On the London Underground, fluffer is the name given to a person employed to clean the tracks in the tunnels.[1] The passage of the trains through the tunnels draws in dust and rubbish. Removing this debris is essential to maintain the safety of the Underground, as it would otherwise create a fire hazard.[2]
The work is done at night during Engineering Hours, when the trains have finished running, and the electricity is switched off. Although cleaning the tunnels is a heavy and dirty job, it has traditionally been a role carried out by teams of women.[3] In 1947, a newsreel made by British Pathe captured the fluffers on film carrying carbide lamps, long brushes and scraping tools. The rubbish was removed in dustbins, loaded onto a trolley that was drawn along the rails.[2]
These days, the fluffers have electric torches and protective clothing, and collect the dust in plastic bags.[1][4] Fluffer teams still tend to be mainly made up of women,[5] although automated cleaning systems - known as fluffer trains - have taken over some of the role.