Evening Standard LINK HERE

London Underground report (attached as file below) has revealed 57 Tube stations are at high risk of flooding from heavy rain and burst water pipes, with the danger increasing.

The document, unveiled at a conference earlier this year but only just made public, names major stations like London Bridge, King’s Cross and Waterloo as being at risk.

Other stations on the list include Notting Hill Gate, Finsbury Park, Euston, Piccadilly Circus, Charing Cross and Angel.

And the review states “it is only a matter of time” before the network is affected, with a warning it could lead to “high safety consequences” for passengers.

The document warns: “London has been fortunate to escape the worst of recent storm events in the UK, but it is only a matter of time before heavy rainfall seriously affects London and the Underground network.”

It states the capital’s combination of underlying clay with hard surfaces above means the risk of surface level flooding is high, with the risk expected to increase due to climate change and a booming population increasing pressure on the sewer system.

Alongside the stations, a further 28 sites, including portals and shafts along the network, are also at high risk, the report says.

A further 68 sites are listed where flooding poses a “significant risk.”

The London Underground Comprehensive Review of Flood Risk was set up in 2014 after a shaft between Mile End and Stratford flooded with nearly 3 million litres of water from a burst main.

That incident, in 2012, inundated the tunnel and closed the Central line for 26 hours.

The report recommends all the sites at high risk are properly investigated to see if further precautions need to be made.

George McInulty, London Underground’s Programme Director for Renewals, said: “Like other metros around the world, we examine the risk of flooding and other issues that might affect the smooth running of the Tube service and what we can do to mitigate these.  

“Some parts of the Underground network are prone to flooding and we are investigating what more we can do to minimise any potential disruption this causes to our customers.”