Commuters are facing temperatures of almost 40C in some Tube carriages during this week’s red alert heatwave.
The Central Line was the hottest, with carriages reaching 39.4C whilst Jubilee line carriages reached 37.2C, according to readings from The Independent.
Chiraag, 34, got on the Jubilee line to meet a friend at Embankment on Thursday.
He said: “It was like the seventh circle of hell.
“Even though I know it’s hot down there, I needed to get to London Bridge to get a national rail train.
“The Tube was the fastest option.
“The bus would have taken much longer and I wouldn’t want to cycle in this heat on central London roads.”
The high Tube temperatures are expected to continue today, as the Met Office extended the red alert warning, which indicates that there is substantial disruption to travel and a risk to life even among the healthy population.
This is the first time the UK has experienced three consecutive days under the red alert warning system.
Sarah, 43, lives in Walthamstow and usually takes the Victoria and Northern line to her job in Camden Town.
She said: “I’ve been lucky because my manager has let everyone work from home this week and my house is relatively cool.
“I wouldn’t want to be stepping foot on the Northern line as it has no air con.
“I feel bad for people who still have to commute and can only really use the Tube to get to their workplace.
“Even walking or cycling to work is hard because there aren’t many shady spaces.
“I hope things change because we can’t keep living like this.”
Transport for London’s (TfL) chief operating officer, Claire Mann, said: “We encourage customers to think about their comfort.
“We will do our best to run as many rail and Tube services as possible and keep customers as comfortable as possible.”
192 Tube trains, covering around 40 per cent of the Underground network, are now air-conditioned, alongside all London Overground and Elizabeth line trains.
The Mayor of London announced a Heat Ready London plan on Thursday, which includes improving transport services to ensure they remain reliable in high temperatures.
An amber alert has been issued until Saturday, with TfL encouraging customers to consider whether their journey is necessary and to bring water with them if travelling on its services.
Featured image credit: Marek Lumi via Unsplash
Join the discussion