Ghostly Encounters in London's Underground: The Tale of the ‘Girl on the Train’

Ghost Sightings at Elephant and Castle Station

London’s Underground is not just famous for its efficiency and vastness, but also for the eerie tales surrounding some of its stations. One of the most well-known of these stories is about a ghostly young woman, dubbed the 'Girl on the Train,' who reportedly haunts the Bakerloo Line. Numerous reports have come from Elephant and Castle station, where both passengers and staff claim to have seen her.

Witnesses describe the woman boarding the train, walking between carriages, and then vanishing without a trace. In addition to these ghostly sightings, unexplained noises such as footsteps, the sound of someone running, and banging noises have been heard at the station—especially after it’s closed for the night.

Staff Encounters with the ‘Girl on the Train’

A BBC report once shared the chilling experience of a London Underground employee who recounted his encounter with the mysterious woman. He explained that he was on duty at Bakerloo Line’s Elephant and Castle station during the early evening, preparing to travel with the train driver.

“I was waiting for the driver to arrive at the front of the train when I noticed a young woman board the carriage and walk straight past me,” the employee recalled. "I had to step aside and apologize, even though I was in uniform."

Minutes later, after the driver arrived, the employee noticed that the woman had completely disappeared. “She couldn't have gotten off the train without passing by me, and I had a clear view of both the carriage and the platform. It was unnerving.”

When the employee informed the driver, he was met with a surprising response: “Oh, her? We hear about her all the time—she's even been in the papers.”

Despite the eerie encounter, the employee admitted the experience left him more bemused than frightened. "It seems my first ghost was something of a local celebrity," he joked.

The Bakerloo Line, which opened in 1906, has seen its fair share of ghost stories over the decades. The exact time of this specific encounter remains unclear, but the legend of the 'Girl on the Train' has been part of the station's folklore for years.

Other Ghosts Haunting the Underground

The London Underground has more than its fair share of ghostly tales. At King's Cross station, there are frequent reports of a woman screaming and wandering the corridors with her arms outstretched. Witnesses claim that when bystanders approach her to check if she is okay, she suddenly vanishes. The woman is believed to wear clothing from the 1980s, leading some to speculate that she may be a victim of the 1987 King's Cross fire, which tragically claimed 37 lives.

At Becontree station in Dagenham, there are stories of a faceless woman haunting the platform. A station supervisor, who encountered her in 1992, described hearing knocks on his office door late at night, only to find no train approaching. On investigating, he felt a presence behind him, and upon turning around, he saw a woman with long blonde hair—but no face. Some believe she is linked to a 1958 train accident near the station, which killed 10 people.

The Haunted Legacy of the London Underground

With over a century of history, it is perhaps unsurprising that the London Underground is steeped in ghost stories. From the ‘Girl on the Train’ at Elephant and Castle to the faceless woman of Becontree, these tales have become part of the rich folklore surrounding the city's iconic transport system. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, one thing is clear—London’s Underground is a place where history and mystery collide.