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last mo.

London Tube Book Exchanges Shut Down Over Fire Safety Concerns

Transport for London removes book swaps from Underground stations following guidance from the London Fire Brigade about fire risks posed by stored books.

After it was announced that the book exchanges were to be axed, Sir Sadiq Khan took action to “reverse this decision as soon as possible”, a source said
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Book exchanges have been a feature of the Tube network for more than a decade

Overview

  • The London Fire Brigade has identified book swaps at Tube stations as a fire hazard due to the combustible nature of stored books, prompting their removal.
  • The book exchanges, a community initiative dating back to 2005, allowed commuters to take or leave books for free at stations across London.
  • Transport for London (TfL) has apologized for the closures and stated it is reviewing processes to potentially reintroduce the scheme at some stations in the future.
  • Non-subsurface stations may be allowed to reinstate book swaps if they meet updated fire safety requirements, while books will be redistributed to alternative local locations in the meantime.
  • Many commuters and community members have expressed disappointment, highlighting the book swaps as a source of joy and community connection on the Underground.