London Overground passengers in West Hampstead will be going up in the world as new lifts have opened at the station.

The £12.5million project means it is now step-free from the street to the platform. They serve passengers travelling both eastbound and westbound on the London Overground line.

The new lifts are part of a wider investment in the station, including a new entrance and more ticket gates. Transport for London is working to widen the platforms in a bid to lessen crowding during busier times.

According to John Saynor from West Hampstead Amenity and Transport, the first two passengers making the most of the new facilities were two mums pushing buggies.

He said: "This is fantastic news for West Hampstead, and the lifts will make it so much easier for people of all ages to use the Overground system. The new station is a huge improvement for the 4.5 million people that use it each year.

"The job is not quite finished, as TfL's plan is to demolish the old station to widen the pavement, which we support, but this scheme has been hit by complex structural issues, and nothing is likely to happen until next year.

"And then there is our next battle - step free access for the even busier West Hampstead tube station. We've been campaigning for lifts for the tube station for years, but TfL continues to tell us that they cannot afford them."