Sadiq Khan fails to roll out any new air conditioned Tube trains for nearly a decade - leaving passengers sweltering in 40C heat

By RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT Published: 13:42, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 13:44, 7 July 2026 The London Underground has not had any new air conditioned trains for nearly nine years - almost the entirety of Sadiq Khan's time in office.  Temperatures are forecast to reach 34C this week in the capital, creating punishing conditions on London's deep-level lines. The National Heat Risk Commission has described upgrading the Tube so it can cope with extreme heat as an 'economic necessity'.  Yet Mr Khan appears not to have got the message, with the last new air-conditioned Tube train introduced back in June 2017 - a year after he became Mayor of London. The Elizabeth Line, which opened in 2022, has air conditioning but is not part of the Underground.  While 190 Tube trains do have air conditioning, deep-level lines that make up 60 per cent of the network still do not.  Transport for London insists narrow Victorian-era tunnels leave little space to fit cooling equipment on the outside of carriages.  Engineers also fear the expelled heat could make platforms dangerously hot.  Commuters swelter during last month's heatwave. More extreme heat is expected this month  Yet cooling deep-level lines is not impossible, with the Piccadilly line set to become the first to be fitted with air conditioning later this year.  The new trains, constructed by Siemens, fit small, ultra-modern air conditioning units under the carriages. London TravelWatch told the FT the new trains - which won't be ready until at least December when temperatures have already plummeted - 'can't come soon enough'.  The watchdog added that there was a 'real need for wider investment' in air conditioning or other cooling systems across London's public transport network. TfL wants to order air-conditioned trains for the Bakerloo line and the Central and Waterloo & City lines but says it has not yet received funding.  There is currently no timescale for introducing air conditioning to the Northern and Jubilee lines.  Nick Dent, TfL's director of customer operations, said the authority was 'working to ensure our transport services remain resilient in the face of more extreme and frequent hot weather events'. The floor of a Piccadilly line train hit 40C during June's heatwave, according to thermal imaging taken by TI Thermal Imaging on behalf of Greenpeace. The UK Health Security Agency issued health alerts for the Midlands, eastern and southern parts of the country with 'significant impacts' feared across health and social care services It comes as Britain braces for its latest heatwave, with temperatures set to climb above 30C for 10 days in a row. The UK Health Security Agency issued health alerts for the Midlands, eastern and southern parts of the country with 'significant impacts' feared across health and social care services. The alert is in place from 9pm on Wednesday up until 9pm on Sunday. Schools have cancelled sports days and allowed pupils to wear PE kits in lessons this week over safety fears. A rise in deaths is predicted amongst those aged 65 and over or with health conditions - though younger age groups are also at risk. Meanwhile northern regions in the UK have been issued yellow heat-health alerts which warn of a 'risk to life'. Parts of south-east England met official heatwave conditions as of this afternoon, with additional regions likely to meet their local thresholds as the week goes on. A particular spike in heat is expected in London and south-east England where the temperature may rise to around 34C on Wednesday and Thursday. However, temperatures are not expected to be as extreme as in late June - when they peaked at a record-breaking 37.7C. Scientists have said the record–breaking heat 'has the fingerprints of climate change all over it'.