Waterloo Waterloo & City Line exit lift

[Muzer]

At Waterloo station on the arrivals platform for the Waterloo & City Line (platform 26), I'm pretty sure there's a lift at the "up" (I think) end of the platform which takes you up to the main Underground concourse level. I've never actually tried using it but I've walked past it many times and seen other people using it.

However, whenever I look at information about step-free/avoiding stairs access to the Waterloo & City Line, sources always say that there isn't any. For instance, in the Avoiding Stairs Tube Guide:

Escalator access between the main ticket hall and the Waterloo & City line, entry only. Please note that you cannot exit from the Waterloo & City line platforms without using stairs

.

Now, since you're apparently required to use an escalator (which I can believe based on my knowledge of the station layout) to get anywhere useful, I can understand not including it as step-free. But why does everyone seem to forget about the existence of this lift? It's quite new, so it doesn't appear on the isometric maps that were published a little while back. But how on earth could they have built a lift and then just forgotten about it?!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is there any way into/out of the ticket office level without using stairs?

 

[ijmad]

Is there any way into/out of the ticket office level without using stairs?

There will be once they've finished transforming the old International side in to domestic platforms, won't there?

 

[londonboi198o5]

There is no step free access on that side of the station except for the lift,
To get up to the national rail concourse you need to use the escalators/fixed stair case. To get to the northern and Bakerloo platforms it is escalators and stairs.
The jubilee line side lift is beyond limits as there is another 2 sets of fixed stairs to get to the jubilee line barriers.

 

[Muzer]

But then both entrance and exit to the W&C should be considered equivalent, but the avoiding stairs guide singles out exit as requiring stairs. I was assuming that this is because the icon indicates that use of escalators is required (this guide distinguishes escalators from stairs for those who are able enough to use the former but not the latter).

My point is that entrance is now: escalator (from wat concourse to underground ticket hall level) + ramp

And exit is now: lift (from platform to underground ticket hall level) + escalator

So my point is that saying that exiting the W&C but not entering at Waterloo requires stairs is just wrong.

 

[Mojo]

I’m trying to make sense of this but am struggling!