Revealed: London's dirtiest Tube lines and Underground stations

Dirty: researchers found the Northern Line had the most bacteria
Hannah Al-Othman30 July 2016

London's dirtiest Tube lines have been revealed - with the Northern line coming out as the filthiest of them all.

More than 1.34 billion passengers ride the London Underground every year, and researchers from online doctor firm Dr Ed wanted to test what bacteria they were leaving behind.

The researchers swabbed 60 surfaces on the capital's 10 busiest tube lines and sent away the samples to be tested in an independent laboratory.

They assessed bacteria levels on the Tube network by measuring colony-forming units (CFU) - or the number of viable bacteria cells that thrive per 10 centimetres.

The researchers found that the Northern Line had almost three times more germs than the next dirtiest Tube line.

Bacteria count: London's dirtiest Tube lines have been revealed
Dr Ed

The Central Line came in second place - which also has the dirtiest seats, followed by the Bakerloo Line in third place.

Coming in fourth was the Waterloo and City Line, followed by the DLR, the Victoria Line and the Jubilee Line.

In contrast, the Hammersmith and City Line had by the lowest amount of CFUs out of the routes tested.

Research: ten of London's busiest stations were also tested
Dr Ed

The report also tested surfaces ten busy stations to find out which were the most contaminated.

Researchers found that hand rails at Bank, Monument, Liverpool Street and Oxford Circus were the most germ-ridden, while the touch screen machines at Stratford were the dirtiest.

The dirtiest station overall was Stratford, while Monument and Bank were in joint second place.

A spokesman for Dr Ed said: "The most important step any traveller can take is frequently handwashing with soap and warm water. This is the most effective way to curtail the spread of infections.

"Carrying some alcohol hand gel to use after your journey can also help prevent the spread of some infections.

"During your Tube journey, try to avoid absentmindedly touching your hands to your face, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue if you cough or sneeze, save your snacks and meals for after the journey, and wash up as soon as possible once you arrive at your final destination."

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