Why are the london underground trains so dirty?

Question

most of the tube trains i have been on, they have been so dirty and hot. why is it? why not public maintain the trains. and on some bakerloo platforms, i have seen rubbish even on the tracks. othere stations such as london bridge are ok. but why are some the other way round?

Answer 1

I wouldn't complain.  Although some of London's underground trains are dirty, at least they pick you up at a reasonable pace.  

DC trains are constantly dirty, smelly, and slow.  Most annoying part is trying to get home from Adams Morgan (location of many fantastic bars in the DC metro) at 1am and having to wait nearly an hour (after hicking a mile to the nearest metro station), only to get home around 2:30 am.

Answer 2

MIND THE GAP!

Answer 3

They are dirty but not that dirty.  The people using these trains and that facility are not respecting what they have and use. New stations are OK but old ones are somehow horrible.  Bear in mind this service started over a century ago and is spread over a vast city, so its costs are horrific and most of the impossible to afford.

Answer 4

The people with power use cars and don't care about the state of public transport.

Answer 5

Just a postulation here, as I have never been on either London's or NYC's undergrounds, but, could it be a simple shortage of man power?

Down sizing is not unique to anywhere I am familiar with.  Perhaps, as a cost cutting measure to lower overhead, the systems are under staffed, with "clean" being the trade off as a result.

It seems to me, however, "hot" could be mitigated with improved ventilation.  This would be more important than simple air conditioning, however, in the event of some sort of attack using an aerosol dispersed chemical agent.

Either way, nothing gets done anywhere without a push, especially where "$" are concerned.

Answer 6

It may have something to do with terrorists planting devices in the rubbish bins so they were all removed.

Answer 7

must be the people that live there

Answer 8

because the dirt and soot and heat has no where to escape.  Its the same in the new york subway.  They both are dirty and hot, but they are also more efficient and allow more people to move around than would be possible otherwise.  That's why people put up with them.

Answer 9

The trash and soot and dirt are trapped... It's the same in the NYC subway system. I'm sure the London sanitation crews are doing what they can but if it's a choice between cleaning the rail stations or putting more police on the street- well you know how politics goes!