Request ID: FOI-1133-2425 Date published: 01 August 2024
You asked
Hi,,
(08/07/2024)
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The main purpose of this request is to gather data on the temperature of tube lines on the London Underground.
London Underground records temperatures across the Underground in order to inform cooling initiatives. We are aware of an existing dataset, “London Underground Average Monthly Temperatures”, but it is outdated (2013-2022). We are seeking data for 2023, and if held, 2024 so far. Specifically, I am seeking information on the following:
Temperature Data:
• Average monthly temperatures by line
• Average peak temperatures by line
Heat-related Incidents:
• Number of reported incidents related to heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke on the London Underground network
• Number of temperature-related complaints from passengers, by line
Cleaning Information:
• Frequency of cleaning for each tube line
• Annual cost of cleaning (e.g. staff and equipment)
I would like you to provide the information in the following format:
Please provide the information in electronic format, preferably as an Excel spreadsheet or CSV file. Please avoid sending PDFs or Word documents if possible.
If you are unable to provide the specified information:
If you cannot provide the information exactly as requested, please provide any relevant data you have and explain why the other information cannot be provided.
If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at: [email protected].
I appreciate your assistance with this request and look forward to your response within the statutory time frame of 20 working days (by 5 August 2024).
Many thanks for your time,
Clarification received 10/07/2024: For clarification, please can information be provided on the frequency of cleaning to the interior of the trains specifically.
We answered
TfL Ref: EIR-1133-2425
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 8th July 2024, detailed below.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“London Underground records temperatures across the Underground in order to inform cooling initiatives. We are aware of an existing dataset, “London Underground Average Monthly Temperatures”, but it is outdated (2013-2022). We are seeking data for 2023, and if held, 2024 so far. Specifically, I am seeking information on the following:
Temperature Data:
Average monthly temperatures by line
Average peak temperatures by line
Heat-related Incidents:
Number of reported incidents related to heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke on the London Underground network
Number of temperature-related complaints from passengers, by line
Cleaning Information:
Frequency of cleaning for each tube line
Annual cost of cleaning (e.g. staff and equipment)”.
You subsequently clarified that the frequency of cleaning information related to train interiors.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. However, to source it all is not possible within any reasonable timeframe, and therefore the request is being refused under Regulation 12(4)(b) of the EIRs on the basis that it is “manifestly unreasonable”. In this instance the application of the exception largely centres on the request for the number of incidents related to heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke on the London Underground network. There is no automated or efficient way of retrieving this information from our systems. Rather, it would require the manual trawl of individual incident reports. In 2023 there were around 15,000 incidents reported in our system for London Underground that would need to be reviewed to ascertain if the incident was heat related. Even if a review could be achieved at a rate of 1 case every minute (and there is no suggestion it could be) this would equate to 250 hours work. We do not believe the public interest is served by diverting this amount of resource from other activities in order to answer this question alone, hence the application of the exception.
Notwithstanding the above, and in the interests of transparency, we can provide you with other information that is more readily to hand to address your other questions. Given the application of the ‘manifestly unreasonable’ exception, this is being offered voluntarily outside the scope of the EIRs.
Regarding temperature data, the online data has now been updated with information to the end of 2023. This can be found here:
Data for 2024 will be available in the early part of 2025. The temperature data provided is the average monthly evening peak temperatures by line.
In regard to complaints, we can report as follows:
Since 01/01/2023 up until 11/07/2024, we have received a total of 90 temperature related complaints on the London Underground, shown in the tables below:
Row Labels
Jan
Feb
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Grand Total
2023
6
4
1
8
7
6
15
7
4
6
64
Temperature - Too cold
6
3
6
15
Central
1
1
District
1
1
1
3
Jubilee
1
2
3
Metropolitan
1
1
2
Northern
1
1
Piccadilly
2
3
5
Temperature - Too hot
1
1
8
7
6
15
7
4
49
Bakerloo
1
1
Central
1
1
1
3
District
1
1
2
Hammersmith and City
1
1
Jubilee
2
1
1
1
5
Northern
2
1
3
Piccadilly
1
1
2
4
Victoria
1
1
2
4
3
11
6
2
30
Grand Total
6
4
1
8
7
6
15
7
4
6
64
Row Labels
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Grand Total
2024
8
3
1
2
4
8
26
Temperature - Too cold
7
1
1
2
11
Central
1
1
District
1
1
Jubilee
3
3
Metropolitan
1
2
3
Northern
1
1
2
Piccadilly
1
1
Temperature - Too hot
1
2
1
1
4
6
15
Bakerloo
1
1
2
Central
1
1
2
4
Jubilee
1
1
Metropolitan
1
1
Northern
1
1
1
3
Victoria
1
1
1
1
4
Grand Total
8
3
1
2
4
8
26
Regarding the frequency of cleaning the interior of trains, this is shown in the table below:
Line
No. of trains cleaned weekly
Fleet
Service days between cleans (frequency)
size
Bakerloo
10
36
25
Central
22
85
27
Jubilee
24
63
18
Northern
29
106
25
Piccadilly
14
86
43
S-Stock
10
193
28
Note that the annual cost of cleaning trains is deemed commercially sensitive information, as this service is outsourced and the contract is currently being tendered for renewal. To release the price currently paid would inhibit our ability to negotiate the best value for money in the new contract.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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
