Victoria line hottest on London Underground

The Victoria line is the hottest on the London Underground, data from Transport for London (TfL) shows.

The average platform temperature across 2023 was 28.2C although between June and October, the average was above 30C.

The next warmest lines were the Central (26.7C) and Bakerloo (26.0C) with the air-conditioned Circle, Hammersmith & City, District and Metropolitan lines the coolest (19.3C).

TfL says it has “removed heat from our station and tunnel environment by installing new ventilation or cooling solutions” including doubling the capacity of its 13 ventilation shafts on the Victoria line.

In 2013, the Victoria line’s average temperature was recorded at 21.9C – meaning temperatures have risen more than 6C in a decade.

Platform temperatures on the Tube are routinely monitored using data loggers, according to TfL.

Ten years ago, the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Northern and lines were the warmest Tube lines but all with average temperatures below 26C.

London Overground and Elizabeth line figures were not included in the response to a Freedom of Information request, which showed there were 49 complaints last year about the temperature being too high.

Fifteen people complained about the Tube being too cold.

Nick Dent, TfL’s director of customer operations, said: “We’re working hard to ensure our transport services remain resilient in the face of more extreme and frequent hot weather events.

“We have implemented energy efficient solutions on new trains, which save energy and reduces the heat generated.

“This includes air conditioning, which now covers 40% of the Underground network, enhanced tunnel ventilation systems on both the Victoria and Jubilee lines, and on the Central line we have installed solar reflective material on train roofs and films on windows to keep the carriages cooler.”