The London Underground isn’t just a network of busy, crowded stations, it’s also hiding a shadowy underworld of abandoned, disused, or “ghost” stations. These relics of a bygone era whisper of forgotten routes, failed expansions, and wartime improvisations.

According to Transport for London’s archives, there are around 40 disused stations across the Underground network.

Some of these are completely hidden, while others can, on rare occasions, be glimpsed from passing trains or accessed on special tours.

Notable Ghost Stations:

Aldwych: Perhaps the most famous disused station. During both World Wars it was used as an air-raid shelter, including housing treasures from the National Gallery and the British Museum.

British Museum Station: Opened in 1900 on the Central Line, it closed in 1933 after Holborn station expanded. Today, only the lift shaft remains in use for ventilation, but the tunnels are still there.

Down Street Station: Located in Mayfair, this Piccadilly Line station opened in 1907 but closed in 1932 due to low usage. During WWII it was repurposed as a top-secret bunker for high-level wartime activity.
Wikipedia

York Road Station: Closed in 1932, this Northern Line station is one of the smallest on the network.

Marlborough Road Station: Located in St John’s Wood, it was shut in 1939.
Wikipedia

Why So Many Abandoned Stations?

These stations were closed for a variety of reasons: low passenger numbers, route reconfigurations, or because other stations were more strategically useful.

Over time, some became service tunnels, maintenance access points, or even storage areas.
National Geographic

Hidden Access and Tours:

Thanks to the London Transport Museum’s “Hidden London” tours, some of these stations are now accessible to the public in a limited capacity. These tours reveal pitch-dark corridors, old tiling, disused passageways, maintenance rooms, and lift shafts—essentially, a subterranean time capsule.
National Geographic

Folklore and Mystery:

Because these stations are hidden and rarely used, they’ve attracted their share of ghost stories and urban legends (which we’ll dig into more in the “Haunted Tube” factsheet). Abandoned platforms, sealed doors, and cobwebbed corridors all contribute to the sense that parts of the Tube belong to a different era entirely.

Beneath the bustling network of active stations lies a secret history of disuse, adaptation, and eerie beauty. The ghost stations of the London Underground aren’t just curiosities, they’re living memories of how the system has evolved over time.