Sweltering Underground: London Tube Temperatures Soar Above Legal Limits

London's underground network is struggling to adapt to extreme heatwaves, with temperatures reaching dangerous levels for commuters.

The descent into King’s Cross St Pancras station in London marks the beginning of a noticeable shift from the already warm station entrance to the sweltering depths below ground. The heat is palpable, and for commuters, it’s becoming an increasingly common challenge.

On the tube, the situation is even more intense. Passengers are seen leaning back in their seats, eyes closed, trying to cope with the oppressive heat. Electric fans are held close to faces in a desperate attempt to find some relief.

London commuters, known for their resilience, are finding that the heat is another trial to endure. And endure they must, as heatwaves in the capital are becoming a regular occurrence.

The Heatwave Challenge for London’s Underground

Anna, a passenger at Oxford Circus, notes that the platform becomes almost unbearable during peak hours.

“We’re quite lucky that this platform is almost empty, because when the platform gets packed it’s [like a] sauna,” she says. “When it’s peak hours, it’s quite difficult.” Even those who typically adapt well to hot temperatures, like Anna, find the heat on the platform hard to bear.

Craig, another commuter, has resorted to traveling in gym clothes and changing into his work attire at the office to cope with the heat on the tube. The London Underground is ill-equipped to handle the 30C+ heatwaves that have hit the city over the last few summers. Lines such as the Victoria line, the deepest on the network, and the Bakerloo line, which has some of the oldest trains in passenger use, are particularly affected.

The Impact on Commuters and Staff

Sharmin, a barista at Pret a Manger stationed by the barriers at King’s Cross St Pancras, has witnessed people fainting in and around the station. The heat is so oppressive that she has had to leave her shifts early on some days. She questions why there are no coolers or industrial fans set up near Pret or the barriers. “I’ve felt like I was going to faint,” she admits.

A quick check of a thermometer during an unscientific investigation reveals that the station is about 30C. On the platform and inside the tube, the temperature rises to 32C, and at the Victoria line platform at Finsbury Park, it hits 34C. Interestingly, in the UK, it is illegal to transport cattle above 30C, yet transporting people at 34C is becoming the norm.

The Science Behind the Heat

Asher Minns, executive director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, explains that tube tunnels act as “basically radiators,” absorbing the heat from the surrounding clay and concrete. The carriages, platforms, and tunnels are further warmed by the hundreds of kilowatts of heat the trains produce while breaking. The warmer it is outside, the worse the conditions become underground.

However, adapting the infrastructure is challenging due to its age and the surrounding clay. It will likely be years before the network is better suited to dealing with the heat. In the meantime, Minns suggests focusing on reducing risks to passengers. “It can’t go on like this, and it’s not going to get any better,” he states. “[The underground] absolutely has to adapt to the impacts of climate change, but right now I think [the focus] has to be looking after passengers.”

Minns proposes limiting the number of passengers allowed to travel when the temperature is above a certain limit or reducing the number of tubes in service during heatwaves. Nick Dent, TfL’s director of customer operations, mentions that TfL is investing in making the network more resilient and comfortable as hotter summers become more common. New air-conditioned trains are being introduced on the Piccadilly line and DLR.

Dent also notes that the “short-term and stop-start nature of funding over recent years has meant that TfL has had to carefully prioritise its investment and – while remaining open to measures that will help manage the impact of increasing temperatures due to climate change – has focused on programmes that will see the biggest benefits to customers.”