A NUMBER of train stations have been turned into something much more exciting.
From pitch black escape rooms to swanky American-style restaurant and hotel and of course, Wetherspoons pubs – here are Sun Travel’s favourites.
South Kentish Town station
Starting on the London Underground, South Kentish Town station used to be a place for commuters.
The station opened in 1907 serving as a stop on what was later known as the High Barnet Northern Line.
It closed in the 1920s, but has recently reopened as an escape room.
Called Mission: Breakout, Kentish Town, there is a choice of three escape rooms and puzzles.
One of the games is called ‘The Lost Passenger’ and is based on a true story of a man who disappeared in the station in 1924 – and its the game is played in darkness.
Players race against the clock to get out of the station by solving a series of rather tricky challenges and puzzles.
Aldwych and Down Street
For anyone who’s curious about what’s underneath your feet on the city street, Hidden London offers a glimpse.
Aldwych Station, which you’ll see is named Strand Station outside, closed in 1994 due to low passenger numbers.
It hasn’t been used since, but people do trudge down there for tours learning about the station’s turn-of-the-century ticket hall, and role as a wartime shelter.
Down Street had a short life being used from 1907 to 1932 – as a station that is.
Now the building it lit up and operates as a casino[/caption]
It actually had so many more uses, including a critical role in winning WWII and its where Prime Minister Winston Churchill secretly took refuge at the height of the Blitz.
Tours start from £45pp.
Southampton Terminus railway station
Southampton Terminus railway station served the Port of Southampton from 1840 until 1966.
However, in 1895, Southampton Central station opened and soon became the more popular station on the Southampton and Dorchester Line.
When Southampton Terminus closed in the 1960s, all services were redirected to Southampton Central – which still operates today.
Southampton Terminus has retained its railway building exterior, but inside, it’s a busy casino.
The venue is owned by Genting Casino Southampton and inside are the classic games from American Roulette, Blackjack, to the Slots.
It has a late night bar too which closes at 4AM.
Tunbridge Wells West
In Kent is a station that was once known as Tunbridge Wells West, and it was one of the two stations serving Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Tunbridge Wells West opened in 1866 with the last services running on the line until July 1985.
Now, the building is almost unrecognisable as its been turned into a cowboy bar and restaurant called Smith & Western.
It serves up buffalo wings to loaded baked potatoes, tacos, American-style burgers and steak from the grill.
The restaurant even has a hotel with nine bedrooms each kitted out in a wild west theme.
One overnight guest wrote on Tripadvisor: “What a lovely quirky place. It was great to see the old railway station still being used and the building enjoyed.”
Another said: “An enormous old railway station, turned into the wild west. Sounds tacky but not at all. It seems there was no expense spared in the conversion.
“The wild west is everywhere, yet the character of the stunning Victorian station is still maintained.”
Aberystwyth train station
Wetherspoons has a habit of opening in old and quirky buildings, and this one in Aberystwyth is no exception.
The original Aberystwyth train station building has been converted into one of the many British boozer chains.
The station opened in 1864 which consequently turned Aberystwyth into a popular seaside resort.
In 1925, the original wooden station and the concourse were replaced by ‘a grand terminus’.
The original building known as the ‘old station’ is now where customers will find a Wetherspoons, with the entrance to the station being around the back.
The pub still has original platform signage outside and it overlooks a part of the station still in use.
Fulham Broadway
In a former ticket office is the Fulham Broadway Wetherspoons which opened in June 2025.
The pub is found in one of the former entrances of Fulham Broadway tube station, that closed in 2003.
Having originally opened in March 1880 as Walham Green, the station used to operate the District Railway, which is now known as the District Line.
The original station building was then later replaced in 1905 with a new entrance and the name of the station was changed in 1952.
It was operating as a food court from 2018 but this closed just three years later.
Now it’s a place to get a cheap breakfast, and drinks.
The hotel has huge chandeliers and is found in Knightsbridge[/caption]
Wellesley Hotel
Hyde Park Corner Station is still up and running, but its overground ticket hall was closed in 1937, and has had various uses over the years.
For three decades up until 2010 it was repurposed as a jazz venue and pizza restaurant known as Pizza on the Park.
In 2012 it reopened as the boutique Wellesley Hotel – but it still retains its station look with the red tiles outside.
Its transformation into a five star hotel has meant a huge makeover and inside are sparkly chandeliers, and in the bathrooms you’ll see Italian marble.
It might not be a former underground station, but The London Tunnels is being converted and it will have the deepest bar in the city.
Plus, check out the three historic train stations you can now explore as part of new UK tour – but only until the end of the year.