BORIS Johnson got a bit hot under the collar at City Hall—so he dived Underground. The Mayor of London went for a ride on a test track to see the first of the new air-conditioned London Underground trains being tried out
BORIS Johnson got a bit hot under the collar at City Hall—so he dived Underground.
The Mayor of London went for a ride on a test track to see the first of the new air-conditioned London Underground trains being tried out.
Some relief is on the way from next summer for the three-million daily passengers crammed onto the world’s oldest metro system sufering its notiorious lack of decent ventillation, especially in summer.
GRANDDAD TRAINS
New air-conditioned trains Boris was trying out this week are being inbtroduced next summer first on the Metropolitan Line—the grandfather of the London Underground opened in January 1863—then later on the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines through East London.
The new trains are fully walk through,’ have better travel information displays and security features in addition to air conditioning.
Much of the ageing Underground was c onstructed in brick by leading Victorian engineers of their day, like Isembard Kingdom Brunel and Joseph Basiljet, long before air conditioning was ever thought of.
The East London Line reopening next year still uses Brunel’s original Thames tunnel opened in 1843—the first in the world under a river—while the District Line uses the tunnel under Basiljet’s original Embankment scheme.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here