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NEWS
Abandoned train tunnels below London 'to be transformed' into leisure sites
POSTED 23 Sep 2014 . BY Katie Buckley
Aldwych Station has been closed since 1994, but was used during the First and Second World Wars to store collections from the National Portrait Gallery and The British Museum Credit: flickr.com/diamondgeezer
Up to 34 Transport for London (TfL)-owned “ghost” train tunnels running beneath the UK capital could soon be transformed into an array of attractions and leisure sites, according to reports.

It is understood that TfL is preparing to invite companies to bid to take part in the transformation of several disused Underground and Overground Stations, as well as old horse tunnels that run below the city.

Ajit Chambers, a former Barclays executive, who started The Old London Underground Company back in 2009, believes TFL’s disused assets under the city could be worth around £3.6bn ($5.8bn, €4.5bn).

Out of the 750 tunnels that TfL owns, Chambers has identified 34 possible sites for transformation and reuse. He envisages 13 of these flagship spaces being used for art galleries, nightclubs, hotels and possibly a National Fire Brigade Museum.

Speaking to the MailOnline Chambers said: “In 2009, as part of my effort to assist the financial downturn in the UK, I founded a company that would unearth one of London’s state-owned ‘sleeping property portfolios.’”

In a statement, TfL said: “We cannot show any prejudice ahead of public tender” and that it had “no affiliation” with The Old London Underground Company.

TfL has already undertaken several Underground Station transformations. There is now a herb farm below Clapham North and a deal has recently been signed for customers to pick up Waitrose goods from lockers at Chalfront & Latimer.

Chambers has several prominent investors on board for the venture, including Duncan Vaughn-Arbuckle, founder of the Vinopolis Wine Museum, while mayor of London Boris Johnson has also pledged his support.
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Uniting the world of spa & wellness
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News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
Abandoned train tunnels below London 'to be transformed' into leisure sites
POSTED 23 Sep 2014 . BY Katie Buckley
Aldwych Station has been closed since 1994, but was used during the First and Second World Wars to store collections from the National Portrait Gallery and The British Museum Credit: flickr.com/diamondgeezer
Up to 34 Transport for London (TfL)-owned “ghost” train tunnels running beneath the UK capital could soon be transformed into an array of attractions and leisure sites, according to reports.

It is understood that TfL is preparing to invite companies to bid to take part in the transformation of several disused Underground and Overground Stations, as well as old horse tunnels that run below the city.

Ajit Chambers, a former Barclays executive, who started The Old London Underground Company back in 2009, believes TFL’s disused assets under the city could be worth around £3.6bn ($5.8bn, €4.5bn).

Out of the 750 tunnels that TfL owns, Chambers has identified 34 possible sites for transformation and reuse. He envisages 13 of these flagship spaces being used for art galleries, nightclubs, hotels and possibly a National Fire Brigade Museum.

Speaking to the MailOnline Chambers said: “In 2009, as part of my effort to assist the financial downturn in the UK, I founded a company that would unearth one of London’s state-owned ‘sleeping property portfolios.’”

In a statement, TfL said: “We cannot show any prejudice ahead of public tender” and that it had “no affiliation” with The Old London Underground Company.

TfL has already undertaken several Underground Station transformations. There is now a herb farm below Clapham North and a deal has recently been signed for customers to pick up Waitrose goods from lockers at Chalfront & Latimer.

Chambers has several prominent investors on board for the venture, including Duncan Vaughn-Arbuckle, founder of the Vinopolis Wine Museum, while mayor of London Boris Johnson has also pledged his support.
RELATED STORIES
Mail Rail plans get the green light


Islington Borough Council has approved plans to open up a section of the old Post Office Underground Railway – also known as the Mail Rail – as an attraction for the newly created British Postal Museum & Archives (BPMA).
Paris ghost stations could become leisure spaces


Paris’ 16 “ghost stations” which have been disused for decades could have new life breathed into them as leisure spaces, if ideas put forward by a politician come to fruition.
MORE NEWS
The SATCC announces first five-day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five- day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families.
Ansana Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel launches destination spa with sacred Hawaiian cultural concept
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its 22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
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Sun protection is no longer just about shielding the skin – it's about enhancing it. [more...]

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Spa professionals see it every day: clients are arriving with more complex expectations. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
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21-23 Jun 2026

Spa Life International (UK)

Midlands (Venue TBA), Liphook, United Kingdom
26-27 Jun 2026

The Longevity Show

Tobacco Docks, London, United Kingdom
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ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

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Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

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