London's 27 Abandoned Tube Stations

Transport could have been so different.

1. Aldwych.

Ben Sutherland

Steve Gardner / Facebook: media

Piccaddilly Line, 1907-1994.

Aldwych would have been the terminus of the Piccadilly line to Holborn and would have seen the Brompton & Piccadilly Circus and the Great Northern & Strand lines (which were never built) passing through it. It closed due to low passenger usage and the high cost of replacing its lifts. Nowadays, its platforms are occasionally used for filming.

2. Aylesbury.

John Cramp / Via disused-stations.org.uk

Metropolitan Line, 1868-1936.

Aylesbury was built as part of the Metropolitan Railway's plan to link Manchester to the continent. It didn't happen and the station closed when the Metropolitan service was cut back to Amersham.

3. British Museum.

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Central line, 1900-1933.

Before Holborn linked to the Piccadilly line, commuters had to walk overground to British Museum. It closed when Central line platforms opened at Holborn.

4. Brompton Road.

Annie Mole / Via Flickr: anniemole

Piccadilly line, 1906-1934.

This station wasn't considered necessary and was bricked up during WW2. When Knightsbridge got a new entrance, Brompton Road became defunct. However, its side lift remains in tact.

5. City Road.

Nick Cooper / Via nickcooper.org.uk

Northern line, 1901-1922.

Located between Old Street and Angel, City Road closed when there was a roof collapse at Elephant &Castle and the entire line stopped working. It wasn't rebuilt due to low passenger use, but its ventilation tower remains.

6. Down Street.

John Curnow. / Via Flickr: curns

Piccadilly line, 1907 - 1932.

Down Street closed when Hyde Park Corner and Green Park's entrances were built so near to it that it was no longer considered necessary.

7. Drayton Park.

Dr Neil Clifton / Via geograph.org.uk

Northern City line, 1904 - 1964.

The Drayton Park platform used to lie on the Highbury branch between Moorgate and Finsbury Park. It closed when its service transferred to National Rail.

8. Euston Road.

Tim Fenton / Via zelo-street.blogspot.co.uk

Northern Line.

Warren Street's original name was Euston Road, but its name changed before the service started operating.

9. Gillespie Road.

Chris Sampson / Via Flickr: lodekka

Piccadilly line.

Arsenal was initially going to be called Gillespie Road, but the name was changed before the tube line started being used.

10. Great Central.

Tom / Via londonparticulars.wordpress.com

Bakerloo line.

Marylebone was originally going to be called Great Central, but it never operated under that name.

11. Heath Street.

Via anonw.wordpress.com

Northern line.

Hampstead was going to be called Heath Street, but its name became Hampstead before the station started being used.

12. King William Street.

Simon Harriyott / Via Flickr: edvvc

Northern line, 1890-1900.

King William Street closed because it was so popular that Stockwell, the tube at the other end of the line, was too small to cope with the high volume of passengers coming into it. Its underground platforms were used as air raid shelters during the war.

13. Lord's.

Nick Catford / Via disused-stations.org.uk

Metropolitan line, 1868-1939.

Lord's was closed to increase capacity on the Metropolitan line, after it was considered unnecessary when St John's Wood opened nearby.

14. Mark Lane.

http://N.C. Capita / Via thewinch.net

District & Circle line, 1884-1967.

Mark Lane was replaced by nearby Tower Hill, which provided a better service to Fenchurch Street.

15. Marlborough Road.

Matt Brown / Via Flickr: londonmatt

Metropolitan line, 1868-1939.

Like Lord's, Marlborough Road was closed to increase capacity on the Metropolitan line, following the opening of St John's Wood.

16. New Cross.

Jennifer Boyer / Via Flickr: jenniferboyer

East London line, closed in 2006.

This branch was replaced by Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace, and West Croydon when the East London line closed. It is now operated by London Overground.

17. North End.

Via hampsteadheath.net

Northern line.

North End, which was intended to lie between Hampstead and Golder's Green, was built but never opened.

18. North Weald.

Julian Tysoe / Via Flickr: kradlum

Northern line, 1865-1994.

Located just past Ongar, North Weald was closed due to low passenger numbers. However, it reopened in 2004 as part of the Epping Ongar Railway.

19. Osterley Park & Spring Grove.

Jim Linwood / Via Flickr: brighton

Piccadilly line, 1883-1934.

Osterley Park & Spring Grove was abandoned when Osterley station was built to its south-west, in order to provide additional capacity. Nowadays a bookshop inhabits the space where it used to be.

20. Park Royal & Twyford Abbey.

David Howard / Via Flickr: satguru

Piccadilly line, 1903 - 1931.

Park Royal & Twyford Abbey was initially opened to allow people to access the Royal Agricultural Show but was closed when the station was relocated to Park Royal to provide more convenient access.

21. Quainton Road.

Matt Brown / Via Flickr: londonmatt

Metropolitan line, 1872 - 1935.

Quainton Road was supposed to link Oxford to London, but it the rest of the planned line never materialised past Ayelsbury. It is now the home of the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.

22. Shoreditch.

Annie Mole / Via Flickr: anniemole

East London line,1876 - 2006.

This was closed down when Shoreditch High Street overground station was built.

23. South Kentish Town.

Jim Linwood / Via Flickr: brighton

Northern line, 1907-1924.

Located (surprisingly) just south of Kentish Town, this station was closed after a strike at Lots Road Power Station. It was never reopened due to low passenger use.

24. St Mary's.

Annie Mole / Via london-underground.blogspot.co.uk

District and Hammersmith & City lines

St Mary's was closed when Aldgate East moved further east and it subsequently became obsolete. It was used as an air raid shelter during the war.

25. Strand.

Edvvc / Via Flickr: edvvc

Piccadilly line.

Aldwych was originally called Strand, but changed name to Aldwych before it ever opened.

26. Trafalgar Square.

Pendar Silwood / subbrit.org.uk

Bakerloo line.

Charing Cross was originally called Trafalgar Square. However, by the time the station opened, it was called Charing Cross.

27. York Road.

Metro Centric / Via Flickr: 16782093@N03

Piccadilly line, 1906-1932.

This station was closed because it was financially unsustainable and increased journey time between Finsbury Park and King's Cross too significantly. However, the building is still visible between King's Cross and Caledonian Road.

H/t Abandoned Stations.