Another one to add: The turnaround loop at Embankment when it was the southern terminus of the CCE&HR (now the Northern Line Charing Cross branch).
No track in that one. The first hundred yards or so of tunnel is intact, an empty tunnel with the part nearest the current southbound tunnel being used as a p-way store.
After this hundred yards there is a brick wall. My understanding is that beyond this brick wall is a short section where a shaft once led up to the District Line, beyond which is another brick wall, and the remaining section of loop lies beyond that. I have no idea what the situation is with the shaft, certainly the shaft and remaining section of tunnel aren’t regarded as accessible. The tunnel is backfilled where the current southbound Northern Line cuts through it. It has been rumoured that the inaccessible section of tunnel is flooded, this was of course the section damaged in the war.
It’s quite surprising really that this tunnel still exists but is completely inaccessible for any form of inspection. No doubt some day in the future this will become an issue in some way.
There are several examples of disused tunnels on the Underground where the track is still in place and trains can still run through, such as Green Park - Charing Cross and Holborn - Aldwych. There are also many more abandoned tunnels where the track has been lifted, such as the old C&SLR between King William Street and Borough. While this is a well-known example within the enthusiast community, I’d be interested to know what has happened to lesser-known examples, such as:
- Northern City Line Drayton Park - Finsbury Park (platforms 3 and 4)
- Piccadilly Line Finsbury Park (platform 2) - Arsenal
- Pre-Victoria Line alignment of Northern Line (Bank Branch) through Euston
- Pre-1992 alignment of Northern Line through Angel
- Pre-2022 alignment of Northern Line through Bank
- Numerous more reversing sidings and crossovers shown as abandoned on the Carto Metro map
Are these tunnels filled in? Have they been left in situ with no access? Have they been converted to other uses (utilities, maintenance etc).
Off the top of my head I can think of
Bakerloo Line
Original Elephant & Castle sidings, shorter and on a different alignment to today’s sidings. These were largely consumed by the present siding access tunnels, and the remaining short lengths appear to have been backfilled
Central Line
Queensway and British Museum sidings - tunnels survive, may well still contain track
Victoria Line
Nothing
Jubilee Line
Charing Cross is still part of the operational railway
Northern Line
Euston (later) siding - empty tunnel IIRC track lifted
Euston (original) siding - tunnel survives filled with rubble
Angel siding - tunnel survives but cut in two by 1990s diversion tunnel, empty tunnel track lifted
Angel original NB - both sections survive, the northernmost section still has running rails, can’t remember the southern section
Old Street siding - tunnel survives no
track
Bank original SB - don’t know!
London Bridge original SB - southern section of running tunnel survives complete with track, northern section is largely backfilled
London Bridge siding - now largely used as equipment rooms
King William Street tunnels - survives as empty tunnels, some parts around London Bridge used for ventilation, a short section breached by station works. Under river tunnels sealed by bulkheads, inspection doors at King William Street end only
Elephant & Castle siding - backfilled
Stockwell sidings - most survives as empty tunnel, including lower section of original depot access incline tunnel
Clapham Common siding - empty tunnel survives as pway store
Embankment Loop - first hundred yards accessible as pway store, rest sealed off and backfilled in parts
Drayton Park to Finsbury Park - mostly still survives, though parts backfilled for Victoria Line work and at the Drayton Park tunnel mouths end. Mostly still contains track.
Highbury & Islington diversions - no idea but presumably short sections survive
Piccadilly Line
Finsbury Park - short sections of empty tunnel, no idea of their status
W&C
Lift siding access tunnel, presumably empty tunnel but may still contain track?
To that we can also add the St Mary’s Curve which certainly still exists, may even still have track. And the original Aldgate curve, which is now mainly equipment rooms.
