Trivia for every Underground station

Acton Town

Alphabetically, Acton Town is the first tube station on the network.
The first electric train on the District Line ran eastbound starting from Acton Town on 28 March 1905,
The journey from Hammersmith to Acton Town (Piccadilly line) takes 5 minutes, 50 seconds, bypassing all of the intervening District Line stations on the tube map as well as Chiswick Park, which is not marked as such

Aldgate

Aldgate station is built directly on top of a vast plague pit, where thousands of bodies are buried.

Aldgate East

While engineers worked on lowering the track level through Aldgate East, trains were kept running as the existing line was precariously suspended on wooden trestles from the ceiling.
Aldgate East station has no surface buildings.

Aldwych

The Prodigy’s ‘Fire starter’ video was filmed in one of the lift shafts at Aldwych.
The music video by The Kings – Do it again – was filmed at Aldwych.

Alperton

Has the only remaining wooden escalators on the network, bricked up behind a wall.

Amersham

The highest station on the network, some 147m above sea level

Angel

Has the Underground’s longest escalator at 60m/197ft, with a vertical rise of 27.5m. They’re the forth longest in Western Europe
Angel only has escalators – there are no alternative steps

Archway

Hidden in the green & cream tiling pattern at Archway station, you can spot black arches

Arnos Grove

The design of the station – which is Grade II listed – was inspired by the Stockholm Public Library

Arsenal

Arsenal (originally Gillespie Road) on Piccadilly line is the only station named after a football team

Baker Street

Has the most platforms of any tube station – 10
The deep level tube sections of Baker Street only have escalators – there are no alternative steps
Tube trains and track normally ‘drive’ on the left as with roads in the UK. Baker Street (Metropolitan line) runs on the right
A music video by Paul McCartney – Press – was filmed at Baker Street and Piccadilly Circus

Balham

Balham is the only Underground station that doesn’t have any of the letters of the word ‘underground’ in it

Bank

By 2022, it had the most entrances/exits of any tube station with 13. Even so it has no surface buildings.
Tube trains and track normally ‘drive’ on the left as with roads in the UK. Bank station has sections which run on the right.

Barbican

The tube’s first rail disaster happened here – 4 people died in 1866 and the trains were running again within half an hour.

Barking

In 2020 it had a direct freight service running 7500 miles direct to & from the city of Yiwu, on China’s east coast.

Barkingside

Is the only station on the network with an ornate, medieval-style Hammerbeam Roof (usually only used in great halls or cathedrals).

Barons Court

Mahatma Gandhi lived at 20 Barons Court Road, a few yards from the station, while studying law.

Bayswater

Was originally called Queen’s Road (Bayswater), but the name was changed to avoid confusion with Queensway, which was also called Queen’s Road.

Becontree

When Becontree was first built in the interwar period, it was the largest housing estate in the world – and a railway station was built specifically for it.

Belsize Park

Belsize Park has a sign claiming that the stairs have 219 steps, but there are actually 189.

Bermondsey

Is a perfect anagram of “Snob Remedy”.

Bethnal Green

In Anglo Saxon, Bethnal Green literally means “happy corner”.

Blackfriars

In January 2014 the Blackfriars Railway Bridge became the world’s largest solar-powered bridge, having been covered with 4,400 photovoltaic panels providing up to half of the energy for the station.

Blackhorse Road

Despite the black horses depicted in station murals, it’s actually named after a nearby black house.

Bond Street

There is no street called Bond Street
Harry Selfridge drew up proposals for a direct subway connecting the station to his store, and for the station to be renamed ‘Selfridges’. The proposals were declined.

Borough

As an architectural shortcut, it was essentially a replica of Kennington station when it was first built.

Boston Manor

Thanks to its Art Deco design, the station appeared on a postage stamp in 2013.

Bounds Green

Name-dropped in the lyrics to Has it Come to This? by The Streets.

Bow Road

Has the steepest gradient on the tube network at 3.6%.

Brent Cross

Brent Cross station was named after the shopping centre when it opened nearby in 1976, not the other way around.

Brixton

There’s a mural in the station of a pyramid of bricks, which is a visual pun of a ton of bricks (or a ‘bricks ton’).

Bromley-by-Bow

In EastEnders, the fictional Walford East tube station takes the place of Bromley-by-Bow.

Buckhurst Hill

The only through station in zones 1 to 6 on the Underground to be in a zone on its own – passengers travelling from the station leaving in either direction must cross a zone boundary.

Burnt Oak

The first ever Tesco was opened just down the road from the station, in 1929. The tins had no labels to keep cost down
Burnt Oak is still signed as ‘Burnt Oak (Watling)’

Caledonian Road

Named after an asylum for Scottish children built nearby in 1828
Caledonian Road has no escalators and travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms

Camden Town
Because the station is so busy at weekends, they’re planning on rebuilding it, and demolishing Camden Market in the process (don’t panic though, that doesn’t include the Stables Market, The Lock Market, the Inverness Street market, etc.).

Canada Water

Canary Wharf
The busiest station to serve a single line, and it’s had at least one wedding celebrated in it.

Canning Town
There was another Canning Town station north of Barking road, but when the DLR came along, instead of adding a platform to the existing station, they simply demolished the whole thing and built a new one from scratch.

Cannon Street
The name first appears as ‘Candelwrichstrete Street’ in 1190. The name was shortened over 60 times, and eventually settled on Cannon Street in the 17th century. It is therefore not related to the firearms.

Cannon Street Station’s glass roof was moved to a warehouse during WWII to avoid it being destroyed in the blitz. In the end, it wasn’t bombed, but the warehouse was.

Canons Park
Named after Cannons, a vast house built on the site in 1724 at the cost of £28m (adjusted for inflation). It was demolished and sold off brick by brick 20 years later. And therefore not related to the firearms, either.

Chalfont & Latimer
The longest single journey between neighbouring stations: 9 mins on average to Chesham.

Chalk Farm

The Roundhouse next door used to be a railway turntable servicing the station.

Chancery Lane
In the ’70s, the former air raid shelter built underneath the station was turned into a telephone exchange with 200 staff, its own restaurant, bar, and games room, all 200ft below the surface.

Charing Cross
Modern day Charing Cross is an amalgamation of two old stations: Trafalgar Square and Strand.

Chesham
Furthest away from any other station, at 3.8mi to the nearest neighbour.

Chigwell
Serves the town of Chigwell, which Charles Dickens described as “the greatest place in the world”.

Chiswick Park
Once known as Acton Green – the name was changed due to there being 7 other Acton stations already.

Chorleywood
The name literally means “peasant’s wood” (and currently has one of the highest qualities of life in the country).

Clapham Common
For 2 weeks in September 2016, all of the adverts used in the station were replaced by photos of cats.

Clapham North

Was the test site for the UK’s first underground farm, housed in its deep level bomb shelter. The company now grows food under Clapham High Street.

Clapham South
The station was originally to have been called ‘Nightingale Lane’ and this name still exists hidden behind the blue bars on the platform roundels.

Cockfosters
Being the final/first station on the line, it has a tunnel designed to mirror the one at Uxbridge at the opposing end of the line.

Colindale
Was frequently used by T.E. Lawrence (AKA Lawrence of Arabia), who used the pen name ‘Colin Dale’ during his journalistic career.

Colliers Wood

The pub opposite is named after the architect who designed the station itself, Charles Holden. In fact, he designed many stations in his time.

Covent Garden
London Underground’s standard £4.80 single cash fare for the journey between here and Leicester Square equates to £29.81 a mile, making the fare for this particular journey more expensive per mile than the Orient Express.

Croxley
A story is told of how a year after the opening of the station in 1926, a group of ladies was directed to it by Croxley’s policeman P.C. Haggar. He bade them a cheery “Good-night” – to learn shortly afterwards that they were a band of suffragettes who had set fire to the new station.

Dagenham East
Was the site of a rail crash in 1958 due to fog – and the train that caused it is still active on the Severn Valley Railway.

Dagenham Heathway
Despite being smaller, and having fewer platforms, gets twice the number of passengers per year as Dagenham East.

Debden
Debden station was the setting for the Victorian ballad “The Chigwell Stationmaster’s Wife”. Not Chigwell.

Dollis Hill
Dollis Hill played a part in the Second World War, as the code-breaking computer used at Bletchley Park was built here.

Ealing Broadway

Platforms 8 & 9 still contain some of the pre-roundel logo designs.

Ealing Common
Has a heptagonal ticket hall, one of only two on the network.

Earl’s Court
The site of the last remaining blue police telephone box – radios took over in the 1970s.

East Acton
Not actually in the borough of Acton, it just took the name to be part of the trend – there are seven Acton stations on the network.

East Finchley
No trivia

East Ham
Between 1851 when the station wan built, and 1911, East Ham’s population grew by 7585%.

East Putney
On 1 April 1994, it was sold to London Underground for the princely sum of £1.

Eastcote
Was originally to be called Ascot.

Edgware

Was supposed to connect to Mill Hill East, and you can still see the disused track that leads to it…

Edgware Road
Has a “living wall” wall of plants outside the station, the only one in the underground network.

Elephant & Castle

Named after a nearby pub, which itself was name-dropped in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Elm Park
Celebrations to mark the opening of the station in 1935 included a performance by the Dagenham Girl Pipers – they performed in Nazi Germany around the same time, and Hitler is said to have remarked: “I wish I had a band like that.”

Embankment
Has a huge, empty substation attached to it, abandoned since 1957. Called ‘Pages Walk’ it’s behind a blast door in the station, and is so large it’s been proposed as a possible nightclub location.

Epping
Has the largest public London Underground station car park with 519 spaces. It’s usually still full by around 6.30am each day though.

Euston
Has a bench made from 450million year old stone outside of it.

A fragrance known as Madeleine was trialled at St. James Park, Euston, and Piccadilly Circus stations in 2001, intended to make the Tube more pleasant. It was stopped within days after complaints from people saying they felt ill.

Euston Square
Was the place that the very first piece of work on the underground – or any underground railway on earth – took place. A shaft was sunk in January 1860 there.

Fairlop
The only tube station named after a tree. (Burnt Oak isn’t)

Farringdon
Originally designed to transport livestock to Smithfield market – there are still cattle ramps onto the street West Smithfield for this purpose.

Finchley Central

Has an original copy of the Harry Beck Tube map on display; he lived nearby and used the station frequently.

Finchley Road
Analysis of earth removed when tunnelling towards the station revealed that its site was the southern limit of a glacier which covered Britain in one of the Ice Ages.

Finsbury Park
Due to confusion with popular duelling site Finsbury Field, when it opened the station was decorated with mosaics of duelling pistols. They’re still there today.

Fulham Broadway
It’s the station in 1998’s Sliding Doors where reality changes because of a missed train.

Gants Hill
The easternmost station to be entirely below ground on the London Underground network.

Gloucester Road

Has a disused platform that’s used as a permanent art exhibition.

Golders Green
Was the last station on the Northern line to retain semaphore signals, replaced in 1950.

Goldhawk Road
The line running through Goldhawk Road station was active as early as 1864, yet no station opened there until 1914.

Goodge Street
Not actually on Goodge Street – it’s closer to both Tottenham Street and Whitfield Street.

Grange Hill
Destroyed by a V1 “doodlebug” bomb during WW2.

Great Portland Street
Despite having three lines run through it, it only has one pair of tracks, making it one of the most intensely used parts of the network.

Green Park
Named after the park, which itself is said to have originally been a swampy burial ground for lepers from nearby St James’ hospital.

Greenford

Used its original, century-old wooden escalator right up until 2014.

Gunnersbury
On 8 December 1954 the station was damaged by a tornado which ripped off the roof and injured six people.

Hainault
The lifts are the shallowest on the London Underground network, having a descent of just 0.67 metres.

Hammersmith
Technically, it’s two stations – one District/Piccadilly, one Hammersmith & City/Circle. And to get from one to the other without walking would require a minimum of 10 stops and 3 changes.

Hampstead
The deepest station on the line, at 58m below ground – that’s more than Nelson’s Column.

Hanger Lane

In a reversal of most other stations, it has to be entered underground, but the station itself is entirely above ground.

Harlesden
Is almost twice as far away from Harlesden town centre as Willesden Junction is.

Harrow & Wealdstone

Technically the oldest station on the network: the mainline station was built in 1837, predating Baker Street by 24 years
It was opened for Underground trains in 1917

Harrow-on-the-Hill

It’s actually not on a Harrow hill at all – it’s on Green Hill to the north of Harrow

Hatton Cross
On its opening in 1975, Hatton Cross was one of 279 active stations on the London Underground, the highest ever total; the number of stations in the network has since decreased to 270.

Heathrow Terminal 4
It is the only station on the network to have one-way train service.

Heathrow Terminal 5
Despite being underground, the ceiling is made from laminate panels, allowing natural daylight to illuminate it.

Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3
Back when it opened in 1977, it was the first time that an airport had been directly served by an underground railway system.

Hendon Central
Hendon Central was by no means the centre of Hendon when built, being a green field site. It was built at the same time as both the North Circular Road and the A41 were built as major truck roads – an early example of joined up London transport planning.

High Barnet
Is situated on the hill that’s thought to be the inspiration for the nursery rhyme The Grand Old Duke of York.

High Street Kensington
Once had a waiting room for passengers who didn’t fancy the platform. This was changed into a break room for drivers.

Highbury & Islington
Despite being hit by a V-1 flying bomb during WW2, the original station building stayed in use until it was demolished in 1960.

Highgate
Jerry Springer was born in the station during an air raid in WW2.

Hillingdon

The name Hillingdon is Middle English, and means “Hill’s hill”.

Holborn
Was used to store British Museum treasures during WW2. A newspaper even offered a cash reward to anyone who dared spend the night there in the 60s amid rumours of a mummy ghost – nobody took them up on it.

Holland Park
Built with a flat roof in order for a retail unit to be built on top of it. 115 years later, there is still no retail unit.

Holloway Road
Used to have a spiral escalator (which is now stored in the Acton depot).

Hornchurch
In the 80 years since the station was built, Hornchurch’s population increased by x43 times.

Hounslow Central
Replaced Hounslow Town tube station, which was open for just three years.

Hounslow East
In the 1700s, the nearby heath was notorious for successful Highwaymen – which is a neat coincidence, because Hounslow East is a perfect anagram for ‘outlaws shone’.

Hounslow West
Due to the nearby military barracks, Winston Churchill used to frequent this station.

Hyde Park Corner
The station is located entirely underground, with no surface presence – though there is an old station building that has since been used as a pizza restaurant and a hotel. The lifts from that building are now ventilation shafts.

Ickenham
Said to be haunted each Christmas since the ’50s by a woman in a red scarf, who was electrocuted there. She flails her arms, apparently.

Kennington
Stay on a terminating Northern line train heading south at Kennington and you’ll go round in a loop, arriving back at Kennington and heading north. People who are drunk/asleep have been known to end up in Edgware, rather than in Morden.

Kensal Green
In December 2006, the station was hit (or at least grazed) by a tornado.

Kensington (Olympia)

The station’s old name, ‘Addison Road Station’ still appears sculpted into a wall on the eastern pedestrian exit.

Kentish Town
There used to be a South Kentish Town tube station down the road. It became disused after strike action from the power station supplying it caused it to shut down, and they simply never re-opened it, even when the power came back on.

Kenton
Both Kenton, Kennington, and Kensington are, by total coincidence, derived from the same name – Keninton.

Kew Gardens

The Tube’s track is crossed by Kew Gardens Station Footbridge, a Grade II listed feature in its own right – it was designed specifically to prevent smoke from steam trains getting into people’s clothing.

Kilburn
At the turn of the 20th Century the station was going to be replaced with “a type of subterranean monorail roller coaster”, but plans were (sadly) abandoned.

Kilburn Park
The first station to be designed around escalators, rather than lifts.

King’s Cross St. Pancras
Has the shortest lift shaft on the network, at just 2.3 metres

Kingsbury
Was originally on the Metropolitan Line, before being transferred to the Bakerloo Line, and finally landing on the Jubilee Line.

Knightsbridge
Suffered huge congestion problems, which were solved when they built an exit specifically for Harrods.

Ladbroke Grove
Was originally called Notting Hill, but the name was changed to avoid confusion with Notting Hill Gate. There’s now a movement to change the name to Portobello Road, despite the fact that it’s not on Portobello Road. It’s on Ladbroke Grove.

Lambeth North
Has been called Kennington Road, Westminster Bridge Road, and finally Lambeth North.

Lancaster Gate
Despite its name, the station is close to the Marlborough Gate entrance to Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens, about 300m to the east of the Lancaster Gate entrance.

Latimer Road
Is actually located half a kilometer away from Latimer Road.

Leicester Square

On all four platforms, film sprockets are painted down the entire length and on the top and bottom of the display area (blue on the Piccadilly line platforms, and black on the Northern line platforms), due to the four premiere cinemas in Leicester Square.

Leyton
In 2011, plans were announced to double the station’s capacity in order to cope with demand during the Olympics. It wasn’t. Which was lucky, because the station operated throughout the games without incident.

Leytonstone
Features 17 mosaics of Alfred Hitchcock films & famous moments.

Liverpool Street
Built on the original site of the Bethlehem (Bedlam) mental asylum.

London Bridge
Is the only station on the entire London Underground network with the word “London” in its name.

Loughton
The station was originally built so that City workers would have easy access to Epping Forest.

Maida Vale
When Maida Vale station opened on 6 June 1915 it was entirely staffed by women due to shortages of male staff in the war.

Manor House
Of its street-level entrances, three are in Hackney, and one is in Haringey.

Mansion House
Has all five vowels in its name.

Marble Arch
The marble arch opposite the station was originally going to be the entrance to Buckingham Palace.

Marylebone
Very nearly wasn’t built because it might have disturbed the cricket played at Lords. It took an act of parliament to finally push construction through.

Mile End
Is named so because it’s exactly one mile from the eastern boundary of The City of London.

Captain James Cook, who explored the Pacific from Australia and New Zealand to Hawaii and Vancouver Island, lived at 88 Mile End Road. A plaque marks the spot where the now-demolished house stood.

Mill Hill East

Features a viaduct in which trains travel 18m above ground – the highest point on the Underground network.

Monument
Its original name, Eastcheap, lasted precisely one month before it was changed to Monument.

Moor Park
Has a “secret” unmarked entrance adjacent to a golf course.

Moorgate
Has a virtually unknown second underground network/line which starts here – the Northern City Line runs from Moorgate to Finsbury Park, and is’t run by TFL.

Morden
Is the start of the longest tunnel on the Underground network, running 27.8 kilometres (17.3 mi) to East Finchley via the Bank branch.

Mornington Crescent
Is the subject of a deliberately incomprehensible gameshow on BBC Radio 4, in which there are no rules.

Neasden
The Tube celebrated its centenary here in 1963 with a series of events including a parade of underground trains.

Newbury Park

The bus shelter attached to it is Grade II listed. The station isn’t.

North Acton
Station staff regularly participate in Transport for London’s annual Underground in Bloom competition, and in 2010 won first prize in the Fruit and Vegetable category, for their sweetcorn and strawberries.

North Ealing
Is not actually north of Ealing, but east of it.

North Greenwich
Despite its name, it is not in the area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the River Thames; an entirely different North Greenwich station used to be there, between 1872 and 1926.

North Harrow
Has been awarded the “Best Customer Service” trophy at the London Transport Awards – no surprise, the station master is called James Bond.

North Wembley
The safest tube station on the entire network, according to the MET.

Northfields
The 5th president of the US, John Quincey Adams lived next to the site of the station for two years.

Northolt

Northala park next door features four man-made hills, constructed from the waste rubble of Wembley stadium.

Northwick Park
Is only 350m from Kenton station, making it the closest tube station pair outside zone 1.

Northwood
Is actually at a higher level than Northwood Hills.

Northwood Hills
Before it opened in 1933, there was a competition to name it. This was, apparently, the winning entry, despite the station being lower than Northwood.

Notting Hill Gate
The reason it’s called Notting Hill Gate is because it was literally a gate: it used to be a toll road.

Oakwood
The booking hall originally had a plaque claiming that the station occupied ‘the highest point in Europe in a direct line west of the Ural Mountains of Russia’, which is a very strange way of saying that it’s 300 feet above sea level.

Old Street
It’s buried in soil so acidic that the cast iron tunnel linings had to be replaced in the ’90s due to corrosion.

Osterley
This building replaced the earlier Osterley & Spring Grove station, 300 metres away, which is now Osterley Bookshop. Inside the bookshop the archway to the platforms is still visible, but blocked off, and the platforms behind are still in place.

Oval
The first railway station to employ electrified tracks in London.

Oxford Circus

To celebrate the opening of the new Victoria Line, in 1969 Queen Elizabeth II ‘took the wheel’ of a train, and drove it from Green Park to Oxford Circus

Paddington

The track running towards Bayswater passes under 23-24 Leinster Road – a facade constructed to match neighbouring terrace houses. disguising where the original house was demolished to allow a gap in the tube system for steam trains to er …let off steam.

Park Royal
The station plaforms aren’t actually level – they slope up from south to north.

Parsons Green
Is an anagram of “passenger ron”.

Perivale
Is an anagram of “rail peve”.

Piccadilly Circus
A world map in the station ticket hall, dating from the 1920s, contains a linear clock that shows the time in all parts of the world.

Pimlico
Originally named after Ben Pimlico, a Hoxton brewer famous for his nut brown ale. It was so insanely popular with the residents of Pimlico, the place became named after him.

Pinner
In 2009, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog named Rufus became a minor celebrity for his daily commute from Pinner to Baker Street due to his enormous size.

Plaistow
Prior to the station being put in, Plaistow was “a whole day’s coach ride” to Westminster. Afterwards, it took less than half an hour.

Preston Road
Was originally named “Preston Road Halt for Uxendon and Kenton”, which would have made it easily the longest name on the line, and the only one with an actual instruction.

Putney Bridge

Technically not in Putney – it’s on the Fulham side of the Thames.

Queen’s Park
The site of the only “carriage shed” on the tube line: a wooden garden shed-like tunnel that you pass through on the northward part of your journey.

Queensbury
The name Queensbury did not, when it was chosen, refer to any pre-existing area. It was coined by analogy with the adjacent Kingsbury station.

Queensway
Named Queen’s Road originally (because Queen Victoria was born nearby), but people thought that ‘lacked distinctiveness’, so was changed.

Ravenscourt Park
The least Instagrammed station in London, with zero posts for the whole of 2016.

Rayners Lane
When the station first opened, there was only one single house nearby, owned by a farmer named Daniel Rayner. The station was duly called Rayner’s Lane.

Redbridge
During WW2, the train tunnels at Redbridge were used as an aircraft parts factory.

Regent’s Park
A parliamentary law originally declared that no station could be built at the current site – it was overturned, but there’s still no surface station here.

Richmond

Built from Portland Stone – a Jurassic era limestone from Dorset used in the construction of Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathederal, and the UN Building in New York.

Rickmansworth
Is a surprising hub for film locations: scenes for both Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the Last Crusade were filmed literally two minutes north of the station, as well as Bridget Jones and the Edge of Reason, and Blackadder.

Roding Valley
The quietest tube station on the line, each year transporting the same number of passengers as Waterloo does in one day.

Royal Oak
Named after a nearby pub (still there, but now called The Porchester).

Ruislip
Due to the convoluted tracks, it’s actually possible to reverse trains here, but it takes up both platforms, so it’s not done at peak hours.

Ruislip Gardens
The station achieved poetic immortality in Poet Laureate John Betjeman’s poem Middlesex.

Ruislip Manor
Suffered heavy aerial bombardment by the Luftwaffe during WW2, due to its proximity to RAF Northholt.

Russell Square
The sign lists the number of steps as 175. There as in fact, 171.

Seven Sisters
Named after seven elm trees which have stood in the neighbourhood since the 1730s. The current trees were planted by five families of seven sisters.

Shepherd’s Bush
The station has no lifts because, due to nearby utilities, they would cost £100m to install. Adjusted for inflation, that’s about half the cost of the construction of entire Metropolitan Line.

Shepherd’s Bush Market
Until 2008, it was also called Shepherd’s Bush until it was renamed to avoid confusion.

Sloane Square

The River Westbourne literally runs through the station – it was redirected through its own little bridge suspended over the main platform.

Snaresbrook
Most of the station’s Victorian features remain today, including brick buildings, extensive cast iron, and timber canopies.

South Ealing
Has all five vowels in its name.

South Harrow
The train actually travels over a marsh north of the station. It crosses it via aquaduct.

South Kensington
Between South Kensington and Knightsbridge, the tube steers away from following the road above it in order to avoid a large plague pit.

South Kenton
Its platform was built too high for the trains, and never corrected.

South Ruislip
The concrete, glass and granite chip frieze in the booking hall is one of the earliest public works by glass artist, Henry Haig, who would go onto become one of Britain’s most revered stained glass artists.

South Wimbledon
Opening in 1926, the originally proposed name was Merton Grove, but it was renamed South Wimbledon to try and sound classier.

South Woodford
The only station in which the name on the station’s own roundels is different to the official name – they call it South Woodford (George Lane).

Southfields

The station platform undergoes a makeover each year to coincide with the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Wimbledon station doesn’t.

Southgate
When it first opened, local residents were given a free return ticket to Piccadilly Circus to encourage them to use the service.

Southwark
Southwark Station’s blue cone wall, built as part of the Jubilee line extension’s new generation of stations, was inspired by an 1816 stage set for The Magic Flute.

St. James’s Park
St James’s Park was the original headquarters for London Underground (55 Broadway) and is a Grade 1 listed building.

St. John’s Wood
Famously, the only station on the Underground network not to share any letters with the word “mackerel”.

St. Paul’s
During the Second World War, the electricity grid control room for the entire of London and Southeast England was housed here, in the lift shaft.

Stamford Brook
The first tube station to have an automatic ticket barrier installed on 5 January 1964.

Stanmore

Was a secret outstation for Bletchley Park during WW2 – in fact, the crosswords decorating the station house are a reference to the test WW2 codebreakers had to pass to qualify for consideration: completing the Times crossword in under 12minutes.

Stepney Green
A Tudor-era bowling ball was unearthed during the Crossrail excavations under the station.

Stockwell
Just below the station platforms, there is an air raid shelter comprised of two tunnels, both six times the length of the platrforms themselves. They’re currently used as a secure archive.

Stonebridge Park
The booking hall is the only original feature – the rest has been destroyed by WW2 boming, and two major fires.

Stratford
Has the shortest escalator on the network, with a vertical rise of 4.1m.

Sudbury Hill
The station is said to have one of the highest levels of ‘pigeon customers’ in the whole London Underground network. Staff often have to chase large numbers of the birds out of the ticket hall.

Sudbury Town
Has a barometer hanging above the ticket hall from the 1930s – in fact, it’s the only station with a barometer still in it.

Swiss Cottage

Named after the nearby pub.

Temple
On the columns at Temple station, there are small temple-shaped emblems at the bases.

Theydon Bois
Is the only part of Theydon Bois that has street lighting – the rest of the town has none in order to maintain ambiance.

Tooting Bec
Has a crater on Mars named after it.

Tooting Broadway
The big statue of Edward VII at the entrance was paid for entirely by the public when it was made in 1911.

Tottenham Court Road
Was originally called Oxford Street (before Oxford Circus opened).

Tottenham Hale
Has been the site of no less than five collisions & derailments.

Totteridge & Whetstone
Was originally named ‘Whetstone and Totteridge’, owing to the fact that it is in Whetstone.

Tower Hill
King Henry VIII beheaded noble traitors to the crown and two of his wives here. Not like, in the station, but next door to it.

Tufnell Park

On the service board at Tufnell Park station you’ll find ‘Poetry Corner’, the station staff’s daily selection of poetry by local residents, school children and famous poets, ‘giving passengers something to read while they’re waiting for the lifts’.

Turnham Green
Wheeler’s Florist, based directly outside the station, has provided flowers for Bond & Batman movies. Which, apparently, had flowers in them.

Turnpike Lane
The name ‘Turnpike Lane’ refers to a toll gate erected there in 1767. And of course, the tube barriers there now techincally are a toll gate, meaning the name is still accurate.

Upminster
The speed of sound was first accurately measured from the church next to the station.

Upminster Bridge

Displayed a swastika in its ticket hall when it was built in 1934.

Upney
The Gunpowder Plot was hatched in a manor house next to the station.

Upton Park
The station’s name is cockney slang for crazy (because they’re ‘two stops short of Barking’).

Uxbridge
Being the final/first station on the line, has a tunnel designed to mirror the one at Cockfosters at the opposing end of the line.

Vauxhall
Thanks to the creamery next door, it used to run daily ‘milk trains’ entirely filled with the white stuff. They would pull into the station, and pour their contents into a dischrage pipe that led directly to the creamery.

Victoria

Plays a key role in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest – the main character was discovered as a baby in a handbag in the station.
Victoria only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.

Walthamstow Central

Walthamstow Central was originally called ‘Hoe Street’.
Walthamstow Central station has no surface buildings.

Wanstead

The tunnels between Wanstead and Gants Hill to the east were turned into munitions factories during WW2.

Warren Street

Used as the location for the 1972 British horror film, Death Line, which featured a family of cannibals living on the London Underground.

Warwick Avenue

A song named after it by singer Duffy reached number 3 in the charts.

Waterloo

Has 23 escalators, the most of any station on the network

Watford

Due to not being in the centre of town, has been threatened with closure since 1927.

Wembley Central

Despite servicing Wembley Stadium, is only the 142nd busiest station on the line.

Wembley Park

Was originally constructed to serve Wembley Pleasure Grounds, which were to be centrepieced by a tower taller than the Eiffel Tower.

West Acton

Although Rodney and Del of Only Fools and Horses purportedly live in Peckham, the actual housing estate featured in the tv sitcom is in Acton, next to the tube station. Nelson Mandela House though was filmed in Bristol.

West Brompton

Despite being owned by British Rail, mainline trains did not serve the station between 1940 and 1999.

West Finchley

Made predominantly from fittings taken from other stations in the North of England. The bridge apparently came from Yorkshire.

West Ham

Has more platforms (8) than Charing Cross (6).

West Hampstead

Was originally known as “West End” until the name was changed in order to avoid confusion with the real West End.

West Harrow

Is, perhaps ironically, the station people travel to in order to get to Britain’s biggest walking festival.

West Kensington

Being next to the Queen’s Club, it’s 5x closer to a grass court tennis court than Wimbledon station.

West Ruislip

The longest journey you can take without a change on the entire Underground network is the 37 miles from West Ruislip to Epping.

Westbourne Park

Was the first station to be demolished. It was relocated in 1871.

Westminster

Excavations for creating the deep level Jubilee line platforms caused Big Ben to move 35millimeters. Any more, and the tower would have cracked and possibly collapsed.

White City

The architectural design of the station won an award at the 1951 Festival of Britain
Tube trains and track normally ‘drive’ on the left as with roads in the UK – White City runs on the right

Whitechapel

Whitechapel is the only place on the network where the Overground runs below the Underground.

Willesden Green

When he was mayor, Ken Livingstone used to get the tube to work from here every day.

Willesden Junction

In 1896 staff totalled 271, including 79 porters, 58 signalmen (in 14 signal boxes) and 58 shunters and yard foremen.

Wimbledon

Laddie the Airedale Terrier was based at the station for six years, before retiring in 1956. During his time there, he collected £5,000 pounds in the change box on his back.

Wimbledon Park

Despite being the closest station to the All England Club, is still closer to Wimbledon golf club than the tennis club.

Wood Green

Gets name-dropped in songs by Razorlight (Los Angeles Waltz), Mark Knopfler (Junkie Doll), Pablo Gad (Black Before Creation), and Sway DaSafo (Up Your Speed).

Wood Lane

Newest station on the network, opened in October 2008.

Woodford

A wooden owl was put into the station’s rafters during recent refurbishment as a reference to the owl sanctuary nearby

Woodside Park

Alphabetically is the last name on the entire Tube network.

Canary Wharf has 20 escalators.
The music video by Scissor Sisters – Mary – was filmed at Canary Wharf.

Mansion House to Cannon Street (District and Circle) takes 46 seconds

The journey from Chesham to Chalfont & Latimer (Metropolitan) takes 7 minutes, 20 seconds, the longest journey on the system.

Chalk Farm has no escalators and passengers need to use lifts to get down to the platforms.

Chancery Lane only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.
Chancery Lane station has no surface buildings.

Charing Cross also says ‘For Trafalgar Square’
The time between Charing Cross and Embankment (Northern) is 42 seconds.
Charing Cross station has no surface buildings.
The journey from Chesham to Chalfont & Latimer (Metropolitan) takes 7 minutes, 20 seconds, the longest journey on the system.

Covent Garden has no escalators and tube travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms.
Covent Garden’s stairs have 193 steps.
Leicester Square and Covent Garden are the two closest stations together underground on the network with an average journey time of just 37 seconds.

Dollis Hill station has no surface buildings.

Edgware Road (Bakerloo line) has no escalators and tube travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms

Elephant & Castle has no escalators and tube travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms

The time between Charing Cross and Embankment (Northern) is 42 seconds.

The journey from Wembley Park to Finchley Road (Metropolitan) takes 6 minutes, 50 seconds.

Gants Hill station has no surface buildings.

Goodge Street has no escalators and passengers need to use lifts to get down to the platforms.

Greenford until 2010 used to be the only tube station on the network where you can take an escalator up to platform level – Stratford now shares this distinction

The journey from Hammersmith to Acton Town (Piccadilly line) takes 5 minutes, 50 seconds.

Hampstead’s stairs have 320 steps (22 flat, 298 spiral) – the record anywhere on the tube.
Hampstead has no escalators and passengers need to use lifts to get down to the platforms.
Hampstead, still has the name ‘Heath Street’ written into the tiles on the wall.

The journey from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Terminals 123 (Piccadilly – round ‘the loop’) takes 6 minutes, 20 seconds.
Heathrow Terminal 4 station has no surface buildings.

Heathrow Terminal 5 station has no surface buildings.

Hillingdon is still signed as ‘Hillingdon (Swakeleys)’.

Holborn only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.
Holborn used to say ‘Holborn (Kingsway)’, but all these roundels signs have now been replaced
The music video by Aqua – Turn Back Time – was filmed at Holborn on the disused Platform 5 to Aldwych.
The music video by Howard Jones – New Song (1983) – was filmed at Holborn.
The music video by Suede – Saturday Night – was filmed at Holborn.

Holland Park has no escalators and use lifts to get down to the platforms.

Holloway Road has no escalators and tube travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms.

Hyde Park Corner station has no surface buildings.

Kennington has no escalators and passengers need to use lifts to get down to the platforms.

Since the 2010s re-development of Kings Cross St. Pancras with the new ticket hall, it now has 20 in total within the LU ticket barrier ‘boundary’. There are an additional 2 ‘tube’ escalators that take you from the ticket hall up to St. Pancras station, which would be 22 in total.

Knightsbridge station has no surface buildings.

Ladbroke Grove also says ‘For Portobello Road’

Lambeth North has no escalators and tube travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms

Lancaster Gate has no escalators and use lifts to get down to the platforms.

Leicester Square and Covent Garden are the two closest stations together underground on the network with an average journey time of just 37 seconds.
The music video by The Kinks – Don’t forget to dance – was filmed at Leicester Square.

Liverpool Street only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.

The music video by Chemical Brothers – Believe – was filmed at Maida Vale.

Manor House station has no surface buildings.
Mansion House to Cannon Street (District and Circle) takes 46 seconds
Mansion House station has no surface buildings.

Marble Arch stion has no surface buildings.

Marylebone, still has the name ‘Grand : Central’ at the northern end of the platforms.

Mornington Crescent has no escalators and passengers need to use lifts to get down to the platforms.

The music video by Feeder – Suffocate – was filmed at Monument.

Northfields to South Ealing on the Piccadilly are so close to each other you can see the other each from the the other one looking down the line. Journey time is 47 seconds.

Notting Hill Gate station has no surface buildings.

Old Street station has no surface buildings.

Queensway has no escalators and use lifts to get down to the platforms.

The music video by Paul McCartney – Press – was filmed at Baker Street and Piccadilly Circus.
Piccadilly Circus station has no surface buildings.

Pimlico station has no surface buildings.

Regent’s Park has no escalators and tube travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms
Regent’s Park station has no surface buildings.

Russell Square has no escalators and tube travellers use lifts to get down to the platforms.
Russell Square’s stairs have 171 steps (16 flat, 136 spiral, 19 curved) though thee station sign here incorrectly states that there are 175 steps.

The music video by Soft Cell – Bedsitter – was filmed at St. Johns Wood.

St. Paul’s station has no surface buildings.

Northfields to South Ealing on the Piccadilly are so close to each other you can see the other each from the the other one looking down the line. Journey time is 47 seconds.

South Kenton station has no surface buildings.

South Kensington only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.

South Wimbledon is still signed as ‘South Wimbledon (Merton)’ in some places.

South Woodford is still signed as ‘South Woodford (George Lane)’.

Southwark to Waterloo on the Jubilee line takes on average 41 seconds.
Southwark station has no surface buildings.

Stockwell only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.

Since the 2010 rebuilding of Stratford station, there is now a (very short) escalator there to take you up to the Central Line platform level.

Swiss Cottage station has no surface buildings.

Tooting Bec is still signed as ‘Tooting Bec (Trinity Road)’.

Tooting Broadway only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.

Tottenham Court Road station (remodeled) has a 116 step spiral staircase, but when the station was rebuilt in 2016-17 it became abandoned and disused. The sign here was incorrect saying there were 99 steps.
Tottenham Court Road station has no surface buildings.

Tufnell Park only has escalators – there are no alternative steps.
Tufnell Park has no escalators and passengers need to use lifts to get down to the platforms.

Turnham Green says ‘Turnham Green – For Bedford Park’ on the platform signs

Turnpike Lane station has no surface buildings.

Warren Street, still has the name ‘Euston Road’ written into the tiles on the wall.

Warwick Avenue also says ‘For Little Venice’.
Warwick Avenue station has no surface buildings.