Floods in London have forced tube stations to close for 141 hours this year, the highest total on record, according to new data revealed by Zack Polanski.
More stations have been closed due to flooding in 2021 than any earlier year, with 38 incidents this year affecting 30 different stations.
- 14 stations suffered a flood closure on 12 July, and 12 on 25 July with Barons Court closed twice on the 12 July and Stockwell closed twice on 25 July
- Holborn station was closed for almost four hours during two separate incidents on 7 August and 9 August
- The 38 incidents of tube station in flooding in 2021 so far, is the highest of any year in data from TfL
- 66 different stations have now suffered flooding in the past seven years
Even these figures do not fully illustrate the growing problem of flooding for Transport for London. TfL’s annual report published on 9 August stated they do not have a full assessment of the number or impact of weather events on the tube and other vital London transport services. [1]
Flooding this summer from intense rainfall also affected Londoners in their homes and workplaces. It is known that London Fire Brigade took over 1,000 emergency calls on 12 July [2] and 25 July. [3]
Green Party London Assembly Member Zack Polanski said:
The scale of disruption to Londoner’s at train stations this summer was worrying. We have heard the warnings about climate change for years, but nothing brings home the emergency clearer than the repeated flooding from heavy rain we saw this summer.
“There have been more flooding incidents recorded by TfL this year than ever before, and the warning from the IPCC could not be clearer – as the climate warms, we will see more frequent, heavier rain.
“TfL are now saying they don’t have enough data on flooding, and they have kept their reports on flooding risks secret.“The Mayor should be straight with Londoners on the risk to their tube services, and what investment London needs to avoid whole lines flooding as we have seen in major cities around the world, like New York.
The latest assessment from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has linked the Climate Emergency to increasing rates of intense rainfall.
https://www.theccc.org.uk/2021/09/06/what-does-the-ipcc-report-mean-for…
Notes to editors
The data was revealed in a question asked to the Mayor on flooding of transport infrastructure. https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2021/3276 and builds upon earlier data obtained in previous years. https://www.london.gov.uk/questions/2019/19667
A report from Caroline Russell AM in 2019, Climate Change Risks for London, found 23 tube stations are at ‘significant’ risk of flooding, with 57 at high risk. The list is not public but a majority of these may now have suffered flooding. https://www.london.gov.uk/people/assembly/caroline-russell/publication-caroline-russell-climate-change-risks-london-report-behalf-caroline-russell
[1] Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 2020/21, Climate Change Risk p104, 9 August 2021 https://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-annual-report-9-august-2021-acc.pdf
[2] Flooding - south west and north west London, London Fire Brigade, 12 July 2021 https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2021/july/flooding-south-west-and-north-west-london/
[3] Flooding across London, London Fire Brigade, 25 July 2021 https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2021/july/flooding-across-london/