Back in July, I had the chance to explore the abandoned parts of Euston underground station in London. This was a photography tour organised by the London Transport Museum and was a great opportunity to see another “ghost station” on the underground network.
Whilst Euston is still very much an active station, there are parts that have been closed since the 1960’s and remain like a time capsule, with lots of original features and posters still in place from the day the tunnels closed.
The old station entrance can still be found on Melton Street at the side of Euston station, however this building is now used purely to house ventilation equipment.
Access to the tunnels was via the Northern line platform. At the very end of the platform is a large door which we headed through and up a flight of steps into the hidden world of passageways, ventilation tunnels and old lift shafts, all frozen in time from the day the station closed.
The area is also used by London Underground as a storage area and was full of various tools and equipment. There are also many posters plastered to the walls and peeling with the advance of time, but still give a fascinating insight into the past….
Along one of the longer passages were lots of tools and equipment, as well as lots of cables and various utilities that have been added over the years.
The old lift portals can still be seen, however they have been bricked up. There is also a cavernous ventilation shaft next to where the lifts would have been.
Down another passageway we discovered another ventilation tunnel made of cast iron rings, presumably similar to how the tube tunnels that the trains run through would have been constructed.
Walking up this tunnel leads to a gantry which runs directly above the platforms of the Northern line and looking down, you can see the trains coming and going, as well as passengers on the platforms……
Every few minutes the eerie silence of the ghost station would be broken by the rumble of an approaching train, followed by the warm air breeze blowing through the tunnels.
This was a great opportunity to see some of the history of the London Underground which is usually off limits to the public.
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