UK: Map reveals hotspots of the Tube

[John Ashworth]

Map reveals hotspots of the Tube

Page last updated at 13:14 GMT, Monday, 24 August 2009 14:14 UK
BBC

The warmest parts of the Underground network have been revealed in a map compiled by Transport for London (TfL).

The Central Line was the hottest, with temperatures of 32C (90F) between Holland Park and Mile End.

Most stations on the Bakerloo Line reached 32C, though temperatures eased further south on the line.

The map covers most Underground lines in zones one and two between 1600 BST and 1900 BST on 28 July last year - the hottest day of the year.

The Jubilee Line was significantly cooler with most stations recording temperatures of 25C (77F).

David Waboso from London Underground said cooling the Tube was a major engineering problem.

The map has been used by TfL for years to help officials monitor temperature levels on the network.

"Cooling the Tube is one of the greatest engineering challenges faced by London Underground (LU)," said a TfL spokesman.

"It is a programme that will take years, not months, to deliver results."

Millions of pounds were being invested to tackle heat across the network, he said.

This includes the delivery of new air-conditioned trains on the Metropolitan Line from 2010, the Circle, Hammersmith and City lines from 2011 and District Line from 2013.

Other initiatives include upgrading out-of-service ventilation shafts and a ground water cooling trial that started at Victoria station in Summer 2006.

LU has long struggled with how to reduce heat in narrow Tube tunnels - some of which were built more than a century ago.

Cooking on the Central Line... map shows hot spots on London Underground unfit even for transporting cattle

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:25 PM on 24th August 2009


A map which reveals the hottest spots on London's underground system has been revealed to commuters.

The map of zones 1 and 2 shows temperatures over above 35C have been recorded in some areas - making the trains officially unfit for transporting cattle.

The Central line had some of the worst spots, while the Bakerloo line also felt the heat when the map was compiled.

Stations which recorded high temperatures included tourist destinations Oxford Circus, Paddington and St Paul's.

Transport for London says the map is used by its engineers who are responsible for keeping London Underground bearable for commuters - the so-called Cooling the Tube team.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced that the first air-conditioned trains are expected to run next summer.

By 2015, the trainswill be running on the District, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines.

But they won't be expanded to the entire network because the air conditioning units are situated in train roofs and they do not fit in the smaller tunnels of the deeper-level network, including the Northern line.

Efforts to improve the situation of the deeper lines have so far been limited to expanding ventilation shafts and installing industrial fans.

A TfL spokeswoman said that the London network was at a disadvantage because there was 'no concept of air-conditioning' when construction began in 1860.

'Our team is working hard to find a solution,' she said.