The London Underground is a public rapid transit system in the United Kingdom that serves a large part of Greater London and adjacent parts of the home counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. It has many closed stations, while other stations were planned but never opened for public use. Some stations were closed down because a scarcity of passengers made them uneconomic; some became redundant after lines were re-routed or replacements were built; and others are no longer served by the Underground but remain open to National Rail main line services. Many stations were planned as parts of new lines or extensions to existing ones but were later abandoned.
Some closed station buildings are still standing, converted for other uses or abandoned, while others have been demolished and their sites redeveloped. A number of stations, while still open, have closed platforms or sections, such as the Jubilee line platforms at Charing Cross. The interiors and platforms of a few closed stations are among parts of the London Underground available for filming purposes, such as those at Aldwych.[1]
London Transport Museum runs guided tours of several disused stations including Aldwych and Down Street through its "Hidden London" programme. The tours look at the history of the network and feature historical details drawn from the museum's own archives and collections.[2]
The following stations were once served by a London Underground line or by one of the organisation's predecessor companies, but are no longer served. Many are permanently closed, but some continue to be served by National Rail main line train operators.
| Station | Line | Closed | Type of closure | Current condition | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldgate East | District | Station resited | Demolished | Closed when the current station was opened a short distance to the east to enable the Aldgate junction to be rebuilt | ||
| Aldwych | Piccadilly | Station and route closed | Building remains and platforms sometimes used for cinematic purposes | Terminus of Piccadilly line branch line from Holborn; closed because of low passenger numbers and cost of replacing lifts | ||
| Aylesbury | Metropolitan | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock trains. Now operated by Chiltern Railways | ||
| Blake Hall | Central | Station closed | Building remains as private residence. | Closed due to low passenger numbers Line used as heritage railway (Epping – Ongar) | ||
| Brill | Metropolitan | Station and route closed | Demolished | Closed when Brill branch was closed owing to very low passenger numbers | ||
| British Museum | Central | Station closed | Closed when Central line platforms were opened at Holborn | |||
| Brompton Road | Piccadilly | Station closed | Mostly demolished, side elevation remains | Closed due to low passenger numbers and creation of a new entrance to Knightsbridge station | ||
| Bushey | Bakerloo | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | Former peak hours only service withdrawn to save money following cancellation of Greater London Council's Fares Fair policy; both now operated by London Overground | ||
| Carpenders Park | ||||||
| Castle Hill (Ealing Dean) | District | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway owing to low passenger numbers. It is now West Ealing station. | ||||
| Charing Cross | Jubilee | Partial | Remainder of station in use | Two platforms are still functional but were removed from public use when the Jubilee line extension to Stratford was opened in 1999. | ||
| City Road | Northern | Station closed | Demolished. A modern ventilation tower and emergency escape remains. | Closed due to low passenger numbers | ||
| Down Street | Piccadilly | Station closed | Building remains | Closed due to low passenger numbers when entrances to Green Park and Hyde Park Corner were moved closer to its location | ||
| Drayton Park | Northern | Service withdrawn, transferred to National Rail | Operated by National Rail | Former Northern line Highbury Branch between Moorgate and Finsbury Park converted to main line operation | ||
| Earl's Court | District | Station resited | Demolished | Original station closed when the current station opened to the west | ||
| Essex Road | Northern | Service withdrawn, transferred to National Rail | Operated by National Rail | Former Northern line Highbury Branch between Moorgate and Finsbury Park converted to main line operation | ||
| Granborough Road | Metropolitan | Station and route closed | Demolished | Closed when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury owing to low passenger numbers | ||
| Great Missenden | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock trains. Now operated by Chiltern Railways | |||
| Hammersmith (Grove Road) | Service withdrawn due to low passenger numbers; station was closed in 1916 by London and South Western Railway[3] | |||||
| Hanwell | District | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway because of poor passenger numbers. Now an Elizabeth line station | ||
| Hatch End | Bakerloo | Former peak hours only service withdrawn to save money following cancellation of Greater London Council's Fares Fair policy; now operated by London Overground | ||||
| Hayes | District | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway owing to low passenger numbers. It is now Hayes & Harlington station (an Elizabeth line station). | ||||
| Headstone Lane | Bakerloo | Former peak hours only service withdrawn to save money following cancellation of Greater London Council's Fares Fair policy; now operated by London Overground | ||||
| Hillingdon | Metropolitan, Piccadilly | Station resited | Demolished | The original station was to the east of the current station and was closed to allow widening of the A40 road. | ||
| Hounslow Town | District | Station and route closed, station resited | Demolished | On a now-closed branch of the District Railway, from what is now the Piccadilly line near Hounslow East, it was closed when Hounslow East station was opened. | ||
| King's Cross St Pancras | Metropolitan | Station resited | Building remains | The original platforms were to the east of the current ones; the station was moved to make interchange with main line station easier. | ||
| King William Street | Northern | Station and route closed | Demolished but underground platforms remain | The original terminus of the City & South London Railway, which was closed when the line was extended on a new alignment to Bank; converted for use as an air-raid shelter during World War II | ||
| Langley | District | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway owing to low passenger numbers. Now an Elizabeth line station | ||
| Leigh-on-Sea | Limited excursion service withdrawn as a wartime measure and not restarted; now operated by c2c | |||||
| Lord's | Metropolitan | Station closed | Demolished | Closed to increase capacity on Metropolitan line, following opening of nearby St John's Wood station on the Bakerloo line (now the Jubilee line). | ||
| Mark Lane | District, Circle | Station resited | Building remains | Closed when current Tower Hill station to the east was built to provide a better interchange with main line services at Fenchurch Street | ||
| Marlborough Road | Metropolitan | Station closed | Building remains | Closed to increase capacity on Metropolitan line, following opening of nearby St John's Wood station on the Bakerloo line (now the Jubilee line) | ||
| New Cross | East London | Service withdrawn, transferred to National Rail | Operated by National Rail | Both now operated by London Overground | ||
| New Cross Gate | ||||||
| Northfields & Little Ealing | Piccadilly | Station resited | Demolished | Moved to allow access into new depot at Northfields built for Piccadilly line trains; when open, this station was served by the District line. | ||
| North Weald | Central | Stations and route closed | Buildings remain | Both closed due to low passenger numbers; reopened in 2004 as part of the Epping Ongar Railway. | ||
| Ongar | ||||||
| Osterley & Spring Grove | Piccadilly | Station resited | Building remains as retail unit; platforms partially remain | Closed when new Osterley station was opened to the south-west, to provide additional capacity | ||
| Park Royal & Twyford Abbey | Demolished | Closed when station was relocated to Park Royal to provide more convenient access from Western Avenue; when open, this station was served by the District line. | ||||
| Preston Road | Metropolitan | A small halt station was reconstructed to the west when the number of tracks through the station was increased from two to four. | ||||
| Quainton Road | Service withdrawn, transferred to LNER | Building remains | Service was cut back to Aylesbury owing to low passenger numbers; it temporarily reopened for wartime operations between 1943 and 1948. BR services withdrawn 1963, but the station is the home of the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre and is used for occasional special services from Aylesbury. | |||
| Rotherhithe | East London | Service withdrawn, transferred to National Rail | Operated by National Rail | Now operated by London Overground | ||
| St Mary's (Whitechapel Road) | District | Station closed | Closed when Aldgate East was rebuilt closer to its location; converted for use as an air-raid shelter during the war | |||
| Shadwell | East London | Service withdrawn, transferred to National Rail | Operated by National Rail | Now operated by London Overground | ||
| Shepherd's Bush | Hammersmith & City | Station resited | Demolished | Station replaced by Shepherd's Bush (now Shepherd's Bush Market) to the north and Goldhawk Road to the south | ||
| Shoeburyness | District | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | Limited excursion service withdrawn as a wartime measure and not restarted; now operated by c2c | ||
| Shoreditch | East London | Station re-sited and route re-aligned | Building remains | Closed to allow extension of East London Line on new alignment across site[4] [5] Replaced by London Overground station Shoreditch High Street. | ||
| Slough | District | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway owing to low passenger numbers. Now operated by Great Western Railway | ||
| South Acton | Station and route closed | Demolished | On a short branch of the District line from Acton Town, it was closed owing to low passenger numbers. | |||
| Southend Central | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | Limited excursion service withdrawn as a wartime measure and not restarted; now operated by c2c | |||
| Southall | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway owing to low passenger numbers. Now an Elizabeth line station | |||||
| South Harrow | Piccadilly | Station resited | Building remains | Closed when station was relocated a short distance to the north | ||
| South Kentish Town | Northern | Station closed | Closed due to a strike at the Underground's Lots Road Power Station and never reopened owing to low passenger numbers | |||
| Stoke Mandeville | Metropolitan | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock trains. Now operated by Chiltern Railways | ||
| Surrey Quays | East London | Service withdrawn, transferred to National Rail | Now operated by London Overground | |||
| Swiss Cottage | Metropolitan | Station closed | Demolished | Closed as a wartime measure and not reopened; the adjacent Bakerloo line (now Jubilee line) station briefly operated as an interchange | ||
| Tower of London | District, Circle | Station resited | A short-lived station on the site of the present Tower Hill station, which was closed when Mark Lane (also now closed) was opened | |||
| Uxbridge | Metropolitan, Piccadilly | Station resited | Closed when the current station was opened on a new alignment closer to Uxbridge town centre | |||
| Uxbridge Road | Metropolitan | Station closed | Closed after bombing of the line during World War II, due to low passenger numbers;[6] National Rail services on the line continue, and Shepherd's Bush station is a short distance to the north. | |||
| Verney Junction | Metropolitan | Station and route closed | Closed when service was cut back to Aylesbury due to low passenger numbers | |||
| Waddesdon | Closed when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury owing to low passenger numbers | |||||
| Waddesdon Road | Closed when Brill branch was closed due to very low passenger numbers | |||||
| Wapping | East London | Service withdrawn, transferred to National Rail | Operated by National Rail | Now operated by London Overground | ||
| Watford High Street | Bakerloo | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | Former peak hours only service withdrawn to save money following cancellation of Greater London Council's Fares Fair policy; now operated by London Overground | ||
| Watford Junction | Bakerloo | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | Former peak hours only service withdrawn to save money following cancellation of Greater London Council's Fares Fair policy; now operated by London Northwestern Railway | ||
| Wendover | Metropolitan | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The service was cut back to Amersham when electric locomotive-hauled trains were replaced with A60 Stock trains. Now operated by Chiltern Railways | ||
| Westbourne Park | Station resited | Demolished | Closed when current station was opened in 1871 | |||
| Westcott | Station and route closed | Building remains | Closed when Brill branch was closed due to very low passenger numbers | |||
| West Drayton | District | Service withdrawn | Operated by National Rail | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway owing to low passenger numbers. Now an Elizabeth line station | ||
| Windsor | The Windsor service was cut back to Ealing Broadway owing to low passenger numbers. The station is now Windsor & Eton Central. | |||||
| Winslow Road | Metropolitan | Station and route closed | Demolished | Closed when Verney Junction service was cut back to Aylesbury owing to low passenger numbers | ||
| White City | Hammersmith & City | Station closed | This station closed following a fire. Wood Lane station is close to its location. | |||
| Wood Lane | Central | Station resited | This awkwardly arranged station was closed when its replacement, White City, opened to the north. | |||
| Wood Siding | Metropolitan | Station and route closed | Both closed when Brill branch was closed because of very low passenger numbers | |||
| Wotton | ||||||
| York Road | Piccadilly | Station closed | Building remains and platforms visible between King's Cross and Caledonian Road | Closed owing to low passenger numbers |
The following stations were once planned by the London Underground or one of the early independent underground railway companies and were granted parliamentary approval. Subsequent changes of plans or shortages of funds led to these stations being cancelled before they opened, and, in most cases, before any construction work was carried out.
| Station | Line | Planned | Cancelled | Proposal | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldwych | Fleet | 1971 | 1989 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Part of the cancelled phase 2 of the original Fleet (now Jubilee) line plans | |
| Alexandra Palace | Northern | 1935 | 1954[7] | Transfer of mainline station and route | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. Transfer from LNER. | |
| Beckton | Jubilee | 1980 | 1989 | New station on new route | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans, revived previous mainline route closed in 1940 | |
| Brixton | City & Brixton Railway | 1898 | 1902 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | ||
| Brockley Hill | Northern | 1936 | 1953 | Partly built; an abandoned part of Northern Heights Project | ||
| Brondesbury | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | ||
| Bushey Heath | Northern | 1936 | 1949 | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. | ||
| Camberwell | Bakerloo | 1931 | 1950 | Part of abandoned extension to Camberwell | ||
| Cannon Hill | District | 1910 | 1923 | Unbuilt station on the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway replaced by Wimbledon Chase when the line was built | ||
| Cannon Street | Fleet | 1971 | 1989 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Part of the cancelled phase 2 of the original Fleet (now Jubilee) line plans | |
| Charing Cross | London Central Railway | 1871 | 1874 | New station on new route | Station would have been on the north side of Strand opposite the main line station | |
| Charing Cross | District | 1897 | 1908 | The only intermediate station on a cancelled deep-level express route running under the south side of the Circle line from Gloucester Road to Mansion House, it would have had an interchange with the MDR's sub-surface station (now Embankment). | ||
| Cheam | 1910 | 1923 | Unbuilt station on the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway | |||
| Clerkenwell | Metropolitan Railway | 1911 | 1932 | New station on existing route | Unbuilt station on the Metropolitan Railway | |
| Collingwood Road | District | 1910 | 1922 | New station on new route | Unbuilt station on the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway | |
| Cranley Gardens | Northern | 1935 | 1954 | Transfer of mainline station and route | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. Transfer from LNER. | |
| Cricklewood | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | New station on new route | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | |
| Crouch End | Northern | 1935 | 1954 | Transfer of mainline station and route | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. Transfer from LNER. | |
| Custom House | Jubilee | 1980 | 1989 | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans | ||
| Denham | Central | 1937 | 1948 | New service to existing station | Cancelled part of Central line extension beyond West Ruislip, due to the introduction of Metropolitan Green Belt; National Rail services continue | |
| Elm Farm | District | 1910 | 1922 | New station on new route | Unbuilt station on the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway | |
| Elm Grove | ||||||
| Elstree South | Northern | 1936 | 1949 | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. | ||
| Emlyn Road | Central | 1913 | 1919 | Abandoned proposal for an extension to Richmond | ||
| Fenchurch Street | Fleet | 1971 | 1989 | Part of the cancelled phase 2 of the original Fleet (now Jubilee) line plans | ||
| Finchley Road | Metropolitan & St John's Wood Railway | 1864 | 1870 | A continuation of the line from Swiss Cottage | ||
| Goodge Street | London Central Railway | 1871 | 1874 | Station would have been further west on Goodge Street to the west of the Northern line's station of the same name opened later | ||
| Gower Street | Interchange station that would have connected to the Metropolitan Railway's station of the same name (now Euston Square) | |||||
| Hammersmith | Central | 1919 | 1920s | Abandoned proposal for an extension to Richmond, on an alternative route from the 1913 plan | ||
| Hampstead | Metropolitan & St John's Wood Railway | 1865 | 1870 | An extension from Finchely Road to Hampstead | ||
| Harefield Road | Central | 1937 | 1948 | New station on existing route | Cancelled part of Central line extension beyond West Ruislip, due to introduction of Metropolitan Green Belt | |
| Harringay | Great Northern & Strand Railway | 1898 | 1902 | New station on new route | Part of a section of the Great Northern & Strand Railway running beneath the Great Northern Railway north of Finsbury Park, which was cancelled when the line was merged with the Brompton & Piccadilly Circus Railway (now the Piccadilly line); it would have had an interchange with the GNR's Harringay station. | |
| Harrow Road | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | ||
| Heathfield Terrace | Central | 1913 | 1919 | Abandoned proposal for an extension to Richmond | ||
| Highgate (High-level) | Northern | 1935 | 1954 | Transfer of mainline station and route | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. Transfer from LNER. LNER station rebuilt but transfer cancelled; the deep-level station built to interchange with the original high-level station remains in use. | |
| Hornsey | Great Northern & Strand Railway | 1898 | 1902 | New station on new route | Part of a section of the Great Northern & Strand Railway running beneath the Great Northern Railway north of Finsbury Park; cancelled when the line was merged with the Brompton & Piccadilly Circus Railway (now the Piccadilly line); it would have had an interchange with the GNR's Hornsey station. | |
| Hyde Park Corner | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | A connection was planned to Piccadilly line station. | ||
| Kennington Cross | City & Brixton Railway | 1898 | 1902 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | ||
| Kilburn | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired; a separate station to the Jubilee line station of the same name | ||
| Lambeth Road | City & Brixton Railway | 1898 | 1902 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | ||
| Leicester Square | London Central Railway | 1871 | 1874 | Station would have been on the north side of Leicester Square west of the Northern line's and Piccadilly line's station of the same name opened later | ||
| Lewisham | Fleet | 1972 | 1989 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Part of the cancelled phase 3 of the original Fleet (now Jubilee) line plans | |
| London Bridge | City & Brixton Railway | 1898 | 1902 | New station on new route | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired; a separate station to the Northern line station of the same name | |
| Lorn Road | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | |||||
| Lothbury | Great Northern & City Railway | 1902 | 1914 | Superseded by an alternative plan that did not need the station, but which was also cancelled | ||
| Ludgate Circus | Fleet | 1971 | 1989 | Part of the cancelled phase 2 of the original Fleet (now Jubilee) line plans | ||
| Maida Vale | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired; a separate station to the Bakerloo line station of the same name, which was planned later. | ||
| Mansion House | District | 1897 | The terminus of a cancelled deep-level express route running under the south side of the Circle line from Gloucester Road, it would have had an interchange with the MDR's sub-surface station. | |||
| Marble Arch | North West London Railway | 1899 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired; a connection was planned to the Central line station. | |||
| Merton Park | District | 1910 | 1923 | Station on the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway, later opened by the Southern Railway as South Merton | ||
| Mill Hill (The Hale) | Northern | 1935 | 1954 | Transfer of mainline station and route | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. Transfer from LNER. | |
| Millwall | Jubilee | 1980 | 1989 | New station on new route | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans | |
| Muswell Hill | Northern | 1935 | 1954 | Transfer of mainline station and route | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. Transfer from LNER. | |
| New Cross | Fleet | 1971 | 1989 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Part of the cancelled phase 3 of the original Fleet (now Jubilee) line plans | |
| New Cross Gate | ||||||
| North End | Northern | 1903 | 1906 | New station on new route | Planned by the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway, but abandoned, partly built at platform level, because of anticipated low passenger numbers; the line opened through the station as planned in 1907. | |
| North Greenwich | Jubilee | 1980 | 1989 | New station on new route | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans | |
| Oxford Street | London Central Railway | 1871 | 1874 | Station would have been on Oxford Street west of the junction with Tottenham Court Road | ||
| Paddenswick Road | Central | 1913 | 1919 | Abandoned proposal for an extension to Richmond | ||
| Rylett Road | ||||||
| St George's Circus | City & Brixton Railway | 1898 | 1902 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | ||
| St Katharine Docks | Jubilee | 1980 | 1989 | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans | ||
| Silvertown | Jubilee | Transfer of mainline station and route | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans | |||
| South Morden | District | 1910 | 1923 | New station on new route | Unbuilt station on the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway replaced by Morden South and St Helier when the line was built | |
| Stroud Green | Northern | 1935 | 1954 | Transfer of mainline station and route | Abandoned part of Northern Heights Project. Transfer from LNER. | |
| Surrey Docks | Fleet | 1971 | 1989 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Part of the cancelled phase 3 of the original Fleet (now Jubilee) line plans | |
| Surrey Docks North | Jubilee | 1980 | New station on new route | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans | ||
| Sutton | District | 1910 | 1923 | New service to existing station | London, Brighton & South Coast Railway station to which the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway planned to extend | |
| Sutton Common | New station on new route | Station on the Wimbledon & Sutton Railway, later opened by the Southern Railway | ||||
| The Grove | Central | 1913 | 1919 | Abandoned proposal for an extension to Richmond | ||
| Trafalgar Square | Charing Cross and Waterloo Electric Railway | 1882 | 1885 | Abandoned proposal for line from Charing Cross to Waterloo, the first proposed to use electric traction | ||
| Turnham Green | Central | 1913 | 1919 | Abandoned proposal for an extension to Richmond | ||
| Victoria | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired; a connection was planned to the District line station. | ||
| Walthamstow Wood Street | Victoria | 1955 | 1961 | Original planned terminus of line before plans were modified to omit the last station and terminate at Walthamstow Central | ||
| Walworth | Bakerloo | 1931 | 1950 | Part of abandoned extension to Camberwell | ||
| Wapping | Jubilee | 1980 | 1989 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans | |
| Waterloo | Charing Cross and Waterloo Electric Railway | 1882 | 1885 | New station on new route | Abandoned proposal for line from Charing Cross to Waterloo, the first proposed to use electric traction | |
| Waterloo | Piccadilly | 1965 | 1967 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Abandoned proposal for an extension of line from Aldwych | |
| Watford Central | Metropolitan | 1927 | New station on new route | Part of abandoned Metropolitan line extension to Watford town centre | ||
| - | West End | North West London Railway | 1899 | 1908 | Company failed to raise funds and permissions expired | |
| Wood Green | Great Northern & Strand Railway | 1898 | 1902 | Part of a section of the Great Northern & Strand Railway running beneath the Great Northern Railway north of Finsbury Park; cancelled when line was merged with the Brompton & Piccadilly Circus Railway (now the Piccadilly line); would have had an interchange with the GNR's Wood Green station (now Alexandra Palace) | ||
| Woolwich Arsenal | Jubilee | 1980 | 1989 | Expansion of existing station on new route | Part of the cancelled revised phase 3 of the Jubilee line plans |