Comments on: Four Abandoned Stations of the London Underground

By: thomas

thomas — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:49:04 +0000

Little do you know that you have actally missed three of your list. Trust me I work for the tfl.

By: steve

steve — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:55:39 +0000

yes, British Musuem still exists, you can see it from the window of tube trains going past. Have a look at http://www.abandonedstations.org.uk

By: John Hart

John Hart — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:42:51 +0000

In the mid to late 70s I ran a camera shop called Brunnings which was on the site of British Museum Station, we had access to the spiral stairway down to the old tunnels, there were still old posters on the tunnel walls times furnishings ect, all hand painted, there were air wardens office signs on the tilled walls, the old round lift shafts were still there, although the lifts were removed, we found old trolley bus tickets and train tickets from the 1930s, although the entrace to the platform was bricked up you could hear and feel the trains running through the tunnels,I wonder if it’s still hidden down there..??

By: CFA Level 1

CFA Level 1 — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:06:28 +0000

Very nice pics. Thanks for sharing these.

By: SC

SC — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:54:18 +0000

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=parliament+building,+london&ie=UTF8&ll=51.500627,-0.118905&spn=0.001142,0.002028&t=h&z=19
If this link works, that should center right on the one I’m talking about. Can anyone clarify what station this is? It’s actually across the river from Parliament.

Given the name of the nearby road, it’s most likely York Road station, which used to be the first stop on the Piccadilly Line after Kings Cross until 1932. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Road_tube_station). Interestingly enough, the original Kings Cross underground station is also partially disused (since 1941) – it reopened as Kings Cross Thameslink. There’s also disused platforms at Holborn, Charing Cross – quite a few others too…

By: SC

SC — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:42:46 +0000

The abandoned British Museum station features heavily in the 70s film Death Line, with an mesmerising performance from Donald Pleasance as a copper investigating cannibal attacks in the tunnels. It’s a bit like that terrifying underground station scene in American Werewolf In London, only a whole feature film’s worth.

Ironically, it was filmed at Aldwych – which was open (although not all day) at the time. I believe they used the closed platform at Aldwych but can’t verify that. I love that film too :-)

By: ejly

ejly — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:13:25 +0000

Thanks for the info. I can win at the Mornington Crescent game now!

By: Screamager

Screamager — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:14:39 +0000

In Madrid they recently opened an old abandoned station as a museum, with the old publicity posters on the walls and all. Trains still pass by that station although they havent stopped there in years.

By: kiki

kiki — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:26:44 +0000

They are absolutly NOT open to the public.

Jeez Ian, lighten up.

By: Dr_Snugglebunny

Dr_Snugglebunny — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:00:53 +0000

Did I skim through too fast, or did no one mention how unused tube stations figure significantly in Neil Gaiman’s novel Neverwhere? I seem to recall the British Museum station being of special importance.

Ditto China Mieville's King Rat; apparently Mornington Crescent tube station was closed when the book was written (is open these days).