Travel to the end of the line
From grand central terminals left to crumble to rural stop-offs reclaimed by nature, we take a look at some of the most beautiful abandoned railway stations around the world that offer a glimpse into the past.
Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain
Once the second biggest train station in Europe, Canfranc International Railway Station sits high in the Pyrenees mountains in a small Spanish village on the border with France. It was jointly owned by the two countries and much celebrated, until it was beset by financial troubles and war. The station finally closed in the 1970s after a train derailed, crashing into a bridge. The opulent building was left to slowly decay.
Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain
The station's official opening in 1928 was attended by the King of Spain and the French president, no less, and the landmark was known as the "Titanic of the Mountains". But it has a chequered history. It was a key hub for transporting many Jews to liberty during the Second World War. However, when the Nazis took control of the Canfranc municipality station from 1942 until 1944, they reportedly used it to smuggle looted gold.
Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain
Today the haunting ruins of the decrepit station and its beautiful mountainous setting have become a popular tourist destination, with guided tours of the site available. It was also recently bought by the local government in Aragon and major plans are afoot to restore Canfranc to its former glory, in the form of a luxury hotel with a working railway.
Michigan Central Train Station, Detroit, USA
Since it opened in 1913, this vast train station has towered over Detroit's historic Corktown neighborhood. But in more recent decades, it became a symbol of the city's decline. The former intercity passenger rail depot was built for the Michigan Central Railroad, but after Amtrak finally stopped using the station, it was closed in the 1980s and left empty. However, hope has returned as the historic building has recently been bought by the Ford Motor Company.
Michigan Central Train Station, Detroit, USA
The grand architecture of Detroit's famous ruin means it has been used as a set for numerous films, including Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. The 18-story landmark was designed by the Warren & Wetmore and Reed and Stem firms, who also designed New York City's Grand Central Terminal. The Detroit terminal once had gleaming marble floors, soaring arched ceilings and ornate tile work.
Michigan Central Train Station, Detroit, USA
After its closure, the building was heavily vandalized and began to crumble away over the years. However, echoes of its grand interior still remain. Ford has announced that its mixed-use redevelopment plans will include restoration of the former station's majestic lobby for public use.
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 Jüterbog and later on to Dessau, Köthen 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 Jews to concentration camps during the Second World War. 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 what was a thriving center of industry.
Kácov Station, Czech Republic
This picturesque railway station can be seen in the small town of Kácov in Czech Republic’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 snap the pavilion's unique shape.
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 Helensburg 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. However, they have been temporarily sealed off to visitors due to concerns about vandalism, and in order to preserve the population of glow worms.
Monte Romano, Italy
The old station of Monte Romano can be found on the disused Orte-Capranica-Civitavecchia railway line, which was constructed to connect Rome’s sea port in the late 19th century. The link was discontinued in 1961. Today the old railway track is used as a route by walkers and mountain bikers, and some of the handsome but faded station buildings, such as the one in Monte Romano, remain.
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 there are only 17. It was forced into decline by the advent of the underground Paris Métro 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 section opened in 2015 in the 13th arrondissement.
Swanbourne Station, Buckinghamshire, UK
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, UK
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. It’s now used as a film set and an atmospheric events space, plus major redevelopment plans are underway.
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 into the semi-regular 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 its overgrown tracks.
The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Building, USA
On the banks of the Hudson River, the overgrown ruins of the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Building may not look like much, but the station was once a prosperous place with millions of passengers passing through. The Bush train shed, which is still standing today, housed 20 tracks and was, at the time, the largest ever built.
The Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Building, USA
Built in 1889, the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal signified new beginnings for many of its passengers. In fact, it welcomed as many as two thirds of the immigrants from Ellis Island as they went via New Jersey to start their new lives. However, the Great Depression and the rise of the motorcar spelled the end of the railroad age in the US, and the station finally closed in 1967.
