The London Underground is not only a marvel of engineering but also a hotspot for ghostly tales, chilling legends, and unexplained phenomena. From spectral nuns to phantom trains, many stations have their own spooky backstory.

Famous Haunted Stations:

• Bank Station: The legendary “Black Nun,” allegedly the spirit of Sarah Whitehead, is said to haunt the station’s corridors. According to myth, she wandered the Bank of England in mourning after her brother’s execution, and now her ghost supposedly roams the dark underground tunnels.
• Covent Garden Station: This station is said to host the ghost of William Terriss, an actor murdered in 1897 nearby. Staff have reported cold drafts, a feeling of being watched, and other uncanny experiences.
• Farringdon Station: According to legend, this station echoes with the terrifying screams of Anne Naylor, a thirteen-year-old girl murdered in 1758. Some passengers report hearing blood-curdling wails in the tunnels, particularly when no train is nearby.
• Embankment Station: In a disused tunnel called Pages Walk, Underground workers have reported cold spots, the sensation of being watched, and doors opening and closing by themselves—even when no one is around.
• South Kensington Station: Legend speaks of a phantom train and a ghostly figure clinging to its side. Witnesses say they heard a sudden whistle late at night, saw a spectral train pull in, and watched it vanish with a passenger-like presence still attached.

Now I have travelled through and alighted at these stations many times over thirty years for work, pleasure and stumbling back after a few too many after an office party. I have never met any of these ghosts, that being said, I like many others, were in the process of losing our souls as we dealt with rush hour.

Urban Legends & Facts:

• Many of these legends have no strong historical evidence, but the stories persist because of the Underground’s atmospheric architecture: long, dimly lit tunnels, echoing platforms, and hidden passageways all feed the creep factor.
• Sometimes, ghost stories likely stem from misheard train noises, airflow, or creaking infrastructure. But other times, they may be rooted in very real historical tragedies, executions, murders, and war-time conversions.

Why These Stories Persist:

Part of what makes the Underground so fertile ground for ghost stories is how layered its history is: Victorian engineers, war-time bureaucracy, and postwar modernisation all left their mark. Abandoned stations and unused tunnels feel like liminal spaces, perfect for myths to cling to.

Takeaway: From spectral actors to phantom trains, the London Underground’s haunted tales are more than just fodder for the tourist brochure. They’re part of the city’s subterranean mythology—stories that blend architecture, history, and the uncanny.