Thursday 25 July 2019 4:37 pm  |  Updated:  Thursday 25 July 2019 4:39 pm

Ride the UK heatwave: These are London’s hottest Tube lines

By: Joe Curtis

It’s sweltering outside, and the last thing you want to do when it’s hot is take the Tube.

But with the UK set to experience a new record high temperature today of 39C, for once it’s actually cooler on the London Underground than it is in the capital’s parks.

Read more: UK breaks temperature record with 39C heatwave

Still, that doesn’t mean you want to be stuck amongst a press of sweaty commuters on your way home from work today.

Not only do you definitely not want a stranger’s sweat trickling down your neck in the crowded carriages, but the Tube tracks could actually buckle in today’s heat.

Transport for London (TfL) has warned commuters that engineers are checking that tracks are “not at risk of bending or buckling”.

“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,” the organisation added.

Fortunately, TfL has been monitoring track temperatures since at least 2013, so you can avoid the hottest Tube lines on your way home.

Unfortunately, they all get pretty hot.

The Central Line hit 24.8C in May 2018 – but that wasn’t as hot as the Northern Line’s 25C roasting temperature oir the Victoria Line’s 26.3C – with the Jubilee Line marginally cooler at 23C.

But those temperatures get a lot hotter once summer really kicks in.

The Bakerloo Line does what is says on the tin, according to TfL’s latest available summertime data, as the Tube line reached a scorching 30.9C in July 2017.

The Central Line was literally hot on its heels as the east to west route reached a roasting 30.6C that month.

That’s the line whose thoughtful social media manager sought to cool passengers’ temperatures with a helpful tweet last summer as Central Line commuters endured blazing heat.

“Hi, we’re aware of the heating issues,” the @Centralline account tweeted. “We’ve made improvements to the ventilation systems on the current fleet. 

“New trains are coming in early 2030, under the Deep Tube Program which will be delievered with full air cooling systems.”

That’s early 2030, mind you. Only 10 and a half years to go!

Not to be left out, the Victoria and Northern lines recorded temperatures in the high 20s, at 28.5C and 28.2C respectively, that year.

But don’t take our word for it – check out the table below for a full breakdown of London’s hottest Tube lines as you plan your journey home. If you can find a sparsely populated carriage the temperature might actually be a relief from the heat outside.

Read more: New Tube map shows you where to find London’s cheapest pints

For those of you stuck riding London’s trains this evening, good luck. Getting home will literally be hell.

Here are London’s hottest Tube lines ranked:

*Sub-surface Tube lines include the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines

Main image credit: Getty