The Anonymous Widower

Heat-Related Hospital Admissions And Deaths In London

I never saw my father ride on a deep Underground line, like the Northern or the Piccadilly, as he always said the air was terrible.

That was despite we lived within walking distance of Oakwood station and his print works was just a hundred metres from Wood Green Underground station.

But then he was a man, who always had a car, when I knew him, so I suppose he felt he better use it.

On one occasion, he took me to the Printing Industries Fair at Earl’s Court, which is just seventeen stops on the Piccadilly Line from Wood Green Underground station, as it still is today.

His route was as follows.

He left his MG Magnette outside the print works on Station Road.

As this picture I took in 2012 shows, parking wasn’t too difficult.

We then walked up the hill to Wood Green station, which is now called Alexandra Palace, from where we took a steam-hauled local train into King’s Cross.

From King’s Cross, we took a Metropolitan Line train to Hammersmith station.

At Hammersmith, we changed stations and then took a train to Baron’s Court station for Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre.

Today, the route between Alexandra Palace and Earl’s Court stations is very different.

• You can change trains at Moorgate, Farringdon or King’s Cross.
• The oldest trains, that you’ll travel on would have been built in 2008.
• All trains will be fully air-conditioned.

I feel, that I could probably get my father to use this route. Although, I doubt it would happen, as he would have turned 120, at the start of this year.

The Growth Of Air Conditioning

Many cars since the 1980s have been airconditioned and now trains are following that route.

In London these are some dates, when trains were air-conditioned.

• Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan from 2008.
• Elisabeth Line from 2017.
• Gospel Oak and Barking from 2019.
• Greater Anglia from 2019/20.
• Lee Valley Lines from 2019.
• London Midland from 2023.
• London Overground from 2009.
• Southern from 2003.
• Southeastern from 2003.
• Thameslink from 2014.

Each year, more and more trains will be air-conditioned.

Conclusion

Has this growth of air-conditioning reduced the number of cases of heatstroke and other heat related admissions to hospitals?

June 27, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Health, Transport/Travel | Air-Conditioning, Earl's Court, Elizabeth Line, Gospel Oak And Barking Line, Hammersmith Station, King's Cross Station, London Overground, London Underground, Metropolitan Line, My Father, Northern Line, Piccadilly Line, Weather