A study published in Scientific Reports on Mar. 26 found that Transport for London (TfL) bus and Underground workers have faced higher death rates than office staff over the past five decades.
The findings matter because they raise questions about how different work environments within London's transport system may affect long-term health. The research highlights possible links between job conditions, workplace exposures, and increased risks of diseases such as lung cancer among operational transit staff.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 117,000 TfL employees who joined the pension fund between 1960 and 2010, with follow-up through October 2021. The study grouped workers into four categories: bus workers, London Underground (LU) workers, engineers, and office staff. Bus drivers and LU employees were found to have significantly higher all-cause mortality rates compared to office-based colleagues. Lung cancer risks were more than double for both LU and bus workers relative to those in desk-based roles.
The analysis used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, employment duration, and decade of hire. Over the study period there were nearly 38,000 deaths among participants. All-cause mortality was highest among LU (23% higher risk) and bus workers (17% higher risk), while engineers showed no significant difference from office staff.
The researchers noted that although air pollution exposure is a concern—especially particulate matter in underground tunnels or street-level exhaust for bus drivers—the study could not directly link occupational pollutants to the observed increase in lung cancer deaths. They also pointed out limitations including lack of data on smoking habits or socioeconomic status which could influence outcomes independently of job type.
Despite these gaps, the authors concluded that "bus and LU workers in this cohort had higher risks of several mortality outcomes," suggesting a need for further research as well as consideration of air quality management strategies for frontline transit employees.
