Are there ghosts in the London Underground?

The London Underground is the oldest in the world and different events have taken place in its bowels throughout history.

It is known as "The Underground", or more commonly among Londoners as "The tube" for referring to the first method that was used in the construction of the underground. At that time the trains that would have to run below the surface were steam trains, so the tunnels could not be very deep as ventilation pipes had to be provided to extract the smoke and gases generated by those trains. So construction began with the "cut and cover" method, which consisted of digging trenches in the earth and then covering them with iron or steel beams, creating a cylinder or tube.

Why was it built?
We will go back to the 18th century, where the Industrial Revolution took place. At that time many factories were set up in the cities and the people of the countryside saw in that event a great opportunity to obtain better working conditions and, consequently, a better future.
What happened? Well, London's population tripled, creating a congestion problem in the city. In addition, the need arose to communicate the centre of London with the neighbourhoods that were being created on the outskirts, but without having to worsen the problem caused by a large flow of people moving around the city. So the solution was to make it possible to circulate underground.

Its use during World War II.
In the War years, the tunnels that were in disuse were basically used for four different purposes.
1. As air-raid shelters.
2. As administrative offices for the government and the military.
3. To store the treasures of the British Museum, so that they would not be damaged.
4. To manufacture ammunition and fighter plane parts. These underground factories had their own railway system.

Are there ghosts in the London Underground?
We can say that they are probably legends or stories which help to give a touch of mystery to this place. We'll tell you a few:
1. During the war there was a tragedy at Bethnal Green station, in which 173 people were crushed to death when they wanted to find shelter in the tunnels. It is said that when the station is quiet you can hear their screams and cries.

2. At Holborn station there is an Egyptian mummy who is quite angry for being exhibited to the public at the British Museum, so when she feels like it, she haunts some of the tunnels near this station.

3. The Aldgate station witnessed a peculiar event a few years ago. A worker fell into the electrified tracks and received an electric shock of 20,000 volts. Such a shock should have killed him, but he surprisingly escaped unscathed. Some of this worker's workmates said that before the worker fell, they saw the figure of a woman stroking his head.

4. The ghost of a woman named Sarah Whitehead seems to have been seen at the Bank/Monument station. This woman went mad when her brother, who worked at the Bank of England, was executed for having been found guilty of fraud and forgery. After her brother's death, Sarah often went to the Bank, dressed in black to ask after her brother.

5. In 1984, Paul Fisher, as part of his training, was walking through the tunnels of the Northern Line to inspect the lines. Then he saw an elderly man working on the tracks, aided by a Tilley lamp, he spoke to him for a moment and left. When he talked about that to his workmates, they told him that no one had been assigned to that area. They looked for this man, but he did not appear. Later, Fisher learned that in 1950 a worker was killed in an accident at that particular point and that he was carrying a Tilley lamp.

If you are planning to travel to London, you should know that there are tours around underground stations that are not in use. You might meet a ghost.