Is TfL losing the battle against heat on the Victoria line?

Summary

The Victoria Line stubbornly remains the hottest underground line, according to new TfL data, resisting the numerous cooling efforts enacted by TfL and presenting little potential for change. Dubbed after Queen Victoria, the Underground line recorded an average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius in 2024, the same average as 2023, closely followed by the Central Line with 26.8. Temperatures hiked as high as 31.1 degrees in August 2024 – the hottest month of the year – superseding August in 2023, and within the last two years, temperatures never dropped below 25 degrees Celsius – even within the winter months. Underground commuters have had to bear temperatures beyond the legally-advised temperature to transport cattle, which stands at 30 degrees, as outlined by UK government guidelines. Millions are being invested into cooling technologies to make the Underground more bearable for commuters by TfL: at present, 40% of the Underground network is equipped with air-conditioning, and tunnel ventilation systems have been installed for both the Victoria and Jubilee lines. TfL’s Director of Customer Operations Nick Dent said that the organisation is working diligently to strengthen its transport services in light of increasingly extreme and frequent hot weather. He added: “We’re constantly looking at how these innovative solutions could be rolled more widely on the transport network to ensure more passengers experience cool and comfortable journeys in the summer.” However, while climate change insists on being a general concern for most underground train lines, the Victoria and Central lines pose a more unique challenge to TfL engineers. Since 2013, the Victoria line temperatures have steadily increased at a faster pace than any other line, finally surpassing the Central line in 2019, and the Bakerloo line in 2021. The average temperatures on the Victoria line have risen by almost seven degrees since 2013 – nearly a 30% increase. Conversely, the increase in the average annual...