Euston Lost Tunnels

Hidden London

Useful Information

Location:	Meeting point: Euston Square tube station, Kings Cross, Euston, London. (51.525335, -0.135580)
Open:	see online booking system. [2020]
Fee:	Adults GBP 45, Reduced GBP 42. photography tour: Adults GBP 100. [2024]
Classification:	Underground Railway
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=75 min. photography tour: D=2.5 h.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	London Transport Museum, 39 Wellington Street, London WC2E 7BB, Tel: +44-343-222-5000.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1837	Euston station opened as the terminus of the new London & Birmingham Railway.
1903	two rival companies given permission to build underground railway stations at Euston.
1907	two subway stations opened in Euston.
1914	both companies merge with Underground Electric Railways of London.
30-SEP-1914	both stations closed.
29-APR-1962	old station abandoned and closed off.

Description

The history of the London Underground, the first public underground transport system of the world, is quite long. And there are numerous sections which were abandoned for some reason. The tube was originally built and owned by different companies, and when the tube finally came to Euston in 1907, it came twice. The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway (Hampstead Tube) served from Charing Cross to the north of London (Golders Green and Highgate) through Euston Station. The City and South London Railway ran from the City through to Stockwell in south London and extended from the City to Euston. The two lines were separate and had stations on either side of Euston mainline station. To allow passengers to walk from one station to the other and up to the Euston main line station on the surface a tunnel and lifts were constructed.

In 1914, when both companies became part of the Underground Electric Railways of London the lines were merged to become the Northern Line. The main line station provided sufficient access to the platforms for both routes. The two original stations were closed down, one was demolished, the other became an electrical substation.

But in 1962 the construction of the Victoria Line resulted in the construction of new tunnels and a bigger ticket hall. The old station was abandoned and closed off, but not demolished. It is the place of the tour. While some tunnels are stripped of their panelling, some remain completely untouched. They still show the commercials from 1962, for example, for the movies Psycho and West Side Story.

The London Transport Museum started the underground tours with the Euston station, but over the years they added several tours to other lost spaces. Those abandoned underground spaces are mostly subway stations, but there is also a tour to the Railway Executive Committee’s bomb-proof headquarters and the Clapham South deep-level shelter. Currently, the available tours are Clapham South, Aldwych, Charing Cross, Euston, Down Street, Moorgate, Piccadilly Circus, and Highgate. The tours can be found under the section Hidden London on the website of the London Transport Museum. Most of the tours are made only on special dates, prebooking through the website is mandatory. Dates and prices vary and are complicated, so please check their online booking system for current info. The number of tours is very small, and they are quickly sold out. If you are interested, we recommend signing up to their mailing list.