Sweltering Central line Tube commuters call for air-con NOW after TfL bosses reveal 'pie in the sky' 2030 deadline

Ella Wills25 July 2018

Frustrated commuters called on Transport for London to install air con on the Central line "now" after plans revealed they would be forced to swelter until "early 2030".

Passengers travelling on the line on Wednesday morning branded temperatures on the Tube line "dangerous" as they urged bosses to prioritise upgrades for "public safety".

The tweet said: “New trains are coming in early 2030, under the Deep Tube Upgrade Program which will be delivered with full air cooling systems.”

A TfL spokesman said 40 per cent of the network already has air conditioning.

TfL is working to replace trains and signalling systems across the Piccadilly, Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City lines, which will include 250 new air-cooled trains.

News of the Central line deadline sparked outrage among commuters who have battled temperatures up to 40C on the line during this week's sweltering heatwave.

Thermal imaging pictures captured on Tuesday revealed temperatures were highest on the Central line hitting between 33C and a staggering 40C.

Simon Wheeler, 57, said air con should be implemented in 2020

With the mercury set to soar to highs of 37C - marking the hottest July day ever - in the south east this week, disgruntled Londoners said improvements to ventilation need to come sooner.

Simon Wheeler, from Canary Wharf, said air-con should be implemented by 2020 as he claimed that the current weather conditions are simply "highlighting" a long-standing problem with the Tube.

"It's been an issue for 20 years. It's always been hot - not just in a heatwave," Mr Wheeler told the Standard.

"Even in winter when you have big coats people start to take them off on the tube. It’s not really a healthy way to live."

Incredible thermal images showed temperatures on parts of the Central line were higher than 40C on Wednesday
Flir

The 57-year-old added: "It's absurd that we have to wait for 12 years when London is one of the most commercial cities in the world.

"They should bring it to 2020, that should be the deadline.

"We pay a lot of money to move around the city. And we are a tourist area - goodness knows what tourists think about it."

James Wheeler, 42, from Forest Hill: 'If you go to places like Hong Kong their underground is very advanced'

James Templeton, 42, from Forest Hill, said: "tourists and people coming to the city probably think [the Tube] is quite antiquated".

"I have never thought about [the heat] because we just put up with it," he added.

The actor said: “It would be great if it came sooner. I have lived in London for 20 years and it’s the same every summer. If you go to places like Hong Kong their underground is very advanced."

UK heatwave

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East Londoner Janet King, 52, who works in financial services, dismissed the 2030 deadline and claimed it "is just a pie in the sky figure".

She added: "It should be coming sooner. Especially as everyone is away that this is the way the climate is going to go now.

"[Trains] are busy and uncomfortable. It doesn't make for our good health and wellbeing.

"The people that travel on the Tube are the ones that keep everything [in London] running but they have to suffer."

Tabitha Potts, 48, from east London: 'The heat is dangerous for people with health conditions'

While writer Tabitha Potts, from east London, said upgrading the "steaming hot" network should be prioritised to ensure the safety of people with illnesses and health conditions.

She called for new trains to be implemented sooner "particularly if we are going to be having more of this extreme weather because of climate change".

Ms Potts, 48, said: "If you are travelling in rush hour I imagine it will be unbearable. I think [air-con] should should be prioritised because it’s dangerous for people with illnesses or health conditions.

"They definitely need to do something about public safety, and we need to have air con as soon as possible.”

Northern line: the mercury soared above 37C on the Northern line on Tuesday
Flir

Meanwhile incredible thermal images taken on Tuesday showed the sizzling heat commuters are braving on the Underground.

The images taken by Flir showed temperatures on some Tubes reached more than 40C, with the camera revealing roasting hot spots on trains and tracks.

Chris Taggart, Head of Line Operations for the Central line, said: "We completely understand that travelling can be uncomfortable during periods of hot weather and are investing millions of pounds to make the Tube cooler for customers.

"There are already air conditioned trains on 40 per cent of the Tube network and we are determined to do all we can to help make journeys more comfortable on other lines while investing in solutions for the longer term.

"We have installed a chiller unit at St. Paul’s to try to keep temperatures down at the station, and have refurbished a number of fans across the Central line.

"We have fitted Central line trains with reflective film on the windows, which helps to reduce temperatures on the above ground sections of the line, and white film on the roof to help reflect the heat. During this extreme and prolonged period of hot weather, we advise customers to ensure they have water with them when they travel in order to stay hydrated, offer a seat to those who may need it, and, if they feel ill, to contact a member of staff at the next station.”

A 12-week trial is under way at six stations on the Northern line as TfL works to improve station working conditions in the hot weather.

Friday could be the hottest ever July day, before thunderstorms provide slight relief from the scorching heatwave. Temperatures towards the end of the week could top the previous hottest July day recorded in 2015 when the mercury soared to 36.7C at Heathrow Airport.

After weeks without rain, torrential downpours are forecast to hit parts of the UK, with as much as 30mm (1.2in) expected to fall in just an hour.

A sizzling 36C (96.8F) is forecast for the south east, and a thunderstorm warning is in place for eastern and northern parts of England from Friday afternoon.

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