Ed, the lifts at Barnes station are part of the DfT "Access for All" programme which TfL are excluded from. This of course was part of the previous government's plan of subsidising stations, via network rail, for use by privatised rail companies but not assisting services in public ownership such as TfL. As you say elsewhere, the UK hasn't worked out what should be publicly owned monopolies and what should be part of a private, competitive market economy. Let's hope that with the return of SWR into public ownership we can have suburban joined up rail, tram, tube and bus system in south London.
Michael Ixer ● 7d