Request ID: FOI-0644-2223 Date published: 01 July 2022
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
Watching the wonderful programme 'Secrets of the London Underground' I was struck by how often apparently unused tunnels were fully lit. This cannot be cheap.
1) Is there a standard policy about this? Does Health and Safety overrule economy?
2) Is there an estimate for how much this is costing in the budget?
2) Is there any prospect of replacing many of these lights with motion activated LED lights? The block of flats I live has recently made exactly that change, and it has worked well?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0644-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14th June 2022 asking for information about tunnel lighting on the London Underground.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. Your questions are answered below.
You wrote:
Watching the wonderful programme 'Secrets of the London Underground' I was struck by how often apparently unused tunnels were fully lit. This cannot be cheap.
Question 1) Is there a standard policy about this? Does Health and Safety overrule economy?
Answer: There is no ‘standard policy’ as such, but note that lighting in the tunnel network works to a defined principle as follows:
live tunnel networks have tunnel lighting off when the traction current is switched on (with the exception of points and crossing);
lighting comes on when the traction current is discharged/switched off.
There are localised control panels at access points which can override this, but no particular need or functional purpose for intelligent lighting control in tunnels. Dependent on which unused sections of tunnel are being referred to, it is possible that the lighting was only switched on for filming the programme, and turned off thereafter.
On a more general note, our Corporate Environment Plan states a need to improve energy efficiency and our target to be net zero from our Operations by 2030.
Question 2) Is there an estimate for how much this is costing in the budget?
Answer: We do not hold a recorded estimate for how much unused tunnel lighting costs.
Question 3) Is there any prospect of replacing many of these lights with motion activated LED lights? The block of flats I live has recently made exactly that change, and it has worked well?”
Answer: There are no such specific plans at present.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
