Hauntingly beautiful abandoned train, subway stations

Travel to the end of the line

From grand central terminals left to crumble to rural stop-offs reclaimed by nature, the world's abandoned train stations have plenty of tales to tell. They're also stunning, offering a chance for urban photographers, locals, and visitors to snap their best sides.

Read on as we take a look at some of the most beautiful, abandoned railway stations around the world that offer a glimpse into the past...

Anhalter Bahnhof, Berlin, Germany

A striking example of railway architecture, the once large and elaborate Anhalter Bahnhof station sits just southeast of Potsdamer Platz. Opening in 1841, it was the Berlin terminus of a line that went to Juterbog and later on to Dessau, Kothen, and beyond.

Today, people pass by the remains of the station as they wander through a park that sits near the modern Anhalter Bahnhof S-Bahn station. 

Anhalter Bahnhof, Berlin, Germany

The station was notoriously used to transport thousands of Jewish people to concentration camps during World War II. It was severely damaged during the war and finally closed in 1952.

Only parts of the station’s façade remain today, but they give a glimpse of the building’s former beauty and are a poignant reminder of the city’s past. The elaborate sculptures at the top of the building are one of its most striking features.

Union Station, Indiana, USA

Now left to decay and decline, this still impressive railway station can be found in Gary, Indiana. Built in 1910 in classic Beaux-Arts style, just a few years after the town itself was founded, the station was used primarily to aid the booming steel industry.

The station served several major railway lines, but was shuttered in the 1950s as local industry declined.

Union Station, Indiana, USA

The exterior of the station remains amazingly intact, but the interior, including its once grand and cavernous hall, has been gutted and vandalized.

Gary has several other notable ruins, including the City Methodist Church, each telling of the town's slump from a thriving center of industry.

Kacov Station, Czechia

This picturesque railway station can be seen in the small town of Kacov in Czechia’s Central Bohemia region. Though abandoned and neglected, the disused station building has plenty of charm.

It has even been used as a filming location for movies such as the 2001 Czech drama Dark Blue World.

Gudauta, Abkhazia

Abkhazia, a disputed territory on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, has several abandoned railway stations, including this one in Gudauta.

The dilapidated but beautiful railway station was established during the Soviet era and has stood unused since the early 1990s. 

Gudauta, Abkhazia

Despite the overgrown platforms and rail tracks, worn exterior, and fading interior, this abandoned station still retains a little of its former grandeur. Some of the station’s ornate details, including its carved archways, are still visible inside the wrecked building.

Locals are keen to restore it to its former glory, with development work to repair the roof in progress. 

Psyrtskha Railway Station, Abkhazia

The decrepit Psyrtskha Railway Station in Novy Afon, overlooking a lake and surrounded by mountains, is another stunning stop in Abkhazia that has been left to waste away.

Although the station is abandoned, the surrounding tracks are still in use.

Psyrtskha Railway Station, Abkhazia

Inside some of the glass windows are broken and the wooden paneling has been damaged but the ceiling remains intact.

Today, the station has become something of a magnet for photographers keen to picture the pavilion's unique shape. 

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Helensburgh Railway Station, Australia

The Sutherland to Wollongong train line was built in New South Wales between 1884 and 1886 to service the coalfields and farms. There are seven abandoned tunnels between Waterfall and Otford, together known as the Helensburgh Tunnels, as well as the desolate Helensburgh station.

The area is now popular with walkers, rail enthusiasts, and ghost hunters, and there have even been reported sightings of a ghostly figure in the dark tunnels. It's said to be Robert Hails, a miner hit by a train in 1895.

Helensburgh Railway Station, Australia

After becoming disused and neglected for many years, the tunnels were drained and the site excavated in 1995, and a large stretch of the original platform was found intact.

Now heritage listed, the tunnels are famed for their colony of glow worms. You can enter the tunnels, but gum boots are recommended as the area can get wet and muddy.

La Petite Ceinture, Paris, France

Decaying and overgrown, the forgotten railway line that encircles Paris has an eerie beauty about it. It was a vital means of transport for urban Parisians traveling on steam trains from 1862 until 1934, after which the network of tunnels, bridges, and tracks turned to waste land.

It lay mostly forgotten for decades, taken over by weeds, wildflowers, urban wildlife, and graffiti artists.

La Petite Ceinture, Paris, France

The once bustling railway line, which also served steam freight trains, originally had 29 stations, but today those that survived are bars, restaurants, and cultural venues.

It was forced into decline by the advent of the underground Paris Metro and the growing popularity of motor vehicles.

La Petite Ceinture, Paris, France

In 2007, however, the section between the Porte d’Auteuil and the Gare de la Muette in the 16th arrondissement was opened to the public as an urban walkway. People can also follow nature trails along sections in the 12th arrondissement and the pathways between the Place Balard and the Rue Olivier de Serres in the 15th arrondissement.

The latest sections opened in 2015 in the 13th arrondissement and in 2020 between rue de Thionville and 2 bis rue de l'Ourcq.

Swanbourne Station, Buckinghamshire, England

No one has alighted onto the platform at this remote and rural station in Buckinghamshire since 1968, though the buildings remain, derelict and unused.

The station, which is actually a mile away from the village of Swanbourne, was on the Oxford to Bletchley line and operated by Buckinghamshire Railway when it opened in the 1800s.

Swanbourne Station, Buckinghamshire, England

The route was closed by the British Railways Board after the introduction of new diesel trains in the 1960s. The need for a cross-country service also declined, as passengers found it quicker to travel via London rather than on the old Varsity Line, which ran between Oxford and Cambridge.

Take in the ruined ticket office and you can glimpse a bygone age of rail travel.  

16th Street Station, California, USA

West Oakland's decaying historic landmark dates back to 1912 and is a wonderful example of Beaux-Arts-style architecture, with its huge arched windows. At its peak, the significant Southern Pacific Railroad station saw an estimated 400 trains come along its tracks every day. But, over the years, the face of transport changed and passengers declined.

The station was also badly damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989.

16th Street Station, California, USA

After many subsequent years of neglect, the grand disused building was bought by non-profit, affordable housing developer BRIDGE.

Unfortunately, major redevelopment ideas have not gone to plan and the building has sat vacant and in disrepair since the purchase in 2005. The future of the former station, despite being rented out for the occasional music video, remains uncertain.

Danushkodi Railway Station, India

It’s not just the railway station that lies abandoned and ruined in this settlement at the southeastern tip of Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu. The entire village of Danushkodi was deserted after a powerful cyclone devastated the town and its buildings in 1964.

According to some reports, as many as 2,000 people perished during the natural disaster.

Danushkodi Railway Station, India

Among the ruins are the town's once bustling railway station building, of which only part of the façade remains.

Tragically, the devastating cyclone caused a huge tidal wave which hit an incoming train to Danushkodi, washing it away and reportedly killing all 115 people on board. 

City Hall Subway Station, New York, USA

Built in 1904 by renowned architects Heins & LaFarge, City Hall was the very first subway station that opened to the public in New York City. Services were discontinued in 1945 as passengers found the nearby Brooklyn Bridge station, which had access to both express and local tracks, more convenient.

The city's "lost" station is an incredible space that remains remarkably well preserved.  

City Hall Subway Station, New York, USA

With its curved platform, vaulted tile ceilings, skylights, and chandeliers still largely intact, the station may have been abandoned, but it remains a vital piece of America's rail history. Its track is still used as a turnaround spot for the 6 line, but the station is closed off to the public.

However, members of The New York City Transit Museum can book onto the semi-regular, 90-minute guided tours it runs into the abandoned station. 

Colonia del Sacramento Railway Station, Uruguay

One of the oldest towns in Uruguay, Colonia del Sacramento in the southwest of the country is known for its cobbled historic center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Among the city's fascinating old buildings is this abandoned railway station with its faded and graffiti-daubed exterior and overgrown tracks.

Lagos Old Railway Station, Portugal

This popular railway station on the western terminus of the Algarve line opened in 1922. It served the city of Lagos until 2003 when a new, more modern station was built just 656 feet away.

The old building, beautifully decorated with green mosaic tiles and a fancy lattice façade, stood empty and unused as trains serviced the new station instead.

Lagos Old Railway Station, Portugal

In slow degradation, the old station stood unwanted, with graffiti adorning the walls, clocks vandalized, and broken glass and rust scattered on the ground. However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for Lagos' first station.

An investor plans to develop it into a restaurant and art gallery in the future. Watch this space.

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