The impact of heat on London Underground infrastructure in a changing climate

As the climate is changing, Transport for London (TfL), which owns and operates the London Underground network, is faced with operational challenges during periods of extreme weather, especially with heat, on its assets. This paper quantifies the impact of temperature across the three different environments on the London Underground network via fault exposure rates for point-related assets (the movable sections of track that allow trains to move to another line or route). The current and future changes in temperature due to climate change are discussed and the broad implications for TfL in terms of future heat risk management are considered. Focus areas to improve TfL's strategic decision-making capacities in the future are also suggested.