Why don't train stations switch off lights during daylight hours?

Join my campaign to reduce the amount of energy public transport wastes by asking your local train station to turn off unnecessary daytime lamps
Lights are switch on day and night at Stratford station, London
Energy-guzzling lights are switched on during daylight hours at Stratford station, London. Photograph: Martin Argles/Guardian

If you've ever passed through Stratford train station in London, you may have clocked the amount of energy the station wastes. In broad daylight, every open-air platform and the huge glass ticket hall has every single light burning. On a recent visit, I noticed a platform assistant and asked her why all the lights were on. She looked at me as if I had just landed from Mars and asked why I wanted to know. I replied that as a fare-payer I was concerned by the waste of money. The response? "London Underground is a rich corporation and can afford it."

Waste in any form – be it money, energy or unnecessary carbon emissions – gets up my nose. So I thought I'd see if could persuade Stratford and other train stations to turn off unnecessary lights during daylight hours. When I last visited Stratford in May, every single light was on, including 30 massive floodlights trained on the gigantic glass windows. A quick tally of the hundreds of lights burning day and night led to an estimate of over £40,000 of taxpayers' money being wasted annually to light the daytime sky in just this station. It was a monument to wasted electricity and money.

I found the station manager, who was very friendly. When asked why all the lights were on, he replied that he'd never noticed them on before and it was a very good question. He did not know why. When asked if he could turn them off, he replied that he could not, but promised to ask his supervisors at London Underground if he could.

I then called Transport for London (TfL), which runs London Underground, to ask if their chief executive would support my campaign. I placed a similar call to the London Mayor's office. They promised to get back to me, but despite daily calls over a week, it wasn't until I contacted the green party assembly member, Jenny Jones, that I had any responses.

Here's TfL:

As the lighting at Stratford has been brought to our attention as a particular concern we will review the situation at the station to see if there is more we can do reduce the environmental impacts.

And mayor Boris's office:

The mayor was concerned to hear about the situation at Stratford and is pleased that TfL will review the situation to establish how more can be done to reduce the environmental impact of the lighting there.

Jenny added: "Pointlessly lighting-up the sky during the day, as happens in so many railway stations across Britain, is a dreadful waste of public money and adds to the climate crisis. It would be great to see Guardian readers take positive action and ask their local train stations to simply turn the lights off."

So far as I know, the lights are still on at Stratford, but watch this space. I hope TfL and the mayor will follow through to get Stratford to switch off.

Now it's over to you. Will you help me save taxpayers' money and cut the UK's carbon emissions by asking your local train station to turn off wasteful daylight lamps? Seek out station managers, ask questions and – if you have time – write a letter.

Let me know in the comments below about your experiences – whether you have been successful or not.