The London Overground station by the River Thames that’s so far below ground you can’t swim its depth

Tube and train enthusiasts will already know that Hampstead station is thought to be the deepest on TfL’s entire network, with a depth below the surface of 58.5 metres. But while this may be a fun fact, it can be quite misleading, as the station already has an unfair advantage of being sat on a really tall hill.

In fact, while Hampstead station may boast a 58.5 metre depth below ground, the presence of the hill means it’s actually 50 metres above sea level. This is because Hampstead boasts the eighth highest point in Greater London on Hampstead Heath which is the highest point in Inner City London.

Wapping station, in East London, boasts a pretty impressive depth, making it the deepest ‘sub surface’ station in London, at 60 feet below sea level (18m).

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For context, you wouldn’t be able to safely swim or dive any lower than that without a scuba set, because you’d probably pass out. You can also fit four double decker buses stacked on top of one another in Wapping station, as well as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and still have room for more (provided all the escalators, ticket gates and trains were removed, of course).

Although Wapping is on the London Overground, running National Rail and London Overground services, back in 1884, London Underground services did in fact operate from the station, with Metropolitan and the District line trains zooming through its tunnels until 1905 when it was scrapped.

In 1980, plans were put in place for the London Underground to extend the Jubilee line to Woolwich Arsenal and Beckton, with Wapping being one of the stations approved to appear on the line, but sadly the line was never built.