As many lines do not have air-conditioning, commuting during this weather will be especially brutal although, unlike in July of last year, Transport for London has not yet issued a travel warning.
But anyone braving the London Underground may consider taking an alternate route, to ensure they keep cool.
And if you need to travel, it is good practice to take a bottle of water.
Which Tube lines have air-conditioning?
The following Tube lines have air-conditioning:
The Circle
Hammersmith & City
District
Metropolitan
Additionally, the following transport services are also air-conditioned:
Overground
Northern City
Thameslink
Trams
Elizabeth Line
Which Tube lines don’t have air conditioning?
Londoners may want to avoid the following lines, as they do not have air conditioning:
Central
Bakerloo
Jubilee
Victoria
Piccadilly
Waterloo & City
Northern
UK Weather: Summer Heatwave 2022
Why isn’t there air conditioning on all Tube lines?
There are a number of reasons the London Underground doesn’t have air conditioning on some lines — one being that the Tube system is simply very old.
The oldest tunnels were built in the Victorian era and are just about big enough for the trains themselves, according to Engineering & Technology. Therefore, there wouldn’t be room to add air-conditioning equipment to trains.
Additionally, air-conditioning in the Tube could lead to excessive heating of tunnels, which could overheat passengers waiting on the platform.
However, the Tube might not always be as unbearable as it is today.
New train designs mean that the Piccadilly Line could have air-conditioning by 2025, while the Central, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City lines are all due upgrades in the near future, according to Engineering & Technology.
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