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Air conditioning at stations - what for the future?
 
Air conditioning at stations - what for the future?
Posted by grahame at 06:32, 17th August 2026
 
"On this day" 17.8.1988 has flagged up the Long Island Railroad promising air conditioning at Penn Central Station. That was approaching 40 years ago, but with climate change and warming, and people being fussier too (? - discuss) the subject of aircon and other protection of passnegers from extreme elements comes to the fore.   Buses, trains (and taxis, ferries and aircraft) are natually sealed for the duration of the journey in most cases.  For access points - stations, bus stops, hubs there is the interesting challenge of making them pourous to passengers but impervious to weather.

Penn Central's platforms remained a horrid underground cavern when I was last there (2019?) but the upper levels and waiting areas are - as far as I can recall from that last visit - more modern now, and climate controlled.

 
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