The London Underground, the world's oldest subway train network, has naturally undergone changes in its 162-year history.
New lines have been constructed and old ones decommissioned, leaving London peppered with deserted train stations, some of which remain unused to this day.
One such station that didn't stand the test of time is located in Islington, North London. City Road station was once nestled on the Northern Line between Angel and Old Street, but from its inception, it faced criticism for not pulling its weight.
From the outset, passenger numbers at the station were dismal. So much so that within a few years of its opening, debates began over the merits of keeping it operational.
In 1908, less than seven years after its inauguration, there were initial calls for its closure. The station was situated in what was then an impoverished area of London, and failed to win favour with commuters.
Despite this, the station managed to stay open until 1922, when the decision was finally made to close it. The abandoned station briefly found a new lease of life as a shelter during the Blitz, but by the 1960s, it was largely demolished.
This goes to explain why there's a seemingly massive gap between Angel and Old Street stations on the Northern line.
However, traces of the station lingered until 2017. What remained of City Road station was repurposed as an energy centre to help heat homes in the local area.
Islington Borough Council gave the green light for the remnants of the station to be demolished as part of its initiative to heat the neighbouring King Square council estate.
In 2020, the old structure was replaced by the Bunhill 2 Energy Centre, which continued to harness heat from the underground tunnels to warm over 1,000 buildings in the vicinity, including a school.
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