CCTV on the Underground
Request ID: FOI-2452-1920
Date published: 05 December 2019
You asked
For each question, please provide an individual breakdown per Underground line.
Please could you address the questions below:
1. The total number of carriages on each Underground line according to the most recent records this year.
2. The number of those carriages equipped with CCTV.
3. The total number of carriages on each Underground line according to the latest count from 2018.
4. The number of carriages from (3) equipped with CCTV.
5. The total number of carriages on each Underground line according to the latest count from 2017.
6. The number of carriages from (5) equipped with CCTV.
Please send the answers through in an Excel format. If my request is not specific enough, please could you advise me on how to make it a more manageable request so that you will be able to provide information.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-2452-1920/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 13 November 2019 asking for information about London Underground and CCTV.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.
The number of trains / carriages can change regularly as trains can be taken out of service for maintenance or cleaning purposes. The trains stock for each line is:
Bakerloo – 36 seven car trains
Piccadilly – 86.5 six car trains
Central – 85 eight car trains
Waterloo & City – 5 four car trains
Northern – 106 six car trains
Jubilee – 63 seven car trains
Victoria – 47 eight car trains
District, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines – 133 seven car trains
Metropolitan line – 59 eight car trains
In accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to release the requested information regarding the number of carriages with CCTV, as this information is subject to statutory exemptions to the right of access to information, under Sections 38(1)(b) and Section 24 of the Act. Disclosure of this information to you has to be regarded as a disclosure to ‘the public at large’. This information could potentially be obtained and utilised by individuals who may have hostile intentions and wish to use this information to cause disruption, commit crimes or breach the security of the London Underground network. The London Underground system is an attractive terrorist target for several reasons. London Underground part of the nation’s critical infrastructure by virtue of its central importance to the functioning of London and its economy. Disclosure of information could compromise security and safety preparedness on London Underground’s network and could place members of the public and TfL staff at risk.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a Decision Notice regarding the application of section 24 to withhold information relating to CCTV deployment in the railway industry, we believe the same arguments can be applied to the information you have requested:
https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2017/2013536/fs50633090.pdf
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, but in this instance the public interest in applying the exemption, in order to minimise risks to operational resilience, security and safe operation of the London Underground network, the welfare of staff and members of the general public, outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Graham Hurt
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London
Back to top