Catford station has been nominated for government funding to improve accessibility – but transport bosses should improve accessibility across the whole Catford loop, campaigners say.

This comes after the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan ranked Catford 18th out of 21 priority stations in the city for step-free improvements.

Access for All, the £300 million government fund for improvements to stations across the UK, could go towards the installation of lifts, new ramps and footbridges and accessible ticket gates and toilets at the station.

Catford station poses a challenge for commuters with mobility issues, Michael Woodhead, chairman of a group campaigning for improvements across the Catford loop, said.

“We get complaints regularly at all the stations [regarding accessibility] – it is definitely a big issue,” he explained.

He said commuters with mobility issues faced difficulty not only getting to the platform in Catford, but getting on to the train.

“Even when you get into the station there is a gap between the train and the platform which makes it hard for lots of users,” he said.

Those with mobility issues faced difficulties across the Catford loop – particularly around planning journeys when trains are delayed and cancelled.

“Accessibility should be improved across the transport system as a whole and not station by station,” he said.

“Trains that terminate at Blackfriars are hard to get on and off of because of the large gap between train and platform.

“People who need assistance at stations usually need to call ahead to let station staff know but that can make it difficult for users to plan a journey.

“Often the solution is to put someone in a taxi because it is quick and easy and is often cheaper than getting someone [station staff] into work, [but] the whole point of having a good system is that it is there to use,” he explained.

London Assembly member for Lewisham and Greenwich, Len Duvall, said Catford station was one of the “glaring gaps” in accessibility across the city’s transport services.

 “Improving accessibility here would make a huge difference to the lives of local people, vastly improving what is usually a complicated and stressful experience for people with disabilities, the elderly, and parents with pushchairs when navigating London’s transport system,” he said.

“We need to do everything possible to ensure local residents with disabilities and mobility issues can access transport links across the capital,” he added.

A Thameslink spokesman said: "We believe that everyone, regardless of their abilities, should be able to use our rail services and we do everything we can to achieve this on a network which dates back in places to the Victorian times.

"We always help our passengers reach the next nearest accessible station, often by free taxi, and we have a dedicated travel assistance team in place to help.

"The best answer, of course is to make each station step-free which is why, with the support of stakeholders and local MPs, we've proposed to transform Catford, Bellingham and Ravensbourne with lifts and ramps under the Government's Access For All scheme.

"Lifts are a multi-million pound exercise which is why they need Government backing; we also make whatever improvements we can from our own funds.

"Platform gaps are compliant with industry standards and must accommodate the different types of train that pass through."

The list of successful nominated stations will be announced in April.