{"id":237324,"date":"2025-07-04T11:55:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T11:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/237324\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T11:55:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T11:55:15","slug":"london-is-home-to-five-of-the-oldest-train-stations-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/237324\/","title":{"rendered":"London Is Home To Five Of The Oldest Train Stations In The World"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" class=\"img-fluid\" alt=\"An old image of Harrow &amp; Wealdstone station\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/4620923593_6f575d5aa2_o-1024x768.jpg\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Julian Walker via Flickr \/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s certainly no secret that here at <strong>Secret London<\/strong>, we\u2019re partial to a bit of transport talk. Particularly when it comes to trains. We just can\u2019t seem to get enough of those loveable locomotives that ferry us around the city and whizz us across the country. But where there are trains, there must also be stations. And in <a href=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/best-things-to-do-london\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/best-things-to-do-london\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_0\" data-category=\"click_internal\">London<\/a>, stations are not something we\u2019re particularly lacking in.<\/p>\n<p>The origins of the humble train station actually date all the way back to the <strong>early 19th century<\/strong>. And whilst many of the world\u2019s very first station did not stand the test of time; some are still going strong to this very day. And a fair few of them are right here in our capital city. So, without further ado, folks \u2013 here are<strong> the oldest train stations in London<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p> Deptford Railway Station <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-168407 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Deptford station with St. Paul's Church in the background and Deptford Market Yard \u2013 one of the best things to do in Deptford\" width=\"1200\" height=\"901\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shutterstock_1252791586-2.jpg\"\/>Photo: JohnGK, Shutterstock <\/p>\n<p>The oldest train station in London (and the fourth oldest in the whole wide world) is, in fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/things-to-do-in-deptford\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/things-to-do-in-deptford\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_1\" data-category=\"click_internal\">Deptford<\/a>. It may be fairly unassuming at first glance, but this south London station boasts a<strong> pretty extensive history<\/strong>. It opened originally as part of the London and Greenwich Railway (which is widely considered to be the first ever suburban passenger railway system). What I will say though, is that the station di close between 1915 and 1926, and the original building was demolished. As was the second. Third time lucky, I guess?<\/p>\n<p> London Bridge Station <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-199415 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"London Bridge Station entrance\" width=\"1200\" height=\"778\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shutterstock_2281982945-min.jpg\"\/>Image: Jono Photography, Shutterstock <\/p>\n<p>Next up on the list of London\u2019s ancient stations is <strong>the oldest operating train station in central London<\/strong>. It\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/things-to-do-in-london-bridge\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/things-to-do-in-london-bridge\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_2\" data-category=\"click_internal\">London Bridge<\/a>, of course. Yes, the station has been updated and modernised a fair few times over the years, but having originally set up shop on <strong>December 14, 1836<\/strong>; it\u2019s the second oldest train station in the capital, and the sixth oldest in the world. Not too shabby, hey?<\/p>\n<p> Euston Railway Station <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-219258 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"The front of Euston station\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shutterstock_794927167-min.jpg\"\/>Credit: William Barton, Shutterstock <\/p>\n<p>Okay look, I know it\u2019s not exactly London\u2019s best-loved station. But it is the third oldest \u2013 and surely that has to count for something. <strong>London Euston<\/strong> is another on of the capital\u2019s oldest stations, having been built on <strong>July 20, 1837<\/strong>. Euston Station was, however, completely rebuilt in the in sixties, so I don\u2019t think there\u2019s actually much of the original station building still kicking about to this day. The 19th-century station building featured some rather<strong> impressive architecture<\/strong>, and so the modern refurb wasn\u2019t exactly welcomed with open arms.<\/p>\n<p> Harrow &amp; Wealdstone Station <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-219253 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"An empty platform at Harrow &amp; Wealdstone station\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/52049523963_d0418c25bd_o-min.jpg\"\/>Credit: Hugh Llewelyn via Flickr \/ CC BY-SA 2.0 <\/p>\n<p><strong>July 20, 1837<\/strong> sure was a big day in the London station world, because it was also the date on which another of London\u2019s earliest train stations was built. <strong>Harrow &amp; Wealdstone<\/strong> is the fourth oldest station in the city, and the eighth oldest in the world, having been opened by the London and Birmingham railway way back when the area was so rural; Harrow was its closest settlement. The Wealdstone part wasn\u2019t shoved onto the name until the<strong> end of the 19th century<\/strong>, once the area had been expanded and developed. The station did undergo a minor refurb in the 1960s when part of it was rebuilt. But this north London station is no spring chicken, to say the least.<\/p>\n<p> Paddington Station <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-219251 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"A train pulled into a platform at London Paddington station\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shutterstock_455083906-min.jpg\"\/>Credit: Christian Mueller Shutterstock <\/p>\n<p>Last but by no means least, we have one of the capital\u2019s busiest transport hubs: London <a href=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/things-to-do-paddington\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretldn.com\/things-to-do-paddington\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_3\" data-category=\"click_internal\">Paddington<\/a>. Built on <strong>June 4, 1838<\/strong> and designed by engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel (who also designed the rather gorgeous <strong>Clifton Suspension Bridge<\/strong>); Paddington is the fifth oldest station in London, and perched at number 10 on the list of the oldest stations in the whole world. It was originally built as a temporary station to reduce costs. But it later because a permanent fixture of the capital\u2019s transport next work, and the rest really is history, I suppose. Despite undergoing an extension renovation in the nineties, parts of the station are <strong>a whopping 187 years old<\/strong>. Blimey.<\/p>\n<p> The world\u2019s oldest train stations <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Liverpool Road Station, Manchester (built in 1830)<\/li>\n<li>Broad Green Railway Station, Liverpool (built in 1830)<\/li>\n<li>Hexham Railway Station, Northumberland (built in 1835)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deptford Railway Station, London<\/strong> (built in 1836)<\/li>\n<li>Liverpool Lime Street, Liverpool (built in 1836)<\/li>\n<li><strong>London Bridge Station, London<\/strong> (built in 1836)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Euston Railway Station, London<\/strong> (built in 1837)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Harrow &amp; Wealdstone Station, London<\/strong> (built in 1837)<\/li>\n<li>Vitebsky Railway Station, St Petersburg (built in 1837)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Paddington Station, London<\/strong> (built in 1838)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Credit: Julian Walker via Flickr \/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 It\u2019s certainly no secret that here at Secret London,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":237325,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7757],"tags":[748,393,4884,2348,17009,257,19658,10763,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-237324","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-history","12":"tag-local-trip","13":"tag-london","14":"tag-public-transport-tickets","15":"tag-trip-travel","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114794838654649099","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}