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The Central Line in the summer is every Londoner’s worst nightmare.

Not only is it the most delayed tube line but it is also one of the hottest and most soiled.

When the Great British heatwave kicks in, temperatures can reach up to an unbearable 40C.

But this woman has found a genius way to beat the baking heat on the Central Line.


She was spotted by a fellow commuter in east London who said it was ‘too funny’ not to record.

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘It was in Newbury Park. She was waiting for a train with the fan.

We are your biggest fan

‘I was like, “how’s the fan going to work inside the train?”



‘But the window was open and the wind was making the fan work.’

With Transport for London making Londoners wait until 2030 for air-conditioned trains on the Central Line, we might see a lot more people follow her lead.

A TfL spokesperson said they completely understand that travelling on the Underground can be uncomfortable in hot weather.

They added: ‘We now have 192 air-conditioned tube trains covering 40 per cent of the network and there are enhanced tunnel ventilation systems on both the Victoria and Jubilee lines.

‘On older parts of the Tube network which have fewer ventilation shafts, we have introduced a range of station cooling systems including industrial-sized fans and chiller units to pump in cold air.

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‘Every bus has reflective roofs, insulation and opening windows, while all new double-deck buses have air cooling.

‘Our work to make the fleet zero-emission will also mean their engines generate less heat.’

So why is the Central Line so hot?

The Central Line is one of the hottest tube lines because of its age and depth beneath the ground.

It is one of the oldest lines in London and was opened as The Central Railway in 1900 with early extensions carried out in 1920 and in the 1940s.

The Central Line can be unbearable in the summer (Picture: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

The line is a deep-level tube which means it is at least 20 metres underground and travels through two small tunnels to reach each station.

This compact space and lack of ventilation means the heat generated isn’t able to disperse and therefore it stays contained.

The old design of the tunnels makes it difficult to create enough extra ventilation to have a big effect.

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