How hot is the Tube, how can you avoid overheating on the London Underground and what has TfL said about air conditioning?
LONDON’S Tube feels more like a sauna on wheels during sizzling summer weather and can see some passengers faint.
But just how hot does the capital’s famous Underground get?
How hot is the Tube?
In the last week of July heatwave conditions caused unbearable conditions.
Passengers could be forgiven for thinking their train was taking a journey to the boiling hot core of the Earth.
Dramatic infrared photos show 42C air temperatures in orange on a Central Line London Underground train at Holborn on Monday July 23– breaking the 30C EU legal maximum to transport cattle.
The aptly named Bakerloo line, one of the oldest tube lines, is the hottest.
Why do some of the lines get so hot?
The older ones like the Central and the Bakerloo were carved out of the soft clay earth of London - which for many years prevented the building of skyscrapers on the surface.
Heat from outside, trains, humans are absorbed by the soil and stays there for ages.
How can you avoid overheating on the London Underground?
You could walk to your destination instead - but remember it could also be boiling outside and London is a huge city.
Then there is standing at the end of the carriage, so the air breeze cools you.
But you may feel like sitting down.
It goes without saying carrying water is always a good idea. You can also put your water bottle in a freezer or add ice before you step out to keep cooling down.
Another option is to take the so-called sub-surface trains instead - they have new trains with air con.
This includes the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines.
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What has TfL said about air conditioning?
Presently TfL's only way of cooling down the line is on a station-to-station basis.
It has introduced fan cooling systems that pull fresh air from the street, cools it before pumping it down to the platform.
These are in operation at St Paul's, Victoria station, Oxford Circus and Green Park.
TfL says it aims to have air conditioned trains in deep underground lines by 2030.
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