London Transport Museum’s Siddy Holloway has teamed up again with railway historian Tim Dunn to explore even more unbelievable parts of London’s Tube network in the second series of the hit documentary Secrets of the London Underground. The new series returns to Yesterday channel on Thursday 5 May 2022 at 8PM, and on catch-up at UKTV Play.
With their super-privileged access to the Tube network, even more secrets are uncovered as Siddy and Tim visit abandoned stations so hidden and long forgotten that many people have no idea they exist, like King William Street and Marlborough Road Underground stations.
In well-known stations, like Charing Cross and London Bridge, the pair also explore disused tunnels that sit right under passengers’ noses, just through a door or behind a wall. Then there are places viewers will be stunned to discover are part of the Tube system, including a disused station in a back garden in the middle of the countryside. They also explore new Elizabeth line stations before they are open to the public and go behind the scenes at the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton, west London, which houses more than 320,000 historical artefacts.
Fans of Secrets of the London Underground S2 who want to experience this hidden history first-hand can explore some of the secret locations revealed in the show on London Transport Museum’s exclusive virtual and in-person Hidden London tours.
· On the access all areas Hidden London tour of Charing Cross Underground station, which features in episode one of Secrets of the London Underground S2, guests can step behind locked doors to discover disused spaces deep beneath Trafalgar Square. Explore ‘lost’ Jubilee line platforms closed since 1999 which have now become familiar filming locations for popular blockbuster films like Bond hit Skyfall. Current tours run from Wednesday 18 May to Sunday 17 July 2022. Book tour tickets.
· King William Street, which will feature in episode three, boasts the title of the first disused deep-level Tube station. Opened in 1890 as part of the City & South London Railway which ran to Stockwell, the station’s time in operation was short lived and it closed in 1900. This concealed site, which remains out of bounds to passengers, now plays a fascinating role in the Bank station extension. On a virtual Hidden London tour of King William Street guests can ‘zoom’ in for a behind the scenes look at the station today. The next King William Street Hidden London virtual tour is on Tuesday 31 May 2022. Book virtual tour tickets.
· In episode four, Siddy and Tim explore Brompton Road disused Tube station and its covert history as a Second World War bunker after its closure in 1934. Today this disused station is off limits to the public, but on the Museum’s virtual Hidden London tour an expert guide ‘zooms’ into its fascinating history using archive photos and contemporary footage. The next Brompton Road virtual Hidden London tour is on Tuesday 31 May 2022. Book virtual tour tickets.
· The in person Hidden London tour of Kingsway Tram Tunnel, which Siddy visits in episode eight, reveals why this long-forgotten subterranean tunnel was once the most important stretch of tram track in the Capital. Opened in 1906, the tunnel was built to connect south and north London trams. Closed now for more than 70 years, many of its original features – and those of the former Holborn tram station the tunnel conceals – remain preserved today for visitors to see as they explore this forgotten relic from the Capital’s transport past. Current tours run from Wednesday 25 May to Sunday 24 July 2022.
