tour old london underground stations

Posted on 22nd September 2022 Categories London History

By: Author Lauren Kendrick

A Grand Tour of London’s Abandoned Tube Stations

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Heard of London’s disused Tube stations? Discover the capital’s abandoned spots and the fascinating stories behind them. 

It turns out that London has lots of disused tube stations. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise –  the first London Underground train dates back to 1863 – of course, there’s been lots of change since then. 

Climb aboard and let us take you on a journey through the history of London’s Underground, with stations serving as Blitz shelters, breakout rooms and some even acting as the backdrop for movie sets. 

Next stop, disused London Underground stations. Choo choo!

Abandoned London Underground Stations and the History Behind Them 

Opened to the public in 1907, Aldwych Station is one of London’s best-kept secrets . The station’s history runs deep, from providing shelter to Londoners during the Blitz to being used as a filming location for The ABC Murders, Sherlock, Darkest Hour and Atonement.

It was a part of the Piccadilly Line for 100 years until 1994 and closed due to low passenger numbers (a theme you’ll notice with many of these stations!).

Although Aylesbury is actually quite a few miles away from London, it turns out it used to be on the Underground network until the 1960s. In fact, it was part of the main service for London’s Metropolitan line.

From Aylesbury you could reach Waddesdon Manor and Quainton Road and the line stretched nearly as far as Oxford. This was, until the line between Rickmansworth and Amersham was electrified – then there was no need for Aylesbury to be active. Boo.

British Museum

Run by the Central London Railway, British Museum Station in Holborn was a part of the Central Line. 

Opened in 1900 but closed 33 years later, Holborn station, less than 100 yards away, had much higher passenger numbers so the British Museum station just wasn’t needed– Holborn joined the Central Line the very next day. 

The two stations ideally would have been connected, but weren’t because of tunnel alignment.

Brompton Road

Brompton Road, once part of the Piccadilly line, used to be a stop in between Knightsbridge and South Kensington. 

But – you guessed it – the station closed because it wasn’t used often enough, largely due to being too close to its neighbouring stations. It was during the General Strike that Brompton Road closed and never reopened after the modernisation of Knightsbridge. 

During the Second World War Brompton Road served as Ministry of Defence and the platforms were bricked up. It’s now been turned into trendy flats, so there’s not much to see of its former life. 

Charing Cross

We are well aware that Charing Cross is technically not an abandoned station, but part of it is. We’re also certain you’ve seen the abandoned part of Charing Cross on your TV screens too. 

Charing Cross joined the Jubilee line in 1979 as the southern terminus until 1999. The line was supposed to join up to Lewisham and the tunnels extend as far as Aldwych. But with the regeneration of the East End in the 80s, the line was rerouted from Green Park to Waterloo and London Bridge .

The disused line found new meaning on our screens acting as the backdrop for 28 Weeks Later, Skyfall, Creep and Spooks. 

Islington’s disused tube station, City Road, opened in 1901 as part of the City & South London Railways extension from Moorgate Street to Angel. 

It was doomed from the start by low passenger numbers and closed in 1922. You might have wondered why there’s a big gap between Angel and Old street, and this is why.

Most of the station was demolished in the 1960s, and replaced with an energy centre that now helps to heat the homes of Islington with the heat from the tunnels.

Great Missenden

Another station that once existed on the Metropolitan line, we’re beginning to see why so many of them closed. 

Great Missenden is one of the prettiest villages in England and it’s just 40 minutes from Marylebone Station. 

The service was withdrawn when the lines were electrified in the 50s and 60s and trains then only ran as far as Amersham. 

Hounslow Town and Surrounding Areas

The District line used to go all the way to Hounslow Town station which was quite close to Hounslow East station. 

Bear with us as this gets a little confusing: The station closed in 1886, but reopened for six years from 1903 to 1909 before finally closing for good. These tracks are now used as tracks for the Piccadilly line and following various extensions, now serves Heathrow Airport. 

Osterley & Spring Grove was also a stop next to Hounslow Town heading east. It opened in 1883 as part of the District line and then closed in 1934, though the old station building is still there today serving as a book shop. 

There was also Hounslow West, opened in 1884 as a further terminus. Formerly known as Hounslow Barracks, it was renamed in 1925 and then closed in 1975 when the station was moved in order to extend the line out towards Hatton Cross and Heathrow. 

King William Street

King William Street station was part of the City and South London Railway, which was the old Northern line. 

Open from 1890 to 1900, it was closed after just ten years in order to extend the line up to Moorgate and Bank. It was situated between Monument and Bank, and a plaque can still be seen at Monument station as a little reminder that King William Street station existed.  

Located in St John’s Wood, Lords was on the Metropolitan line, opened in 1868 as St Johns Wood Road. 

It was then renamed twice, once to St John’s Wood in 1925 (pointless, we know), and named Lord’s in 1939– referring to the nearby cricket grounds.

Once the new section of the Bakerloo line was opened, fewer trains ran through Lord’s and the station was replaced by a newly built St John’s Wood nearby. 

Down Street

Located in between Mayfair’s Hyde Park Corner and Green Park stations, Down Street was once part of The Great Northern Piccadilly and Brompton Railway. 

It had a relatively short life, opening in 1907 before being abandoned in 1932 due to low passenger numbers– its neighbours could afford more luxurious modes of transport. 

Read Next: Down Street Station – Winston Churchill’s Abandoned Tube

This one gets a little confusing. Mark Lane opened in 1984 to replace Tower of London station which only operated for two years before it was realised a bigger station was needed. 

Mark Lane was then renamed Tower Hill station in 1946 (not connected to today’s Tower Hill station), but oddly they were built next to each other. The station closed in 1967 due to the impossibility of expansion. But, the modern Tower Hill station actually uses the same site as the original Tower of London station.

Marlborough Road

Marlborough Road is one of three disused tube stations in London that were on the Metropolitan line. 

Marlborough Road used to be a stop between Finchley Road and Baker Street, it opened in 1868 and only closed due to a new stretch of the Bakerloo opening up a route to Stanmore.

If you take a stroll along Finchley Road on the corner of Queen’s Grove you’ll come across a fairly blank building. It’s now used as a power substation, and previously was a Chinese restaurant. 

North Weald

On the same line as Ongar, North Weald opened in 1865 by the Great Eastern Railway and later used as a Central Line station on the London Underground between Epping and Blake Hill stations. 

The section beyond Epping to Ongar closed in 1994 and North Weald, like Ongar became a part of the Ongar-Epping Railway service.  

Blake Hill station was on the same line but this station closed long before Ongar and North Weald in 1981, so never became a part of the Ongar-Epping Railway. 

South Kentish Town

Did you know that Kentish Town used to have another station nearby? South Kentish Town was on the Northern line and opened in 1907.

The disused deep level line was supposed to be called Castle Road, but a few weeks before opening it was changed to South Kentish Town. This station suffered from low passenger numbers from the get go and in 1908 drivers began ignoring the need to stop there. Rude.

In 1924 a power outage meant temporary closure for the station but when the power returned the station was never reopened. The station is now home to the thrilling Mission Breakout, an escape room to break out of the ghost tube station.

St Mary’s

Located between Aldgate East and Whitechapel, St Mary’s closed its shutters in 1938 when today’s Aldgate East moved further east. This meant that it was pointless for St Mary’s to exist. 

The abandoned underground station was unfortunately bombed during the Second World War and was never recovered. 

Ongar used to be the final stop on the Central line. It also had a pre and post underground life, opening in 1965 it was mostly used for ferrying agricultural products from Essex to the outskirts of London.

In 1949 it became part of the underground but it was never really a hiit with passengers and closed in 1994. Its legacy lives on, Ongar is still part of the Ongar-Epping Railway– it’s one of few abandoned London Underground stations that still has trains running through.  

Swiss Cottage

The third and final disused Metropolitan line station is Swiss Cottage opened in 1968. Just a few days after its opening there was a head-on crash between two trains and three people were injured. 

Named after a nearby pub, Swiss Cottage served the Metropolitan line until 1940 when neighbouring stations took prevalence. 

Swiss Cottage is abandoned in plain sight and is still very much visible to Metropolitan line passengers. 

Tower of London

Did you know that there used to be a Tower of London stop on the underground? Nope, neither did we. 

Tower of London station closed after only two years of ferrying passengers in 1884 when Mark Lane station opened. The station was scrapped altogether when Tower Hill station was built on the same site in 1967. 

York Road is an abandoned underground station located between King’s Cross and Caledonian Road. It was part of the Picadilly line until 1932, it closed when a new cross over tunnel was opened at King’s Cross. 

The platform has been removed from York Road station, and it’s now used as an emergency exit from the tunnels.

Want to See More? The Tours of London’s Abandoned Tube Stations 

Don’t just learn about these abandoned London Underground stations, go and explore them. Well, the ones with tours, anyway. 

Transport For London put on regular tours for some of these ghost tube stations for you to explore the deep level tunnels up close. Previous tours have included Aldwych, Down Street, and the disused arm of Charing Cross.

Book your ticket online before you go and beware of the ghosts. 

Kidding. Maybe.

London Abandoned Tube Stations: Map 

London’s Abandoned Tube Stations: Read Next

• Unusual London Book 
• Discovering London’s Hidden Gems
• Down Street Station: Winston Churchill’s Abandoned Tube Station

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London had the first underground railway, the first deep level underground railway and the first electric underground railway. The London Underground as it is known today, is full of history. Part of that history is its catalogue of dismantled, abandoned and disused stations; all closed for varying reasons. Within these pages are photos and details of most of them, for you to explore.

All photos ©2000-2024. Reproduction prohibited.

To download Transport for London's map of the current tube & rail system in London, click here

For a brilliant and geographically correct (French) online map of the tube and tube related lines in London, including the disused stations, click here

Most of the factual details were verified or obtained from the following excellent books: J.E. CONNOR - Abandoned Stations on London's Underground (ISBN 0-947-69930-9) J.E. CONNOR - London's Disused Underground Stations (ISBN 0-947-69929-5) NIGEL WELBOURN - Lost Lines: London (ISBN 0-7710-2623-8) They and many other books of historical interest are available from the bookshop at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, which should be the first port of call for anyone wanting further information about London's abandoned stations. Other books used for research: H.G. Follenfant: Reconstructing London's Underground (London Transport, 1975) Edwin Course: London Railways (B.T. Batsford Ltd, London 1962)

All the abandoned London Underground stations you can actually visit and how

There are 11 you can now explore thanks to some meticulous preservation efforts

• 21:00, 11 JAN 2023

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Now 160 years old, with 272 stations under its belt, it's little surprise that the London Underground has so many abandoned stations as a result of network changes. As the city evolves, some stations have lost their initial purpose, and are deemed no longer viable - most are replaced by stations nearby or wider station complexes. Others, like Aldwych, have no direct replacement, so remain awaiting a new purpose.

Unless Transport for London (TfL) sells the relevant land and/or property, it still owns and maintains the empty stations. Most collect dust for the majority of the year, but thanks to the London Transport Museum they have been admirably preserved. In recent years, many have been opened to the public as part of special 'Hidden London' guided tours , where museum experts take you back in time under the streets of the capital to explore the Tube that was.

The Hidden London tours are the best way to explore the abandoned stations, with a range of them available to visit, as well as a disused tram tunnel near Holborn.

READ MORE: London Underground: Sadiq Khan reveals what you can expect by 2183 as Tube turns 160

Assistant director of the London Transport Museum Chris Nix, told MyLondon: "There’s so much to uncover in the disused stations because they are time-capsules in themselves: you can see vintage posters and signs on the walls, walk down corridors that haven’t been used by the public in decades, hear the stories of the people who lived and worked there… And they’re constantly evolving, because we keep discovering more and more little-known historical facts as we continue to explore our archives."

We at MyLondon in our mission to scour the capital from top to bottom (literally!) have been underground with the Hidden London team and can confirm just how insightful they are. You don't have to be a history or Tube geek, although it certainly helps, as the experts bring the effective time capsules to life for you, with demonstrations and detailed explanations too. Highlights of some of the places seen on the tours have featured in the 'Secrets of the Underground' TV series.

Hidden London guided tours are available of the following ‘abandoned’ stations:

- Down Street (in person tour)

- Aldwych (in person and virtual tours)

- King William Street (virtual tour)

- York Road (virtual tour)

- Brompton Road (virtual tour)

Also available are tours of disused parts of the following working stations:

- Charing Cross (in person tour)

- Clapham South (in person tour)

- Euston (in person and virtual tours)

- Moorgate (in person tour)

- Piccadilly Circus (in person tour)

- Shepherd’s Bush (in person tour)

All can be booked via the London Transport Museum's website here . Prices vary depending on tour type and station size, but are generally around £40-50 per person, with discounts available. Some tours are not open to under 14s. 14 to 16 year olds must be accompanied by an adult.

Have you been on one of the Hidden London tours? Tell us in the comments below!

Want more from MyLondon? Sign up to our daily newsletters for all the latest and greatest from across London here.

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Going underground: a subterranean tour of London's abandoned tube stations

Tours through abandoned Tube stations open a unique window onto London’s historic roots.

Standing on a strip-lit London Underground platform, I’m staring at the billboards across the tracks. Primary colours jump out above grimy rails. To the left is a placard for cheap holidays in the sun, to the right a poster for new West End play Diana’s Fortune. But the adverts are strangely vague when it comes to details. Holidays where, exactly? And why no mention of which theatre is staging the play?  

“They’re all fake ads,” says my Hidden London guide, Pat Dennis, with a laugh, pointing out posters for fictitious estate agents and non-existent clothing brands. We’re deep in Charing Cross Underground station, at the heart of the capital’s transport network, but if we were hoping to hop on the next train we’d be in for a wait. “This platform has been out of service since 1999,” he says. “It was part of the Jubilee Line. Now it’s used for films, TV shows and music videos. We’ve had Matt Damon and Daniel Craig down here, Paddington, Madonna, Dua Lipa — you name them.”  

The bogus ads, it transpires, help avoid any awkward issues over product placement. They also add to the discombobulation of entering a secret underworld. When Pat greets our group in the station’s ticket hall, we’re surrounded by a jostle of commuters and free newspapers. Then we step through an anonymous metal door and everything becomes real but unreal, with empty escalators, silent corridors and the far-off rumble of trains on other lines.

Over the following hour and a quarter, we get a full overview of this deserted wing of the station. We’re given the history of Charing Cross itself. We’re shown footage from Skyfall where James Bond slides down the same escalators we’ve just descended. We’re even taken into the cavernous dark of the ventilation shafts and construction tunnels, at one point spying through a grille, 007-style, on travellers waiting for a Northern Line train. It all feels fascinatingly clandestine.

This, of course, is very much the intention. Organised by the London Transport Museum, which funnels profits from tickets into its educational arm, these behind-the-scenes tours are run by Hidden London in eight different Tube stations. The visits make the most of the fact that multiple areas of certain stations are now disused, for reasons varying from low passenger numbers to rerouted lines.  

“All the stations we visit have their own selling points,” says Pat, explaining that tours are scheduled for different stations at different times each year, to keep demand high. Many of these tours touch on the Second World War, when the tunnels doubled as air-raid shelters. Clapham South, for example, has more than a mile of deep-level passageways, while Down Street — which Winston Churchill used as a secret wartime bunker — was closed to passengers back in 1932, yet still exists, murky and history-laden, under the streets of W1. And while the defunct platforms of Charing Cross remain modern-looking, the concealed parts of Aldwych and Euston are time capsules full of period architecture and fading posters.

( 5 of north London's most scenic walking routes .)

I head to another station, Moorgate, for the next tour. It takes its name from a former gate in the old city walls, which looked out across marshland. Today the area is all commercial buildings and cafes, but the station has plenty of history. It opened in 1865 as part of the Metropolitan Line — the world’s oldest underground — and originally had gas-lit wooden carriages trundling along its tracks.  

“The early trains didn’t even have windows,” says my guide Tommy Carr. “The logic was that there was nothing to look at in a tunnel, then they realised passengers liked seeing which stations they were stopping at.” The station was initially just a shallow one, created using the old-fashioned cut-and-cover method — digging a big trench, laying down tracks, then roofing it over again — before the deep-level underground arrived in 1900.

We venture into the belly of the station, stepping into a low-lit maze of maintenance tunnels and disused lift shafts. A tiled passageway closed since 1939 still bears fragments of adverts for soap and books; further on we’re shown an old tunnelling shield — a vast, hollow, metal cylinder lying on its side — created as a kind of protective sheath for workers, who stood inside it to hand-excavate the tunnels. Stretching 16 feet across, the shield was simply left there when work was completed.

Less than 90 minutes later I’m back in the fresh air, a little dazed. Today’s Tube is many things — functional, sprawling — and the sheer breadth and history of the network means parts of it are stuck in time.

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Hidden London tours: The secrets of Down Street Tube station

Posted on Last updated: April 8, 2020

Beneath the streets of London is a hidden underground world of abandoned Tube stations and deserted tunnels, each with their own story to tell. Most of them are locked away and inaccessible, but a series of Hidden London tours run by the London Transport Museum gives you access to this secret underground world. Their mix of history, architecture and the chance to get beyond the barriers makes them one of my favourite alternative things to do in London – so I headed underground for the third time to Mayfair’s Down Street, a station whose wartime history and connection to Winston Churchill make it one of the most fascinating.

My visit was hosted by the London Transport Museum, but all views are my own.

Down Street in its Tube station days – photo credit London Transport Museum

The history of Down Street Tube station

Down Street opened in March 1907 as part of the new Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (now on the Piccadilly line). Land disputes and layout issues meant it opened late, and it never really caught up. It was too close to other stations and trains didn’t always stop. And being hidden away down a side road off Piccadilly didn’t help – surrounded by rich local residents who had their own transport and didn’t want Tube signs spoiling the neighbourhood.

With nearby Green Park and Hyde Park Corner stations being enlarged for escalators to be built and the Piccadilly line extension in 1929 putting the pressure on to close quieter stations, Down Street’s time was up. It finally closed in May 1932, destined to spend the rest of its days as a ventilation shaft for the Piccadilly Line. Well at least until the Second World War broke out, when it got a new life as the secret headquarters of the Rail Executive Committee (REC).

Inside Down Street – with the meeting room table marked out on the floor

The REC controlled Britain’s railways during the war – making sure people, weapons and supplies were where they needed to be. Made up of representatives of the four mainline railway companies plus the London’s transport board, they needed a wartime HQ that was bombproof, had a central London location and was big enough to house an underground telephone exchange. Enter Down Street, whose deep tunnels and Mayfair location made it perfect.

So in 1939 the tunnels got a makeover – converted into a network of offices and meeting rooms, with living accommodation for up to 40 staff. Bombproof, gas-proof and hidden away from prying eyes, it was seen as the safest place during the Blitz so was used by Winston Churchill as a shelter until the Cabinet War Rooms were ready (the off-ration supplies of caviar, Champagne and cigars might have helped). Once the war was over the tunnels were cleared and abandoned. So what’s left of Down Street now? I took a trip back in time to find out its secrets.

Heading underground

Hidden London’s Down Street Tube station tour

Our Down Street Tube tour started in an office building tucked down a side street in Mayfair, where we were kitted out with torches and given a safety briefing before heading to the station entrance. What was the ticket office is now the Mayfair mini-market, but if you look up it still has that distinctive Tube station look, with its arches and oxblood red tiles marking it out as one of the 50 stations designed by Leslie Green in his distinctive Arts and Crafts style.

A thick metal door takes you inside, where you can see traces of the different phases in its history all around you. There’s the original tiling from its days as a Tube station, the wartime signs and peeling yellow painted walls which were used to mark the public spaces, and the modern notices in case it’s needed as an emergency exit from the Piccadilly Line.

Working underground

The lifts built for the REC have long since been removed, so we headed down 122 spiral stairs to reach the main tunnel. Almost everything was stripped out at the end of the war, turning the tunnels back into ventilation shafts, but photos and documentary records have been used to piece together how the space was used. And as we walked through the different sections, squeezing our way through tight spaces into different rooms, there were echos of what it must have been like living and working underground while London battled the Blitz.

Ghosts of its past life still remain – snipped off wires hanging from ceilings, shadows where clocks hung on the walls, marks where gas-proof doors once stood, an old tin bath in a tiny partitioned bathroom, fat-stained kitchen walls where chefs would cook up off-ration steak, the button REC executives would press to summon more Champagne in the dining room. And the one thing still there in its entirety is the telephone exchange – clearly getting that back out was a bit too much of a challenge, so it sits in a corner, layered with 70 years of grime.

Narrow corridors and the old telephone exchange

Every tiny bit of space was made use of. When the station was converted in 1939, the tunnels were kitted out by railway carriage fitters – guided by REC secretary Gerald Cole Deacon, whose sailing experience came in handy when it came to getting the most out of the space. As well as meeting rooms, offices, a typing pool and telephone exchange, dormitories, bathroom,  kitchens and dining rooms made it into a self-contained underground settlement.

No one knew that Down Street was there, so staff would work and sleep in shifts so they didn’t draw attention to the site by coming and going. And being down there it’s amazing to think that up to 40 people lived and worked in these tunnels at a time, packed into such tiny spaces – connected by corridors just wide enough to get a tea trolley down. It was cramped, dark, stuffy and most of all noisy, with trains running day and night. And they still run right past.

Doorway to the tracks

Every time a train passed we were told to turn out our torches so we didn’t startle the drivers, and standing in the dark with trains rumbling past and dust and air swirling around gives you an insight into how disorientating it must have been to spend weeks at a time down there.

The trains pass just a few feet away, and when one slowed down we could see into the carriage at passengers who had no idea that we or any of the tunnels were down there. A section of the platform was left open so REC executives could signal to to picked up by passing trains – which made me wonder about those unexpected mid-tunnel stops on the Tube these days?

Original tiling and the old bathrooms

Although every bit of space from the two main tunnels was made use of, when Down Street was converted there were strict instructions that the emergency tunnel was to be kept clear for ventilation. But in 1941, an order from above came that ‘a certain gentleman’ had requested his own personal quarters be constructed down there, and within six weeks they were ready.

It’s thought that Churchill never actually made use of his Down Street quarters, but with the discovery of more historic records and documents, there might well still be more stories to uncover and more secrets of Down Street Tube station still hidden away underground.

Our guide lighting the way

The details

Down Street is one of the London Transport Museum’s Hidden London tours, which cover eight different underground sites across the city. The Down Street tour takes 90 minutes and costs £85 per person (£80 concessions),  including include a one-day pass to London Transport Museum. Hidden London tickets go on sale a few times a year and usually sell out fast, so it’s worth signing up to the mailing list to get notified when the next batch will be released.

Please note that visitors need to climb up and down 122 stairs on the tour – there’s no lift or toilets on the route and it can be dark and includes small spaces and uneven pathways. You can also take a special tour and cocktails package (£104 per person or £99 concessions) which includes a gin or whisky cocktail at nearby Flemings Hotel in Mayfair as well as a sharing food platter – not quite Churchill’s Champagne and caviar but a very good end to the tour!

Cocktails at Flemings

Read more London posts

Veronica Franks

Thursday 12th of May 2022

Could you tell me if I can go on a tour of Down Street station please?

Lucy Dodsworth

Friday 13th of May 2022

Hi, yes tours are available to book through Hidden London at the London Transport Museum – these are the current dates https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/hidden-london/down-street

Colin Affleck

Tuesday 11th of August 2020

Many thanks for this. I'll get right on it. Cheers! Colin

Sunday 2nd of August 2020

Hello Some time ago I finished the biography of my late mother Beryl M. Affleck (nee Dodd) 1923-2007. While not explicitly naming Down Street station in my conversations with her, I am quite certain that she was employed there during the blitz as a telephone operator or 'telop'. Do you have any idea how I might confirm that this was so? Are there any lists or government files that might be able to help? Many thanks in advance. Colin Affleck

How interesting! It must have been a fascinating place to work. The site is managed through the London Transport Museum so they should be able to put you in touch with whoever is the best person to speak to about accessing records. Best of luck with your search.

Emily-Ann Elliott

Tuesday 28th of January 2020

This sounds brilliant! It's amazing to think of how much is hidden below us when we're rushing around in London!

Yes there's a whole secret underground world we don't know about!

Monday 27th of January 2020

Sounds fascinating I might give this a go when I’m next in London

Definitely worth a trip!

Disused Tube Station Tours by Hidden London

London’s Tube system has 157 years of history and many hidden secrets in the 250 miles of tunnels under the expansive metropolitan. Stations have opened, closed and been altered many times throughout the years; and the constant state of flux has frozen many stations in set time periods.

Have you ever wondered where they filmed Tube scenes for movies? When they have a track involved it’s usually either the closed platforms for Jubilee Line at Charing Cross Station for modern movie scenes or the closed Piccadilly Line extension at Aldwych Station for vintage movie scenes.

London Transport Museum has done an incredible job in mapping out the different types of tours, ensuring that each one has a different focus and feel. I’ve been on 5 different tours with them and each one was unique and fascinating. I can highly recommend booking a tour with them when you’re in London. You will have to book it in advance but it will be worth the effort.

The tours are not always available year round, so please double check the Hidden London website for most up to date information on available dates. The more popular ones, such as Aldwych and Charing Cross, have frequently available dates. And it’s critical to book in advance as the tours with lower availability sell out very quickly.

I’ve taken 5 of the tours available over the years and here is how I would rank them, and a summary of my experiences. London Transport Museum often is updating and adding their tours to include new experiences or locations, so these are by no means a conclusive offering from Hidden London.

I’ve ranked them in order of my appreciation for each of the tours. All the tours hold a special place in my heart and each was thoroughly enjoyable. Since I’ve been on the tours they’ve also issued other variants, such as the Film Tour, for example, so this list is by no means conclusive.

1. Aldwych Station

Aldwych Station was active until the late 1990s as a single stop on a Piccadilly Line extension from Holborn. After the lift in the station broke TFL determined that it would cost more to repair it than it was worth as an operating station.

Since it’s closure it has been used as a film set for several TV shows and films, mostly period pieces that require a more vintage looking Tube station. The design is one of the traditional Leslie Green stations, with it’s gorgeous tiling and beautiful vintage motif. The history however goes back much further than it’s closure. The station was used to store and house many of the treasures from the British Museum during the Blitz.

The tour involves climbing up and down the nearly 300 stairs at the station, since the lifts are out of commission, but provides a great view into a disused tube station. It was the first station that London Transport Museum chose to open for visitors and is the longest running of their available tours.

It’s also an unusual station since it has been used to test new initiatives for the Underground – from glow tape meant to show the way out in a power cut to new insulation techniques for the tunnels.

2. Down Street Station

Down Street Station was originally a stop along the Piccadilly Line in Mayfair – situated between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. Located in Mayfair it was eventually closed in 1932 due to it’s proximity to the other two stations and it’s unique location in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

During the Second World War the station was converted to be the headquarters of British Rail; a secure and underground location from which they could organize and control the flow of goods throughout the country during war time. It was also believed to be a shelter for Winston Churchill during the war as well.

The tour involves a tour of a closed station, including the rush of Piccadilly trains moving down the blocked off tunnels. The wonderful part of this tour is being able to visualize the underground headquarters of the rail and network, with views of their housing situation, and where they would have setup during the war. Though all of that has been taken down over the years, and the walls painted a lifeless gray, it’s a unique experience to get to walk these halls.

3. Charing Cross Platforms

The closed platforms at Charing Cross were once the terminus point of the Jubilee Line, before the extension expanded it all the way through to Stratford. When the Jubilee Line was expanded across the River Thames the platforms for Jubilee Line were closed.

The platforms have been used for modern based TV and films – including scenes from Skyfall, Thor 2, and Killing Eve. It provides a modern juxtaposition compared to the more vintage looking Aldwych Station.

The interesting element of this tour is not just viewing the more modern platforms and disused portion of the station, including not working escalator. But the real point of interest is the part of the tour that enters the ventilation shafts, which gave an incredible view of the behind the scenes elements of the London Underground.

4. Clapham Deep Level Shelter

The deep-level shelters at Clapham are not quite disused tube stations, but fits in with the theme and nature of the tours that Hidden London have organized.

During the Second World War many Londoners used the Tube Stations in the evenings of shelter during the Blitz. They were built in response to the demand for shelter space in London, and also after one of the south London tube stations was flooded after a water main burst following a bombing. The deep level shelters provided more security from such incidents.

Though no one ended up staying in the shelter during the Second World War, shortly after the war it was used to house the first immigrants who came over via Windrush to help rebuild the country. And later was used as a hotel for Festival of Britain.

The tour is not for the faint of heart as the shelter is 11 stories underground and there is no lift. The tour is really well thought out and tells the different history of the shelter over the years. It also gives a really strong feeling for just how large the shelter is.

5. Euston Tunnels

The tour of the Euston Tunnels involves visiting the disused passage ways that existed between the Tube lines at Euston Station and it features a hallway of vintage advertising and movie posters from the time when the tunnels were closed. The hallways were also done in the beautiful vintage Leslie Green design of tube stations, with the gorgeous and unmistakable green tiles.

The “lost” tunnels provide a different experience to some of the other stations which focus more on the disused station or closed platforms.

The tour visits several different areas within Euston, starting with the old entrance to the Tube Station, and snaking its way through the lost tunnels to view a variety of different elements within the station.

I did enjoy the tour but I would recommend either not partaking in this one or making it one of your first. By the time I reached Euston I had seen all of the various components that it had to offer elsewhere, and in better condition.

More Disused Tube Station Tours

The 5 disused tube stations that I’ve reviewed are the most popular and longest standing of the offerings from Hidden London. But there are a handful more locations that they offer tours to:

• Baker Street : This tour is unique as it allows access to the city’s first underground station when steam trains connected Paddington Station in the west of London and Farringdon Station in the east of London.
• Kingsway Tram Tunnel : This tour features a glimpse into London’s tram which has been closed for over 50 years, and much of the original tunnel remains intact.
• Moorgate : This tour features access to a station tha was built upon over and over again, creating a maze of tunnels closed to the public, but open for Hidden London.
• Piccadilly Circus : This tour features one of the most iconic of the London Underground stations and highlights the history of wartime London.
• Shepherd’s Bush : This tour highlights the importance of one of the first suburban connections for the Underground in western London.

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Comments (40).

I’ve done a couple of these tours and I really enjoyed them!

Love hearing that! Any particular that you would recommend?

This is seriously awesome! I’ve been to London loads of times (I’m from Canada but have family living south of London!) but I had NO idea you could so this! Every time we come and visit I am so surprised at how much there is to do – but I really want to do this tour, especially the Clapham Deep Level Shelter (I love all this WW2 history). Thank you for sharing!

The Clapham Deep Level Shelter one is great – they’ve put a lot of effort into surfacing the history and bringing it to life. Be prepared for stairs!

Wow this is really cool! I’ve visited London a few times but didn’t know about these tours. I’ll definitely be checking them out when I visit again.

They’re really unusual and fun! You’ll want to book in advance because there are limited slots, but I’ve never had any issues getting the dates I wanted (weekends fill up fast though).

Wow, this is amazing. I live in London and didn’t even know these tours existed! Must be so cool to see the behind the scenes of how the tube works. Definitely going to keep this in mind as something to do in the future! Thanks so much for sharing this! 🙂

The Charing Cross tour was really eye opening for the “behind the scenes” element. Actually got to see down to the platform from the air vent shafts. I appreciate all the nuances of tube engineering better now!

This is SUCH a cool post, I didn’t even know that you could do something like this in London! I will absolutely need to do this when I eventually go back!

It’s been a well kept secret for several years now, but I try and book in tours for friends and family when they travel here. I think because there’s no physical location to book at, and requires pre-booking, sometimes tourists don’t naturally find it.

I LOVE things like this!! I think there’s a Royal Mail railway (Mail Rail) that you can visit too. I’ll have to check one out next time I’m in London!

There is! It’s been on my wishlist but haven’t had a chance to sort out a visit. I have heard fantastic things about it though!

This is such a cool idea. I love the London Underground and would love to take a tour like this

Thanks Emma, I can definitely recommend it. The history that they highlight is pretty incredible as well.

Wow this is so cool, i have never done this, but definitely on my list now – might have to do one per visit ! Thanks for the information

I love that plan! There’s still 1 or 2 I’ve not done so will have to make it a priority 🙂

I’ve been to London twice but never heard about these kind of tours. Absolutely love the idea! I will try them next time I go to London! Thanks for the recommendation.

The tours are definitely great; not sure if you’ve visited the London Transport Museum during your visits but it also has great displays on the history of the Tube and they’re partners in providing these tours.

This looks like a really cool tour to make. I didn’t know that these are available in London, and definitely want to take one when I visit London again. it’s mysterious, scary, and interesting!

The mystery was fantastic, and the guides really played well to his factor.

I love this post. Those are totally different attractions and I would love to see some of those. A few years ago I visited a defunct airport in Berlin and that was real interesting too.

These types of defunct tours really tell a story of history, and I appreciate that. I visited the old air field in Berlin, but not the airport, something to keep in mind for future trips!

it’s so eerie seeing the tube stations so empty, especially as they are typically rammed! It’s so interesting to learn the history of them, particularly as they play such an important role in the day to day life of London. It’s so cool that down street station was once the headquarters!

The eerie-ness was particularly strong at Charing Cross, because it was a modern looking station and very familiar feeling.

Well, this is something else! My city doesn’t have underground connections, so I would never even think of such tour! Thank you so much for sharing this unique experience!

The tours of the disused tube stations sound really fascinating. Such a vast area lying down below which was once the hub of activity must make for an intriguing experience. Aldwych and Charing Cross had my attention riveted.

It was a very unique and intriguing experience. Both of those tours were fantastic, really appreciated the perspectives presented in each one since they were so different from each other.

This is so cool! If we had known about it two years ago, we would have visited a few of these disused tube stations in London! But we’ll keep it in mind for our next trip to London then!

Definitely give it a go for the next trip – but you’ll want to book in advance!

This is a different tour I must say. Visiting disused tube stations underneath the city of London with an interesting history associated with each of them must be fascinating. Will include this in my list when I will visit London. Thanks for sharing.

My pleasure, hope you enjoy visiting! Given the lengthy history for London this is an incredible opportunity to visit these spaces.

I’ve always been fascinated by the London tube, having seen it so much across popular media! These tours sound fantastic – what a great way to get to know these stations. Especially love the Clapham Deep Level Shelter for all its history.

As your appreciation is founded in media – you might want to consider the Charing Cross or Aldwych Tours for sure, since they have featured in films and TV shows.. But Clapham Deep Level was one of the more unusual ones in the group.

I’ve been on the tube many times over the year and had no idea about these stations and tours. What an interesting idea.

I love the behind the scenes ones – as a regular tube rider I never noticed those spaces but you could see right to the platform from them, was really fascinating.

These look soooo fun! I already love London (I lived there for yeeears) but I had no idea you could go on tours to these old stations! It would be great for rainy days!!

p.s. I have a feeling you might also like the tours into the tunnels from the Brunel Museum.

I’m going to have to give those a tour, Josy, thanks for the shout out. I’m also keen to get to the Underground Passages in Exeter as well. I’ve seen St Mary’s Close in Edinburgh too! Love all these hidden spaces in the cities.

This is SUCH a unique and awesome thing to do in London! I suppose I never really thought about what happens to tube stations once they’re closed, or how they can be used for so many things including a hiding place for Winston Churchill! I love that you not only get to see a cool part of history, but sometimes it doubles as a movie scene too. Thanks for sharing!

I love Rail history and WW11 history. I had heard of these Tours but didn’t know where to get information or book. Next time I visit London I will contact London Transport Museum and enquire. I live in Australia.

I appreciate the way you’ve uncovered the rich history and secrets of these underground treasures. Thanks for sharing this unique and fascinating adventure with your readers!

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Hainault latest: New pictures show police confronting sword-wielding stabbing suspect

A boy, 14, has died after a man with a sword went on a rampage near Hainault Tube station in northeast London. Two police officers also suffered significant injuries, with two other people taken to hospital. A 36-year-old has been arrested - he too is in hospital.

Tuesday 30 April 2024 17:36, UK

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• Man with sword attacks public and police near Hainault Tube station in northeast London
• Boy, 14, dies from injuries | Four others in hospital, including two officers with 'significant injuries'
• New pictures show police confronting sword-wielding stabbing suspect - 36-year-old was arrested and is in hospital
• Watch : Suspected attacker wielding a sword
• Witnesses :  'I can't stop picturing the boy's face' | There was a stand-off down alley - then woman was stabbed | Police 'tasered suspect'
• Watch special edition of UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee for latest on this story from 8pm
• Live reporting by Emily Mee and, earlier,  Niamh Lynch and  Narbeh Minassian

We've just been hearing from our correspondent Matthew Thompson on the ground, who has seen footage of the moment the attacker was arrested. 

The suspect is seen being tasered "no fewer than two times", Thompson says.

"A brave female officer brandishing second taser moves towards him and administers the definitive blow," he describes.

"Police then swarm him and get him down on the ground and arrest him."

An armed unit arrives slightly later, meaning there are about half a dozen or more officers on the scene. 

This was all captured on camera as the arrest happened in a doorway.

A local reverend has said today's events have been a "real shock" to the community as Hainault has been "a fairly peaceful and quiet place".

"The hearts of the whole communities go out to those affected by these events, and especially of course to the family of the young lad who has died," Reverend Keith John told Sky News. 

"It's something that most of us in the community can barely understand - the horror and the sadness and the shock that his family must be feeling today."

We brought you updates earlier on a news conference this afternoon about the attack in Hainault. 

You can watch back the full police statement here. 

It's just gone 5pm, so here is a reminder of the key developments today:

• A 14-year-old boy was killed in a sword attack in Hainault, northeast London, at around 7am;
• A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder;
• The suspect is in hospital, having suffered injuries when his van was driven into a building, police say;
• The Met Police was initially called to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house;
• The suspect was carrying a sword and officers tasered and arrested him, 22 minutes after the first call;
• Two officers suffered wounds requiring surgery, while two members of the public were injured;
• Police don't believe the attack was targeted or terror-related;
• A witness who says he saw the attack says he can't stop envisioning the boy's face.

Speaking from the police cordon in Hainault, local MP Wes Streeting says he "can't imagine" what that "poor boy's family is going through" and shared "deepest heartfelt condolences".

"My prayers are also with the other victims of this horrific attack and their loved ones," he adds.

"And I know the injuries sustained by the police officers involved will have really affected our whole Metropolitan Police force.

"So I want to thank all of those who are very visible in our community today."

Reiterating his remarks from earlier today (see our 2.05pm post), he said the community "deserves answers" - but police need space to investigate.

The four people left injured in this morning's attack are all still in hospital, the local council leader says. 

Jas Athwal, leader of Redbridge Council, says the community's "thoughts, prayers, hearts go out to those affected". 

He also pays tribute to the 14-year-old boy who was killed. 

Mr Athwal thanks the emergency services who attended the scene, saying they "put themselves in harm's way to stop further tragedy from occurring". 

The council will continue to support the community, which he describes as "close knit", in the coming weeks. 

These images released by the PA news agency show the 36-year-old suspect being confronted by police during the attack.

They illustrate how he was grounded with a Taser before being handcuffed.

Officers have this afternoon confirmed the man is in hospital.

His injuries mean they've been unable to question him so far.

We're hearing now from Darren Farmer, director of ambulance operations at London Ambulance Service. 

He says his "thoughts are with all those impacted" and pays tribute to the ambulance workers who attended the scene "at risk to themselves".

Teams began to receive 999 calls this morning "suggesting there had been a stabbing near Hainault underground station", Mr Farmer says. 

Multiple resources were dispatched, including the air ambulance, and a "significant incident" was declared. 

A dedicated operations centre was also set up. 

Mr Farmer says emergency workers "worked hard to ensure patients involved got treatment as quickly as possible". 

Five people were treated at the scene and taken to hospital. 

As we know already, sadly a 14-year-old boy died of his injuries.

A spokesperson from London Fire Brigade says firefighters were also mobilised this morning to assist with the incident. 

The 36-year-old man arrested in Hainault this morning is currently in hospital, having suffered "injuries" when his van collided with a building, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe says.

"He has been arrested on suspicion of murder at this time," she adds. "Given his injuries, we have been unable to interview him."

Addressing speculation on the suspect's history with police, Ms Rolfe says officers have carried out "extensive checks". 

"We have found no trace of a prior incident involving him so far," she adds.

She says there will be a "significant police presence" in the area in Hainault, with the force increasing patrols and "ensuring the community is safe". 

"We are really keen to speak to anyone who witnessed this incident or has relevant information and would ask that they come forward as soon as possible," she says. 

"We are turning focus to the wider community and in particular how the incident has impacted young people. 

"We've set up a team of local officers specifically to respond to local community concerns." 

She concludes by asking the public to "think very carefully" about what they post on social media. 

"There are some images circulating online and people should consider the impact of those on the families and those most closely affected by this incident," she adds.

We're now hearing from Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, who is reading a statement at the scene alongside Jas Athwal, the leader of Redbridge Council, and Darren Farmer, director of ambulance operations at London Ambulance Service. 

We'll bring you the latest here.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Sword Attack In London Suburb Leaves 13-Year-Old Boy Dead, 4 Others Injured

LONDON (AP) — A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a east London suburb early Tuesday, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring four others, authorities said.

A 36-year-old man was arrested in a residential area near Hainault underground station, police said. The incident is not being treated as terror-related or a “targeted attack.”

Two police officers were in hospital being treated for stab wounds. Two other people were also injured.

Chief Supt. Stuart Bell described the incident as “truly horrific.”

“I cannot even begin to imagine how those affected must be feeling,” he said outside the homes in east London where the crime happened.

The Metropolitan Police said they were called early Tuesday to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in a residential street and people being stabbed close to the Hainault underground station.

No other details were immediately available.

Video on British media showed a man in a yellow hoodie holding a long sword or knife walking near houses in the area.

Witnesses say they heard police shouting to the suspect urging him to put down the weapon as they chased after him.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the incident was “shocking,” adding: “Such violence has no place on our streets.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said police do not believe there is a threat to the wider community.

“We are not looking for more suspects,″ he said. ”This incident does not appear to be terror-related.”

Transport for London said Hainault underground station was closed due to a police investigation in the area.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Boy, 14, dead after man goes on sword rampage against random people

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A 14-year-old has died after a sword-wielding man stabbed five people near Hainault Tube station in what is believed not to be a targeted attack.

Four other victims, including two police officers, remain in hospital but it is not believed their conditions are life-threatening.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a 36-year-old man remains in hospital after he was arrested 22 minutes following the first 999 call.

He suffered injuries when his van collided with a building, meaning police have been unable to interview him so far, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said.

King Charles has asked to be ‘kept fully informed’ about the incident.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: ‘Following the horrific scenes in Hainault this morning, The King has asked to be kept fully informed as details of the incident become clearer.’

Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell added: ‘It is with great sadness that I confirm one of those injured in the incident, a 14-year-old boy, has died from their injuries.

‘He was taken to hospital after being stabbed and sadly died a short while after. The child’s family are being supported firstly by my local officers and now with some specialist officers.’

Witnesses have described the moment they saw a man armed with a huge sword walking from house to house after crashing his van into a building.

Latest London news

• Sword-wielding man attacks four people including police near London tube station
• Army gives update on Household Cavalry horses injured bolting through London
• The Gherkin set for a huge 'facelift' for the first time in 20 years
• Who are the London mayoral candidates?

To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk's London news hub .

Footage shows police approaching him as he brandishes his weapon.

Mr Bell said the suspect had been Tasered at the scene and arrested 22 minutes after the first call to police was made.

Were you at the scene?

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He said: ‘A 36-year-old is currently in custody. He was Tasered here at the scene and arrested 22 minutes after the first call was made to police shortly before 7am this morning.’

The officer said he did not believe it was a targeted attack, and it is not believed to be terror-related.

Manpreet Singh, manager of Redbridge Radio Cars, was at work in the taxi firm’s office at Hainault Tube station when the attack began.

Mr Singh told Metro: ‘I saw about six or seven people going in and out of Franklyn Gardens and people coming up to the train station saying there was a guy with a machete.

Timeline of the Hainault stabbing

• 6.54am: The first emergency calls are made regarding a man with a large sword in the area of Thurlow Gardens. Police rush to the scene.
• Reports of multiple people stabbed are made, and video emerges of the man in a yellow hoodie, brandishing the large weapon.
• 7.20am: A 36-year-old suspect is tasered at the scene and taken into custody.
• 7.30am: Hainault station is shut as police arrive in the area, videos begin circulating on social media of police helicopters
• 8.54am: MP Wes Streeting shares that a critical incident has been declared in Hainault as emergency services respond to the scene.
• 9.00am: Police confirm a man has been arrested at the scene and urge locals to follow instructions from officers on the ground.
• 9.24am: London Fire Brigade says the incident is over
• 10.04am: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan shares his condolences over the incident

‘It looked like there was one man who had stabbed someone and the other people in the street were bystanders on their way to work who had tried to fight him off.

‘A guy walked up the road who had been stabbed in his neck. He was saying “I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed” and walking towards the police.’

He continued: ‘Because of the size of the weapon it looked like they tried to intervene but not been able to fight him off.

‘When we came out the police cars were there and the guy came running from Franklyn Gardens towards Thurlow Gardens. He tried to get into a house but there was a dog there.

‘He tried to get into another house but the police got him under control by tasering him.’

A witness who lives by the station also told Metro: ‘Basically, I woke up this morning to a crash and it was a van that had driven straight into the side of the house opposite me.

‘I then heard a load of screaming and it turns out a fella who had gone to see if the bloke was okay got stabbed in the neck by the driver.

‘He then walked back down the road whilst people ran and screamed as he was waving his samurai sword threatening civilians, he walked past my house up another road where it appears the police cornered him and caught him.’

Amir, 36, said the commotion outside his bedroom window woke him up.

He told Metro: ‘I saw several police cars going up and down the road, taped off the road and blocked people from going to the station.

‘I saw it from my bedroom window, several ambulances and police cars go by every couple of minutes as fast as they could.

‘I ended up going out of the building and saw that it was mayhem, really. Police cars everywhere, commuters not knowing what to do, how to get to work, not knowing where this guy had been.’

Another witness said he heard shrieking at about 7am before witnessing a man dressed in yellow jumping over some fences.

He said: ‘I heard shouting, I heard shrieking – I thought “who would be shrieking at this time in the morning?”

‘I looked out the back window because the noise was coming from back there, I saw a bloke dressed in yellow jumping over some fences…then he went down an alley like he was going back onto the street again.’

There appeared to be a stand-off between police and the suspect in an alleyway.

A witness, who asked not to be named, said: ‘He disappeared down an alley and then he was out of sight.

‘The police went into the alley and there seemed to be some sort of a stand-off there where I heard this huge commotion, then I heard a scream.

‘From that commotion, at least one person was knifed – I think it might have been a woman because I heard a woman scream and then some sort of sobbing sounds.

‘I then heard a voice say something like “she’s been stabbed in the face” or “we need assistance” – you know, calling for medical back-up.’

Daniel Garfinkle, who lives outside the station, told MailOnline : ‘I woke up at 7am to lots of shouting. There was a guy outside covered in blood, near the station and outside my home.

‘Police were trying to calm down the man who carried out the stabbing. But he went towards the station. He kept shouting.’

Another local said: ‘There was at least one man lying in a pool of blood.

‘It was horrific. There were these terrible screams I woke to. Piercing screams.

‘People said it was with a machete.’

The Metropolitan Police said: ‘Police and other emergency services are in Hainault, east London, at a serious incident in which a man with a sword has been arrested.

‘We were called shortly before 7am to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in the Thurlow Gardens area. There were reports people have been stabbed.

‘At this time we understand the suspect went on to attack other members of the public and two police officers.

‘We are awaiting an update on the condition of those injured.

‘A 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene and he is in custody.’

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 6.54am this morning (Tuesday) to reports of an incident near Hainault Underground Station.

‘We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, clinicians in response cars, advanced paramedics and London’s air ambulance.

‘At this time we understand members of the public and two police officers had been attacked.

‘Working together with our emergency services partners, we treated five people on the scene and took all five to hospital.’

The Metropolitan Police said officers are not looking for more suspects and the attack ‘does not appear to be terror-related’.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: ‘This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned.

‘I know the wider community will be feeling shock and alarm.

‘People will want to know what has happened and will we provide more information as soon as we can.’

The station can be seen surrounded by emergency services, including a police helicopter.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was ‘absolutely devastated’ by the attack in Hainault and thanked the emergency services for ‘running towards danger’.

I am being regularly updated about the incident at Hainault Station this morning My thoughts are with those who have been affected & thank you to the emergency responders I would urge people not to speculate or share footage online and provide relevant information to the police — James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) April 30, 2024

Awful news coming from Hainault. Our thoughts are with the victims. Thankful for the first responders on the scene. https://t.co/H1eCovzqJB — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 30, 2024

A critical incident has been declared in Hainault. There are station and road closures in place. The Police, Ambulance Service and Fire Brigade are responding. One male detained. I would urge people not to speculate until details are confirmed or post footage on social media. — Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) April 30, 2024

He said: ‘I remain in constant contact with the Commissioner. A man has been arrested and the area secured.

‘The police are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. There will be additional reassurance patrols in the area.

‘The police officers and emergency services showed the best of our city – running towards danger to protect others and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Hainault stabbings were ‘shocking’.

Speaking at the Society of Editors conference in central London, he said: ‘I’d like to give my thanks to the emergency teams that are responding and to pay tribute to their bravery.’

TfL said: ‘This station is closed due to a police investigation in the area.’

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: ‘Firefighters were mobilised to assist police and London Ambulance Service colleagues at an incident near Hainault Underground Station.

Police are at an incident in the Hainault area. Please follow the instructions of police officers on the ground. A man has been arrested. — Redbridge MPS (@MPSRedbridge) April 30, 2024

‘Crews supported London Ambulance Service crews in the provision of immediate emergency care.

‘The Brigade was called at 0735 and the incident was over for firefighters by 0924. Fire crews from Dagenham, Walthamstow, Ilford, Romford, Hainault, East Ham and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.’

Knife crime offences in London recorded by the Metropolitan Police rose year on year in the latest figures, but have not yet returned to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 14,577 offences were recorded in the 12 months to December 2023, Home Office data shows.

This is up 20% from 12,119 in the previous 12 months but is slightly below the 14,680 in the year to March 2020.

Of the 49,489 knife crime offences recorded in England and Wales in 2023, 29% were by the Metropolitan Police, a higher proportion than any other force.

Earlier this month,  46-year-old Okechukwu Iweha was  stabbed to death near Tottenham Hotspur Stadium  in north London.

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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Hidden London Underground Tours

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Time Out says

Spooky tours of disused Underground stations and closed-off tube tunnels

London Transport Museum has a new 2022 season of its ever-popular Hidden London tours of unseen parts of the capital’s vast transport network, including some new places they’ve never visited before.

They take place on selected dates between October 12 and December 30 . 

Highlights include tours of Charing Cross and Down Street stations. The Jubilee line platforms at Charing Cross have been inoperative since 1999, and since used for lots of film and TV productions. Down Street station, meanwhile, was shut down way back in 1932 because of low passenger numbers (locals presumably all travelled by Rolls-Royce). In WWII, it was used as an air raid shelter and, intriguingly, was used by Winston Churchill during the Blitz.

Another perennial favourite are the tours of Aldwych tube station on the Strand near Somerset House, and there are also in-person tours of Shepherd’s Bush station’s hidden nooks and crannies, and the same at Euston Square .

Virtual tours allow visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the new  Elizabeth line  stations at Tottenham Court Road and Liverpool Street , as well as a look at the closed Kingsway Tunnel areas of Holborn.

Selected dates between October 12 and December 30. 

Full details of all the tours are here .

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I toured the abandoned train stations of London's metro and was shocked at how much the city's underground transport network has grown

• Underneath London, there is a network of abandoned stations that used to be part of the metro.
• The London Transport Museum offers tours of the old stations, featuring the walkways and signs.
• I took a tour of an old station to find out what usually surrounds me when I take the metro.

The tour started at Piccadilly Circus station in central London. The station has seven street entrances, where commuters descend a small flight of stairs to reach the main ticket hall.

The underground station first opened in 1906. It used to have an entrance at surface level, but now the station is entirely underground.

Piccadilly Circus was then the largest underground station in London. It was built with 54 steel columns dotted around the ticket hall just under ground surface level ...

The pillars are still a prominent part of the ticket hall today.

The ticket hall also features a memorial to London Transport's first chief executive, Frank Pick, who was responsible for commissioning the designs of several London underground stations, including the round logo of the metro.

We descended down a former construction shaft to platform level. The original station was designed with eight lifts, four of which descend 26 meters to one of London's metro lines, the Bakerloo line.

The platforms on London's underground metro network are mostly long and dome-shaped, mimicking the shape of the trains which roll past.

Right at the end of the platform, there are some blue gates. I walk by these gates on my commute every day, but I've never taken much notice of them.

But inside, there are steps that lead down to abandoned corridors, walkways, and lift shafts, which would have been used when Piccadilly Circus station was first built.

The passageways date back to 1906 ...

... and feature the original signage and tiling. Some of the original passageways have been closed to the public since 1929, according to the transport museum.

The station was designed by the architect, Leslie Green, who designed more than 40 train stations across London. The authentic stamps from the tile manufacturers were still noticeable on the tiles.

The stations were mostly designed in the same way, but featured their own colored tiling pattern. The green tiles were symbolic of Piccadilly Circus.

Inspiration was also drawn from the colorful mosaic tiling of the New York subway.

The abandoned passageways also led to two former lift shafts.

London's metro stations see millions of commuters every year. Piccadilly Circus sees more than 40 million passengers per year, according to the London Transport Museum.

... But the station was also once a temporary shelter for Londoners. During the second world war, around 5,000-7,000 people sheltered at Piccadilly Circus every night.

In South London, you can also tour a disused deep level shelter which runs under one of London's tube lines, the Northern Line. The line runs around 58 meters below the surface, and the deep level shelter is situated between 15 and 20 meters below that.

Constructed by London Transport, the Clapham South shelter could accommodate around 8,000 people per night during the Second World War.

The tunnels are 16.6 feet wide and stretch for over a mile underground. The shelter was later sold to the body responsible for London's transport network, Transport for London, for £1 and leased to the transport museum for tours.

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Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in london, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring 4 others.

Police talking to members of the public at the scene in Hainault, north east London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024 after reports of several people being stabbed at a Tube station. Police say a man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and two police officers on Tuesday in the east London community of Hainault before being arrested. The incident is not being treated as terror-related. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a east London suburb earlier today, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring four others, authorities said.

A 36-year-old man was arrested in a residential area near Hainault underground station, police said. The incident is not being treated as terror-related or a “targeted attack.”

Two police officers were in hospital being treated for stab wounds. Two other people were also injured.

Chief Supt. Stuart Bell described the incident as “truly horrific.”

“I cannot even begin to imagine how those affected must be feeling,” he said outside the homes in east London where the crime happened.

The Metropolitan Police said they were called earlier today to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house in a residential street and people being stabbed close to the Hainault underground station.

No other details were immediately available.

Video on British media showed a man in a yellow hoodie holding a long sword or knife walking near houses in the area.

Witnesses say they heard police shouting to the suspect urging him to put down the weapon as they chased after him.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the incident was “shocking,” adding: “Such violence has no place on our streets.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said police do not believe there is a threat to the wider community.

“We are not looking for more suspects,” he said. “This incident does not appear to be terror-related.”

Transport for London said Hainault underground station was closed due to a police investigation in the area.

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