Our Ref:          FOI-1211-1819

Thank you for your request received on 1 August 2018 asking for information about persons ill on a train incidents and temperatures on the London Underground. I apologise for the delay in my response.

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 do hold the information you require.

We are constantly working on new ways to keep the temperature down on the Tube and have doubled the number of fans on the network since 2012 as well as installing chiller units to pump in cold air. There are already air conditioned trains on 40 per cent of the Tube network and we are determined to do all we can to help make journeys more comfortable on other lines while investing in solutions for the longer term. During periods of hot weather, we advise our customers to ensure they carry water with them when they travel in order to stay hydrated, offer a seat to those who may need it, and, if they feel ill, to contact a member of staff at the next station.

You asked for:

A list of all instances of a person ill on the train for 2016, 17 and 18 as well as average monthly temperature data available for the same years

Please find attached a list of all instances of a person ill on a train where fainting / feeling faint was mentioned from 2016 to June 2018 and a table containing the average monthly temperatures up to April 2018, (this is the most up to date information available at the time of your request.

The reporting team have clarified that we do not use a different system to that used in 2014, but rather we used a text search to previously identify cases where customers were described as having fainted. We have carried out a similar text search to provide you with the attached data. As previously stated we do not record whether the incidents of fainting / feeling faint were caused by heat. In addition, we do not record the severity of customer illnesses, we only do this for injuries as it is often not apparent, or not appropriate for staff to ask. The cause of any incident will be based only on the member of staff’s opinion at the time and therefore may be found to be incorrect following further investigation.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

[email protected]

Attachments