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Could sweltering London Underground platforms soon be a thing of the past? It’s been reported that temperatures on the tube have soared to as high as 31C in the past year. And Londoners can’t handle the heat. So, TfL has started trialling ‘state-of-the-art’ air cooling technology at five stations. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it could one day be rolled out on the trains too, but TfL would need to secure some serious funding first.
‘TfL has successfully trialled a new state-of-the-art cooling panel on the disused platform at Holborn, as part of the Government’s TIES Living Lab scheme,’ Sadiq Khan said at a London Assembly meeting on August 30, in response to a question from Liberal Democrat Hina Bokhari who said the tube can reach as high as 42C on the Bakerloo, Central, and Northern lines.
‘The feasibility trial was implemented to test the innovative convection cooling systems ability to cool air at the platforms of TfL’s deep London Underground lines.’
He added: ‘Following the trial at Holborn station and subject to funding being available, TfL will explore whether the panels could provide a cooling solution for other deep Tube lines in the future.’
Is there air conditioning on the London Underground?
In some parts of it, yes. But the majority of the tube doesn’t have air con. These are the all the TfL lines with A/C:
- Circle
- Hammersmith & City
- District
- Metropolitan
- Overground
- Northern City
- Thameslink
- Trams
- Elizabeth
Soon, new Piccadilly line trains will be cooled too.
Which tube stations will trial the new air-conditioning?
TfL plans to test the cooling panels at five more stations – Knightsbridge, Green Park, Holborn, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus – but only if it gets a significant cash injection from the government.
‘TfL could then identify other locations where the panels could provide a benefit. Progressing this trial at other locations would ultimately be subject to TfL having sufficient long-term capital funding available,’ Khan said.
What is the hottest tube line in London?
Data from the past year found that the Victoria line was London’s hottest Underground line in 2023.
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