Abandoned Train Stations Offer One Way Ticket To Hell
At a basic level, a train station is a building where trains stop to drop off or pick up passengers. Suppose you ask many who travel by train, regularly or once. In that case, many may recall a real horror movie, with horror scenarios of delays, cancellations, overcrowding in the carriages, and more. For horror fans, however, the answer may be different. Train stations can be a scary place: think, for example, of an empty train station at night, and even more so of abandoned train stations.
An abandoned train station can sound like an oxymoron. After all, train stations, by their very definition, tend to be very busy. They also represent movement and dynamism, unlike abandoned places where the feeling is that time stands still. Despite this, and perhaps because of this, some stations become scary places, which can also be tourist attractions – especially for those who like to visit abandoned creepy places.
Abandoned Train Stations Have Many Forms
When we talk about abandoned train stations, we mainly mean buildings or complexes that were stopping or crossing points for trains (whether passengers or cargo) in the past but are no longer active today. These stations can be of different sizes, starting from small platforms on the side of the road (near where a track stands or at least used to exist) to huge buildings, which sometimes resemble a small “city” with several levels, platforms, and other surprises.
If we go a little deeper, we can argue that each abandoned train station has its main characteristics, which depend, among other things, on its location, the time of its abandonment, the circumstances of the departure, the environmental conditions, and so on.
In many cases, we will see in the abandoned train stations:
🚉 Old buildings, maybe even crumbling. The buildings may suffer the ravages of time or man, with crumbling walls, rust, graffiti, and dirt. The reason is that abandoned stations, by their very nature, do not usually undergo round-the-clock maintenance and cleaning
🚉 Wild vegetation – in many abandoned places, for example, ghost towns and even amusement parks, nature takes over at a certain point without regular maintenance. We can see in the station weeds, grass nobody cut for years, bushes, and even trees between the platforms or inside the various buildings
🚉 Abandoned Train tracks – even if the tracks are still in the station complex, there is a high probability that we will also see time signs on them. Ruined, rust-infested, or overgrown abandoned train tracks tracks
🚉 Irrelevant Old Signs – Do you know the direction signs, the timetables, or even the advertisement signs at the train station? Even if the train station is abandoned, they may remain in the field (not operating, of course), becoming a time capsule in the most direct sense
🚉 Abandoned Train Cars – there are cases where we also find the original train vehicles at the stations. Of course, if the station is preserved or used as a museum, it may undergo renovations
Why Train Stations Got Abandoned?
Since every abandoned station has its own story, it is difficult to pinpoint the main reason for the departure. Abandoning train stations is a complex process that can be influenced by various factors, including economic, social, technological, political, and so on.
Here are some prominent reasons for abandoning train stations:
🚉 Changes in transportation patterns – with the increase in the use of private cars, the development of the road network and making flights much more accessible (also at a price), the demand for travel on different lines of the train has decreased, along with the number of passengers at a given station. From here, the road to abandonment does not have to be long.
🚉 Technological obsolescence – trains become more advanced yearly, but not every station succeeds in making this change. Faster and more efficient trains sometimes require new infrastructure, which may make stations that are left behind, in terms of technology and facilities, irrelevant or even “redundant.”
🚉 Demographic changes – as in the case of other abandoned sites, trains also sometimes express demographic changes that occur in a particular area. Changes in the size of the population, the distribution of geography, and employment factors may affect the use of trains. For example, mass migration from rural areas to cities reduces the need for stations in remote areas.
🚉 Urban development – changes in urban or interurban development sometimes require the construction of new stations, copying the location of existing stations, and so on.
🚉 Financial reasons – sometimes, the stations (or, more precisely, the company that operates them) run into financial difficulties. As a result, they may reduce budgets, close unprofitable lines, or announce the closing of entire stations, which becomes an economic burden that does not return the investment.
🚉 Improving alternative public transportation – continuing the previous section, some trains have been replaced by other more efficient means, such as buses, electric trains, subways, taxis, and so on.
🚉 Safety and maintenance problems – train accidents are among the most severe road accidents, and many accidents have resulted in high numbers of injuries and deaths throughout history. Stations that have experienced such events or simply no longer meet today’s strict safety standards may be closed. This is true especially if these adaptations require high budgets, which decide to abandon the station more desirable than to renovate or fix everything that needs fixing.
🚉 Historical events – even train stations, unfortunately, may be wholly or partially damaged. Wars, terrorist attacks, and even changes at the geopolitical level are some of the prominent scenarios here.
🚉 Climate and environmental changes – not only in terms of natural disasters that make the station unusable, but also environmental changes that harm its safety or accessibility. This seems less common in an urban environment, but remote or peripheral stations may suffer from it.
What Makes A Creepy Abandoned Train Station So Horrific?
As mentioned earlier, the contrast underlying abandoned train stations can explain why some can be particularly creepy. The stations express the contrast between a place bustling with life but later – for various reasons – was utterly abandoned and became nothing more than a memory. Instead of the rush of people, the voices, and the announcements (“Dear passengers! The train is arriving, etc., etc.”), we get a silence that seems strange, and yes – may also be mysterious and scary. The visitor can feel lonely or ironically “abandoned,” and these are feelings that stress some of us.
The current conditions in the abandoned stations may explain their fear factor and, as we will see later, their appeal. Train stations can also be relatively dark, and those who have visited active stations at night can agree. In the case of an abandoned station, the picture is more extreme: these stations usually do not have sufficient active lighting, which may create feelings of fear and danger.
Ghost train stations are sometimes in crumbling buildings, sometimes even physically dangerous, and it is vital to understand the instructions at each station and follow them. Some abandoned places are physically hazardous or may attract unpleasant populations. If you’ve seen the latest horror movie, “Tarot,” you know, for example, what can happen when you get confused and end up in a place you shouldn’t have access to at a train station. In reality, you probably won’t be haunted by a resurrected tarot card character trying to fulfill the destiny of the named person, but you get the idea.
There are abandoned train stations with a tragic history, even scary stories of mass disasters, killings, ghosts, and so on. Whether these stories about haunted train stations are true or not, there is no doubt that they raise fear. Unexplained sounds in a quiet place can also be scary, and if you add horror myths to the place, every sound can sound horrific.
Abandoned Train Stations As A Tourist Destinations
Abandoned train stations have become popular tourist attractions, especially among fans of scary places and “Dark Tourism.” They may be attracted to the unique atmosphere of the stations, which combines history, mystery, or even fear, or to the nostalgic aspect, a trip to the past. Some people like the adrenaline they get during a visit to an abandoned place, certainly if they have a feeling (real or not) that they are in a “forbidden” or dangerous place.
Some gthos train stations attract a lot of artists, for example, graffiti painters, who find the abandoned walls and other elements of the station as a platform to express their creativity, thoughts, and sometimes their talent. Another example is photographers, who can produce excellent pictures against the background of the old stations, the crumbling buildings, and so on.
As a result, you can visit the scary empty train stations in several ways:
🚉 Abandoned stations, especially the famous ones, may offer guided tours, which are considered safe. They make it possible to learn about the history of the station, with an emphasis on the circumstances of its departure, including the exciting or scary stories
🚉 Festivals and events – some stations are used as crowded places for cultural, music, or art events. In some cases, an old station has become a recreation center, even for families
🚉 Museums – Many abandoned stations have become official museums that preserve their history, but offer modern entertainment places for different groups: restaurants, shops, galleries, and more
🚉 There are stations you can visit independently. Still, in these cases, it is essential to check the legality of the visit, follow the safety guidelines, and not cause damage to the place.
🚉 Reservations – various stations allow controlled entry for photographers, urban researchers, journalists, and more, usually after obtaining individual permission
Famous Abandoned Train Stations You Can Visit
Many abandoned train stations are scattered worldwide, each with its unique story, but the bottom line is that they are not active today.
Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain
The Canfranc International Railway Station is an impressive station, formerly called the “Titanic of the mountains” thanks to its remarkable size and design. It was opened in 1928 in a solemn ceremony, in the presence of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and President of the French Republic, and was used for years as a border station between Spain and France.
A few years after its opening, a significant fire occurred in the station complex, but it recovered. The station also survived World War II, when the army used it for cargo transportation. In 1970, however, a train derailed on the French side and struck the bridge, an event that caused the train to be abandoned. In recent years, the train has been undergoing massive conservation, restoration, and renovation processes. Among other things, a luxury hotel, a train museum, a conference hall, and shops are expected to open here.
Gaudi Metro Station, Barcelona
Unlike most abandoned stations, the station in Barcelona named after the genius architect never opened. Gaudi Metro Station was built in 1960, but following a change in the development plans in the area, it was no longer needed and remained abandoned.
It is difficult to say how many abandoned subway and commuter train stations are there in barcelona, but Gaudi Station is one of the most famous. Nevertheless, Gaudi Metro Station still attracts visitors to this day, like other abandoned stations in the city, and some are willing to swear that they see the ghosts of people waiting for a train that never arrived.
16th Street Station, Oakland, California
The 16th Street Station opened in 1912 in Oakland, California, and operated until 1994. It was a central part of the transportation plan of the small city, but over the years – and mainly, making buses much more accessible – they decided to abandon it.
Oakland 16th Street Station still stands out for its impressive design, made by the famous American architect Jervis Hunt. It even starred in the music video for “Babel,” the single of the excellent band “Mumford and Sons.”
Haxo Station, Paris
In the capital of France, there are quite a few abandoned and scary train stations, and this is one of the clear examples. The Haxo station operated for quite some time, but at the beginning of the 20th century, the operators realized it was not profitable for them and closed it.
Today, Haxo Station in Paris mainly attracts photographers and artists, and you will find countless graffiti paintings in its areas.
Aldwych Station, London
Aldwych station operated for years as part of the London Underground system: from 1907 to 1994, to be precise. It has a vibrant history, like bombs that exploded there and people who took shelter there during World War II. A few movies were shot here, and books have been written (like “Murder at Aldwych Station” by Jim Aldrighe).
Aldwych Station is awe-inspiring even today and attracts many visitors who can join a guided tour here.
Here is a short video by “Time Out” that tells the story of this fascinating station:
Pripyat Train Station, Ukraine
We have already written extensively on the website about the tragic story of Pripyat, the primary victim of the Chornobyl disaster in 1986. Pripyat Train Station – or its official name, Yaniv Railway Station – was built in 1925 and was used mainly as a passenger train (however, it also had carriages used for passenger traffic).
Today, Pripyat Train Station is part of the abandoned city evacuated following the explosion. It is another silent testimony to the nuclear disaster and its long-term consequences.