Garage or Route Bus 30 from Stop: D towards St. Marys Of Eton Church Pay before you board	Buses every: 3 - 7  mins Max journey time: 23  mins	Baker Street Station
	King's Cross St.Pancras Walk to St Pancras International	Transfer time: 13 mins	King's Cross St.Pancras
17:58 18:04	St Pancras International Rail Station Take  Southeastern towards Broadstairs Rail Station Zone(s): 1	Average journey time: 6 mins Zone(s): 1	St Pancras International Rail Station
18:09 18:14	Stratford International Rail Station Take  Route SE 26772 Southeastern towards Stratford Rail Station SOUTHEASTERN HIGH SPEED: Travelcards and Freedom Passes are not accepted for travel on this service. Reported: 10/12/09 09:49 Last Updated: 10/12/09 09:49 Zone(s): 3	Average journey time: 5 mins Zone(s): 3	Stratford International Rail Station
	Stratford Walk to Stratford	Transfer time: 5 mins	Stratford
18:19	Stratford

You know what, maybe I'll just stay in and watch telly. You know the sad thing? Well consider this.

Mill Hill is one of the most modern stations on the old BedPan line. It was rebuilt for the M1 Motorway in the 1960's. When it was rebuilt, it had a lift. This would allow disabled passengers to access platform 1. Sadly this was taken out about 10 years ago as part of a refurbishment. Theoretically this could easily be added back at not too great a cost. A ramped overbridge would also not be an exhorbitant cost for the return journey. Not only that, but there is a street level access from Bunns Lane Car Park to the station, which would make the station available for people in wheelchairs at minimal costs.

From Mill Hill Broadway, you could make your way to St Pancras, where there are lifts, and then access the new Javelin Service which takes a mere 9 minutes to Stratford (except that this journey is not permitted).

So what point am I making. Well in 2012, we are staging the Paraplegic Games. A small amount of money spent and Mill Hill Broadway could easily be turned into a North West London Hub for people in wheelchairs wishing to travel to the Olympics or even travelling to Brussels and Paris. Is it really too much to ask? A ramped platform overbridge and a wheelchair friendly gate on Bunns Lane Carpark? That's all.

Maybe I'll do the trip next week to see what it's really like. I wonder if Boris Johnson would like to accompany me and tell me whether he thinks that it is a reasonable journey to expect someone in a wheelchair to make in 2012.