Transport for London’s (TfL) work to decarbonise its operations continues at pace with the installation of 6,000 Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs at King’s Cross St Pancras Tube station. This is the latest of the 120 stations across the Tube network to be upgraded, which means more than 40 per cent of the Tube network is now brighter and more efficiently lit, making journeys more comfortable and safer for customers.
Customers who use the busy interchange station are benefiting from a more brightly lit journey after the LED conversion, with the new bulbs consuming less power, halving carbon output and the cost of electricity compared to traditional lighting. It is expected to generate energy savings of 1400 MWh per year, equivalent to powering 500 number of homes a year [1] or almost 300 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and up to £455,000 in operational savings in the first year. LED lighting also lasts longer than traditional fluorescent lighting, reducing maintenance and replacement costs.
Currently, more than 40 per cent of Tube stations across London – such as Westminster, Golders Green and Old Street – have been converted to LED lighting, with further stations, such as Bank and Monument planned for a lighting upgrade in the coming years. Due to the nature of the work, it is carried out when stations are closed and power is switched off, which means limited windows to carry out the work. The majority of LEDs used in stations across the network have come from UK-based suppliers and installers, ensuring the security of supply and supporting the UK’s growth and innovation in the lighting sector. At the start of the next decade, TfL aims to have all stations converted to LED lighting, which will deliver a significant saving in associated CO2e and support the Mayor and TfL’s wider work for London to be a net-zero city by 2030.
Lilli Matson, Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer at TfL, said: “Decarbonising our operation is key to reducing the impact of public transport on climate change. By upgrading key stations like King’s Cross St Pancras to LED lighting, it not only provides a brighter, more pleasing environment for our customers, but it also helps us reduce costs and carbon emissions. Work to decarbonise our operational buildings helps us run a more energy efficient network, underpinning our commitment to do what we can to ensure our services are the most sustainable way to move around the city.
“London is helping to lead the way towards achieving net zero and we are committed to doing what we can to ensure our services are the most sustainable way to move around the city.”
