TfL working hard to keep the network running smoothly during this week's heatwave
"We advise customers to ensure they have 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 or speak to the bus driver"
Mark Evers
Director, Customer Experience for London Underground
  • Customers advised to check before they travel and carry water as heat may impact some services
  • Temperatures expected to reach a record 37 degrees in London

Transport for London (TfL) is encouraging customers to prepare for the heat when travelling on public transport this week. With temperatures soaring and expected to reach 37 degrees in London on Thursday, TfL is advising customers to check their journeys before they travel and to carry water with them.

During periods of hot weather, track temperature checks are regularly carried out across the Tube, DLR, Overground, TfL Rail and Tram networks to ensure they remain safe and the track is not at risk of bending or buckling. TfL engineers have already carried out thousands of hours of work to reduce the risk of the track buckling when the temperature rises. However, during this week's extreme hot weather, TfL might need to introduce temporary speed restrictions on some services as a precaution, which may mean journeys take longer than usual.

TfL gives the following advice to customers travelling during the summer months:

  • Carry water with you at all times, to stay hydrated
  • Don't board a train or bus if you feel unwell
  • If you feel unwell, please get off at the next stop and contact a member of staff at the next station or speak to the bus driver
  • Where possible, consider retiming journeys to less busy times

Londoners can access free drinking water from more than 2,500 cafes, shops and businesses offering free tap water through the Refill London scheme, with participating outlets putting easily identifiable Refill stickers in their windows.

A network of 28 fountains have already been installed through the Mayor's initiative with ZSL's #Oneless Campaign and they will join at least 100 other new fountains the Mayor is delivering with Thames Water from this summer. The locations of the first 50 of these have been announced, and will be easily identifiable by a water droplet design. Each one is fitted with a device to measure the amount of water dispensed to demonstrate the equivalent number of single-use plastic bottles saved.

Air conditioned Tube trains run on the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, which cover 40 per cent of the network, and there are enhanced tunnel ventilation systems on both the Victoria and Jubilee lines. More than two-thirds of the Overground fleet is air conditioned and all trains running between Paddington and Heathrow have air conditioning.  Every bus has a reflective roof, insulation and opening windows, while all new double-deck buses have air cooling. TfL's work to make the fleet zero-emission will also mean the engines generate less heat.

Mark Evers, Director Customer Experience for London Underground, said:

'The warmer, longer days are the perfect time to get out and explore London.  But whether you enjoy these hot summer days or not, we know that traveling around the capital can be uncomfortable at times.

'We advise customers to ensure they have 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 or speak to the bus driver.

'We might need to reduce the speed of our trains at some locations this week as a result of the hot weather. This may mean that your journeys take longer than usual.'

Notes to editors

  • Tube - 94 new state-of-the-art, air conditioned trains will be delivered on the Piccadilly line, transforming the experience of millions of customers. On older parts of the Tube network which have fewer ventilation shafts, TfL has introduced a range of station cooling systems including industrial-sized fans and chiller units to pump in cold air.
  • London Overground - The trains currently operating on the Liverpool to Chingford and Enfield/Cheshunt were inherited from the previous operator and are due to be replaced by brand new air conditioned electric trains from the end of the year which will take the London Overground fleet up to 100 per cent air conditioned.
  • DLR - All 56 DLR trains have windows that can be opened in hot weather. New trains are coming in 2023 which will all have air conditioning. 75 per cent of the DLR network is above ground.
  • Trams - All 35 trams have windows that can be opened in hot weather and a third also have air conditioning. 100 per cent of the tram network is above ground.
  • TfL Rail - Over half the trains running between Liverpool Street and Shenfield have air conditioning.
  • Walking - TfL's handy Walking Tube Maps show how quick and easy it can be to walk between Tube and Rail stations in Zones 1 and 2 and are available to download here - http://content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-tube-map.pdf.
  • Cycling - There are over 750 Santander Cycles docking stations across London. To view all the docking stations in London, check availability and hire bikes, download the free app, which is available on the iTunes and Android App Stores, searching for Santander Cycles. Cycling maps are also available here - https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/cycle.
  • For the areas of the Tube network outside of TfL's control, it has worked collaboratively with Network Rail to ensure that engineers have checked tracks and that information has been shared.