Hidden London, Euston: The Lost Tunnels tour.

Posted on by Fee Hudson

A Hidden London tour has been on my wish list for a while, the idea that there are hidden parts of London beneath our feet is totally fascinating and I managed to talk my sister in to joining a tour with me.

We chose the Euston: The Lost Tunnels tour which is a glimpse in to the now disused tunnel system around Euston train station.

A tube platform with 2 people stood on it looking away from the camera.
A white woman in her forties wearing a bright pink top and a navy puff jacket with a red lining. She has her hair tied back and is wearing glasses. She is holding up a visitor badge on a lanyard which reads Visitor and has the Hidden London underground logo, looking at the camera and pulling a surprised face.
The outside of an original underground station taken from between the fence railings. The outside of the building is covered in oc blood red tiles and has various construction material and fencing outside.

The Tour

The tour starts at Euston Square Station and begins with some health and safety information and then a history lesson to set the scene. Initially two separate lines, run by rival companies served Euston mainline station so had separate station entrances, later a passageway was built to connect the two lines before they eventually became one company. This transfer passage was permanently closed in 1962 when major work was undertaken to revamp the stations under and overground.

We started by visiting the outside of the station buildings and learned about the layout of the stations and how they are linked together and the architectural style.

We then made our way down to one of the platforms where our guide opened a door at the end of one of the platforms and let us in to the secret tunnels. Although the tunnels now hold the pipework for some of the ventilation systems, other than this they are almost frozen in time. The walls still carry advertising posters from 1962, mostly peeling but still identifiable. The tiny ticket window still exists and some of the lift shafts. We visited some of the ventilation tunnels above the current platforms and peered down through the grates on to the heads of those waiting for the next train.

Part of the disused tunnel and the window of the small ticket office.
A red and white British Rail poster, the top half reads Bargain Travel and the bottom half is unreadable due to damage.
The disused tunnel with one side stacked with building materials.

Accessibility

The route involves step and uneven surfaces so would not be suitable for those with mobility issues. I did speak to our guide about whether the tour would be accessible in BSL and while it is not currently available it would be worth contacting them to discuss.

Suitable for Kids

The tour has a minimum age of 14.

Useful to Know

  • The tunnels are old and dirty so you need to be in sensible enclosed shoes and comfortable clothes.
  • There is no bag storage and large bags or suitcases are not allowed.
  • Each member of your group will need to show ID.
  • Food and drink is not permitted on the tour.
  • There are no toilets on the tour.
  • The temperature in the tunnels fluctuated so layers are a good idea for the colder areas.
  • The tour takes about 90 minutes and you need to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time. There is plenty of time while you are in the tunnels to ask questions and take photos.
A poster of the wall of the tunnel, new wires have been attached to the wall on top of the poster.
A map of the original and new tunnels.
A damaged and dirty poster for West Side Story.

Extra Perks

After your tour you will be sent an electronic booklet covering all the information from the tour but with added photos and diagrams as well as some additional information.

Your Hidden London tour also gives you half price tickets for The London Transport Museum for a 30 days period after your tour, just show your hidden London booking when buying tickets. This is half price one visit tickets not the annual ticket.

Two damaged and dirty posters on the wall of the tunnel. the right one is for Coronation Street and the left for Puss in Boots. There is a Green way out sign on the wall above the posters.
One of the ventilation tunnels.
Three dirty and damaged posters on the wall of the tunnel.

Tickets

Tickets are available from the London Transport Museum website, the tours do not run year round so are usually released in batches. Keep checking for the dates you want.

We visited in October 2023.

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