lu cooling the tube programme...

0© 2008. Synovate Ltd.

TitleCooling the Tube programme 200808014

October 2008


Confidentiality

Please note that the copyright in the attached report is owned by TfL and the provision of information under Freedom of Information Act does not give the recipient a right to re-use the information in a way that would infringe copyright (for example, by publishing and issuing copies to the public).

Brief extracts of the material may be reproduced under the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 for the purposes of research for non-commercial purposes, private study, criticism, review and news reporting.

Details of the arrangements for reusing the material owned by TfL for any other purpose can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected].

Research conducted by Synovate

mailto:[email protected]


Contents

• Research Overview 2• Overall Summary 7• Key Findings

• Platform level supply 11• Impulse fans 15• Variable refrigerant flow and Chiller 20• Summer fans 25

• Conclusions 33

Research Overview

© 2008. Synovate Ltd. 4

Context

• London Underground’s (LU’s) Cooling the Tube Programme (CTP) was created to address the problem of excessive heat in the London Underground environment and to design and construct cooling systems to alleviate the condition.

• A number of “Quick Wins” initiatives were put in place across the system:- Temporary summer fans in 29 LU stations with known heat problems, mainly those in

central London and / or with deep level lines.- Platform level supply ventilation where a supply of fresh air is pumped to the platform

areas via existing ventilation shifts at three stations.- Impulse fans installed at Lambeth North and Marylebone Bakerloo line stations to

circulate air along the platforms.- Variable refrigerant flow system, replacing existing air conditioning at Seven Sisters,

particularly reducing the heat in the ticket hall and staff areas.- Chiller units at Euston, delivering cooler air to ticket hall and staff areas.

• A programme of research is required to provide consistent and comparable feedback across the different installations, both amongst customers and staff.


Objectives

The specific customer research objectives are as follows:

• Gauge the overall impact of the cooling initiatives on customers, in particular customers’ perceptions of and satisfaction with:- Station temperature,- Thermal comfort,- Air quality,- Noise,- Station ambience & environment;

• Gauge the overall impact of the cooling initiatives on LU station staff, as well as capturing the staff’s perceptions of customer impacts and issues;

• Where possible, examining the above before and after installation.


Approach

• Face to face interviews with customers at selected stations where the cooling initiatives were introduced:

Sample size

Cooling technology Station(s) Pre Post

Summer fans BankCharing CrossLiverpool StreetTottenham Ct RoadTufnell ParkStockwell

n/an/an/an/an/an/a

120124119125117155

Platform level supply Holland Park 213 235

Impulse fans Lambeth NorthMarylebone

220167

242224

Variable refrigerant flow Seven Sisters 193 205

Chiller unit Euston 165 215


Identifying statistically significant differences

For stations with pre and post stage installation, statistically significant differences from pre stage to post stage (based on total sample) can be assumed for:

• A difference of +/-10% on a percentage(smaller differences may be significant depending on the value of the percentages)

• A difference of +/-0.3 on a thermal perception / comfort score(e.g. Q3, Q4 - scale +3 to -3)

• A difference of +/-5 points on a satisfaction score(e.g. Q1, Q2 - scale 0 to 100)

• A difference of +/-0.2 on a better / worse(e.g. Q9 - scale +2 to -2)

Overall Summary


Overall summary: customer impact

• The cooling initiatives have had quite differing impacts on customers.

• The most effective initiative was platform level supply (at Holland Park), with significant reduction in customer temperature perceptions and significant increase in satisfaction with temperature.

• Impulse fans (at Lambeth North and Marylebone) generated increases in customer satisfaction with temperature, but overall, customers’ temperature perceptions or preferences were not changed significantly.

• Cooling at Seven Sisters and Euston had relatively limited customer impact, although any impact they have had were positive.

• Reaction to summer fans is variable, but overall they are a visible demonstration of TfL’s commitment to the issue, and typically have a more positive than negative impact. However, unlike other cooling initiatives, a minority of customers consider fans to have made temperature worse.


Overall summary: staff impacts and feedback

• The greatest staff impact is at Euston, where a significant cooling effect is mentioned (sometimes too cold!), solving an acknowledged heat problem. However some staff felt platform areas should be a greater focus. No customer comments on the cooling were mentioned.

• Staff at Seven Sisters were pleased with the cooling, but took some time to properly appreciate it (not a significant immediate impact). Whilst benefit in staff areas, they have had occasional customer comments noticing cooling.

• Staff are somewhat underwhelmed by the impulse fans, claiming there has been some effect, but not significant cooling and only in some areas. Very few customer comments received.

• Staff at Holland Park are not as positive as customers, saying the cooling effect was not felt over the entire platform level. Some positive customer comments received, but not a significant number.

• Staff feedback on the summer fans is variable, and can be extreme (Stockwell station manager!). Most comment that they 'just push the hot air around‘. Mixed customer feedback also received, but some are positive.


Overall summary: other interesting points

While not necessarily applicable to all initiatives at all stations, there are some other general points worth noting in relation to cooling:

• Improving temperature can have a big impact: customers most satisfied with temperature in the station were significantly more satisfied with the visit to the station overall.

• Cooling initiatives tend to have gradual rather than immediate impact:more frequent visitors to the station were more likely to notice a cooling effect.

• Awareness can influence perceptions: those (at least claiming to be) aware of the cooling initiative were more likely to notice a cooling effect and to be more satisfied with the station temperature.

• Some cooling effect is not always enough: we measured a cooling effect in all (pre-post) stations, but the post installation temperature may still not be regarded as sufficiently ‘cool’ by customers.

Key Findings• Holland Park: platform level supply


13% 17% 8%

6%

15%

53%

15%

18%

24%

18%

8%

1%22

Pre installation(weighted)

Post installation

Much warmer (+3)Warmer (+2)Slightly warmer (+1)No changeSlightly cooler (-1)Cooler (-2)Much cooler (-3)Don't know

21%

5%

38%

6%

18%

12%

15%

44% 14% 15% 4%

4 3*Pre installation(weighted)

Post installation

Hot (+3)Warm (+2)Slightly warm (+1)About rightSlightly cool (-1)Cool (-2)Cold (-3)Don't know

There is a significant difference in howcustomers feel at Holland Park after installation

Source: Q3; Q4 / Base: all respondents, Holland Park: pre installation (n=213); post installation (n=235)

How do you feel at the moment?

How would you prefer to feel at the moment?

+1.5

Mean score

Holland Park: platform level supply

-0.2

-0.1

Mean score

-0.4


56%

58%

26%

42%

21%

38%

30%

41%

41%

37%

43%

47%

41%

48%

37%

49%

2%

4%

30%

11%

35%

13%

31%

9%

Overall (pre, wtd)

Overall (post)

Temperature (pre, wtd)

Temperature (post)

Air quality (pre, wtd)

Air quality (post)

Air movement (pre, wtd)

Air movement (post)

Score 10 to 8

Score 7 to 5

Score 4 to 0

Don't know

Customers at Holland Park are much more satisfied with the temperature after installation

Source: Q1; Q2 / Base: all respondents, Holland Park: pre installation (n=213); post installation (n=235)

75

75

57

68

54

66

58

69

Satisfactionscore



4%

5%

10%

10%

13%

1%

2%

24%

28%

49%

38%

33%

17%

18%

67%

64%

38%

49%

50%

75%

70%

1%

1%

1%

3%

6%

1%

1%

Condition of area

Cleanliness of area

Temperature

Air quality

Air movement

Noise level

Crowding

Much better (+2)A little better (+1)About the sameA little worse (-1)Much worse (-2)Don't know

More than half of customers at Holland Park explicitly notice an improvement in temperature

Source: Q9 / Base: all (post installation) who have used station before cooling initiative installed (n=138)

+0.3

+0.4

+0.7

+0.6

+0.6

+0.1

+0.2

59% had visited Holland Park station before the cooling initiative was installed

Mean score


Key Findings• Lambeth North & Marylebone:

impulse fans


5%

9%

19%

17%

27%

17%

37%

48%

6%

5% 4

3

*

1Pre installation(weighted)

Post installation


8%

8%

19%

20%

22%

31%

40%

32%

6%

5%

4%

4%


Post installation


Customers at both Lambeth North and Marylebone do not feel significantly different after installation

Source: Q3 / Base: all respondents, Lambeth North: pre installation (n=220); post installation (n=242)Source: Q3 / Base: all respondents, Marylebone: pre installation (n=167); post installation (n=224)

How do you feel at the moment? Lambeth North

+0.7

Mean score

Lambeth North & Marylebone: impulse fans

+0.8

+0.7

Mean score

+0.6

How do you feel at the moment? Marylebone


4%

49%

43%

23%

30%

20%

17%

5%

7%


Post installation


How would you prefer to feel at the moment? Lambeth North

-0.8

Mean score

-0.8

6%

44%

50%

25%

22%

20%

17%

6%

3%1


Post installation


Customers at both Lambeth North and Marylebone do not feel significantly different after installation

How would you prefer to feel at the moment? Marylebone

-0.8

Mean score

-0.6




31%

32%

24%

23%

27%

30%

16%

30%

10%

30%

17%

30%

43%

50%

47%

62%

51%

57%

60%

61%

64%

59%

65%

61%

26%

18%

29%

14%

21%

12%

23%

9%

27%

11%

19%

8%


Temperature (post)


Air quality (post)


Air movement (post)


Temperature (post)


Air quality (post)


Air movement (post)

Score 10 to 8

Score 7 to 5

Score 4 to 0

Don't know

However customers are more satisfied with temperature, especially at Marylebone

58

63

57

61

60

64Satisfaction

score


56

65

53

65

56

66

Lam

beth

Nor

thM

aryl

ebon

e



5%

4%

5%

3%

1%

4%

33%

30%

31%

45%

48%

46%

57%

60%

58%

48%

47%

44%

3%

2%

2%

1%

2%

3%

Temperature

Air quality

Air movement

Temperature

Air quality

Air movement


More than two fifths of customers notice an improvement in temperature

Source: Q9 / Base: all (Lambeth North) who have used station before cooling initiative installed (n=103)Source: Q9 / Base: all (Marylebone) who have used station before cooling initiative installed (n=140)

+0.4

+0.4

+0.4

43% had visited Lambeth North station before the cooling initiative was installed


+0.5

+0.5

+0.5

Lam

beth

Nor

thM

aryl

ebon

e

Mean score

63% had visited Marylebone station before the cooling initiative was installedMean score

Key Findings• Seven Sisters: variable refrigerant flow• Euston: chiller units


6%

20%

18%

19%

20%

18%

49%

33% 5%

5%

5%


Post installation


+0.6

Mean score

+1.0

9% 13%

7%

10%

20%

51%

46%

7%

11%

7%

10%

3%

5%2


Post installation


Customers felt a little cooler at Seven Sisters,but felt warmer at Euston post installation

Source: Q3 / Base: all respondents, Seven Sisters: pre installation (n=193); post installation (n=205)Source: Q3 / Base: all respondents, Euston: pre installation (n=165); post installation (n=215)

How do you feel at the moment? Seven Sisters

+0.3

Mean score

Seven Sisters: variable refrigerant flow & Euston: chiller

-0.1

How do you feel at the moment? Euston


5%

14%

58%

52%

22%

16%

15%

11%13 1


Post installation


How would you prefer to feel at the moment? Seven Sisters

-0.5

Mean score

-0.2

45%

44%

22%

24%

18%

18%

8%

11%

1 4

1

2

2


Post installation


Consistent with this, fewer customers at SevenSisters preferred to be cooler. No change at Euston

How would you prefer to feel at the moment? Euston

-0.7

Mean score

-0.9




34%

31%

33%

30%

31%

31%

25%

28%

21%

26%

24%

25%

53%

59%

49%

60%

56%

58%

54%

54%

56%

53%

52%

60%

14%

10%

15%

10%

13%

10%

20%

17%

22%

20%

24%

14%

Temperature (pre)

Temperature (post)


Air quality (post)


Air movement (post)


Temperature (post)


Air quality (post)


Air movement (post)

Score 10 to 8

Score 7 to 5

Score 4 to 0

Don't know

There are no significant differences in customer satisfaction with temperature after installation

65

67

64

66

65

67Satisfaction

score

60

62

58

61

59

63

Sev

en S

iste

rsE

usto

nSeven Sisters: variable refrigerant flow & Euston: chiller



70% had visited Seven Sisters station before the cooling initiative was installedMean score

68% had visited Euston station before the cooling initiative was installedMean score

An improvement in temperature is noticed by a notable proportion of customers, more in Euston

Source: Q9 / Base: all (Seven Sisters) who have used station before cooling initiative installed (n=144)Source: Q9 / Base: all (Euston) who have used station before cooling initiative installed (n=147)

+0.4

+0.4

+0.4

+0.5

+0.5

+0.5


5%

4%

5%

3%

1%

4%

33%

30%

31%

45%

48%

46%

57%

60%

58%

48%

47%

44%

3%

2%

2%

1%

2%

3%

Temperature

Air quality

Air movement

Temperature

Air quality

Air movement


Sev

en S

iste

rsE

usto

n

Key Findings• Temporary summer fans


18%

14%

8%

27%

3%

21%

29%

24%

45%

33%

9%

14%

22%

17%

25%

22%

20%

23%

21%

24%

13%

12%

40%

32%

5%

11%

6%

1%

9%

5%

5%

10%

3%

4%

20%

5%

1%

Bank

Charing Cross

Liverpool St

Tottenham Ct Rd

Tufnell Park

Stockwell


At almost all summer fans locations, customers felt warm or hot

Source: Q3 / Base: all respondents: Bank (n=120); Charing Cross (n=124); Liverpool Street (n=119);Tottenham Court Road (n=125); Tufnell Park (n=117); Stockwell (n=155)

How do you feel at the moment?

+1.2

Mean score

summer fans

+0.8

+1.3

+1.6

0.0

+1.0

Mean score


7%

9%

2%

25%

8%

1%

1%

8%

1%

26%

30%

21%

17%

17%

38%

36%

32%

13%

30%

30%

21%

30%

22%

21%

37%

37%

17%

8%

14%

4%

17%

17%

6%

Bank

Charing Cross

Liverpool St

Tottenham Ct Rd

Tufnell Park

Stockwell


The majority of customers at almost all stations preferred to feel cooler


How would you prefer to feel at the moment?

Mean score

summer fans

Mean score

-1.2

+1.1

+0.1

-1.5

-0.6

-0.3


Customers are reasonably satisfied with temperature, but this is not rated as highly as other aspects of station environment

12%

32%

29%

25%

48%

30%

65%

54%

55%

49%

39%

57%

23%

14%

16%

26%

12%

12%

Bank

Charing Cross

Liverpool St

Tott'ham Ct Rd

Tufnell Park

Stockwell

Score 10 to 8

Score 7 to 5

Score 4 to 0

Don't know

56

64

62

58

69

64

Satisfaction score


summer fans

Satisfaction score


Apart from Tufnell Park, more customers noted temperature improvements, but a significant minority felt temperature had got worse

4%

7%

18%

4%

6%

38%

32%

28%

41%

20%

44%

40%

47%

44%

42%

45%

27%

16%

9%

6%

12%

30%

13%

2%

1%

5%

7%

Bank

Charing Cross

Liverpool St

Tott'ham Ct Rd

Tufnell Park

Stockwell


Source: Q9 / Base: all respondents who have used station before fan installed: Bank (n=82); Charing Cross (n=95); Liverpool Street (n=97); Tottenham Court Road (n=83); Tufnell Park (n=88); Stockwell (n=117)

Mean score

+0.3

+0.3

+0.5

+0.4

-0.2

+0.3

summer fans

Temperature is...


A slightly greater proportion of customers noticed improvement in air movement than in temperature

2%

7%

11%

6%

27%

8%

41%

42%

41%

35%

41%

38%

41%

39%

40%

52%

31%

32%

11%

9%

3%

6%

1%

15%

2%

1%

1%

5%

Bank

Charing Cross

Liverpool St

Tott'ham Ct Rd

Tufnell Park

Stockwell


Source: Q9 / Base: all respondents who have used station before fan installed: Bank (n=82); Charing Cross (n=95); Liverpool Street (n=97); Tottenham Court Road (n=83); Tufnell Park (n=88); Stockwell (n=117)

Mean score

+0.3

+0.5

+0.6

+0.4

+0.9

+0.3

summer fans

Air movement is...


Customers generally consider the fan location to be suitable, not always in the same way as TfL

6%8%

16%

2%3%9%

5%5% 13%

5%

6%

43% 31%

44% 44%

41%

59%

40% 43%

23% 21%

52%

23%

2%

Bank CharingCross

LiverpoolStreet

TottenhamCourt Road

TufnellPark

Stockwell

Very suitable (+2)

Fairly suitable (+1)

Fairly unsuitable (-1)

Very unsuitable (-2)

Don't know

Metronet Tubelines

+1.2 +1.2 +0.9 +0.4 +1.4 +1.0 Mean score


summer fans


Customers generally consider the fan location to be suitable, not always in the same way as TfL

6% 8% 16%2% 3%

9% 5% 5%

13%

5% 6%

43% 31%

44%

44%

41%

59%

40%43%

23% 21%

52%

23%

2%Bank Charing

CrossLiverpool

StreetTottenhamCourt Road

TufnellPark

Stockwell

Very suitable (+2)

Fairly suitable (+1)

Fairly unsuitable (-1)

Very unsuitable (-2)

Metronet Tubelines

+1.2 +1.2 +0.9 +0.4 +1.4 +1.0 Mean score


summer fans

Conclusions


Conclusions

• In all cases the cooling initiatives can be shown to be a ‘win’, but often the customer impact is not very strong.

• On the customer evidence, our recommendations are as follows:

• Consider development of platform level supply technology at stations where this is possible.

• Carefully consider how use of impulse fans can be improved to deliver a more significant cooling effect.

• Use temporary summer fans at locations where space and power allow, but manage customer (and media) expectations of effect.

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