London Underground: The Haunted Tube

The London Underground is the oldest underground railway in the world, first running in 1863. Its 250 miles of track burrow through 2,000 years of London’s history—Roman cemeteries, medieval plague pits, execution grounds, and Victorian graveyards. The tunnels are crowded with the dead, and their spirits have been encountered by passengers and staff throughout the Tube’s history.

The History

Construction

Building the Underground disturbed countless burial sites:

• Roman graves
• Medieval plague pits
• Parish churchyards
• Execution grounds
• Hospital burial grounds

Deaths on the Network

The Underground has seen tragedies:

• Construction accidents
• Suicide
• Murder
• Crush disasters (Bethnal Green, King’s Cross)
• Wartime bombing

Abandoned Stations

Over 40 “ghost stations” were closed or never opened:

• British Museum (closed 1933)
• Aldwych (closed 1994)
• Down Street (closed 1932)
• Many others

The Hauntings

Aldwych Station

This closed station is particularly active:

• An actress in period dress
• Seen on the platform
• The station was near theaters
• Staff reported her regularly
• The station is now used for filming

Bank Station

Built partly through St Mary Woolnoth church:

• A black figure known as “The Black Nun”
• She searches for her murdered brother
• Staff have seen her for decades
• The atmosphere is oppressive

Covent Garden Station

Where William Terriss appears (see separate entry):

• The actor murdered at the Adelphi
• Seen on the platform
• His theatre was nearby
• One of London’s most famous ghosts

Bethnal Green Station

In 1943, 173 people died in a crush:

• The sound of children crying
• Phantom crowds on the stairs
• The tragedy replays
• Staff know the history

Becontree Station

A woman in white:

• Seen on the platform edge
• She jumped in front of a train
• Her ghost reenacts her death
• Drivers have reported her

King’s Cross/St Pancras

The 1987 fire killed 31 people:

• Strange lights and sounds
• A woman in old-fashioned dress
• The burning smell
• Tragedy imprinted on the station

Liverpool Street Station

Built over Bedlam hospital burial ground:

• Multiple apparitions
• Strange sounds
• The sense of confusion and distress
• Thousands were buried here

Staff Experiences

Underground workers report phenomena:

• Every line has stories
• Drivers see figures on tracks
• Station staff hear voices
• Night maintenance encounters ghosts
• The network is alive with the dead

Modern Activity

The Underground acknowledges its ghosts:

• Staff are trained to expect phenomena
• Reports are documented
• Some stations have reputations
• Ghost tours include stations
• The Tube’s ghosts are part of London lore

---

The London Underground burrowed through two millennia of London’s dead, disturbing Roman graves, plague pits, and execution grounds. The tunnels are crowded with spirits—suicides, murder victims, disaster casualties, and ancient dead. Every journey through the Tube is a journey through London’s haunted history.