What happens to retired London Underground trains?

From ferrying the busy 9am crew to work, carrying tourists around the region and making sure those on a night out get safely home, the Tube is the beating heart of London.

Throughout its time, the tunnels of the underground network have welcomed a lot of different trains in many variations.

The coal-powered Tube trains are now long gone as the electric paves the way and wizz all across London.

@ltmuseum #Throwback to our Art Deco train journeys on the Metropolitan line on 3-4 September 2022. Sign up to our enewsletter to find out about our heritage events and more #LondonUnderground #1930s #Trainspotting #Tube #TransportTok #MuseumTok #UKPublicTransport #Vintagevehicle ♬ Art Deco - Aldo Romano

But, what happens to the retired London Underground trains? You might think they go to the Tube graveyard, but you might be surprised about their future. 

What happens to old Tube trains?

The future for retired Tube trains is not the same for each one, as some are bought by private buyers and become whatever the buyer fancies.

A former Victoria Line tube carriage is now home to the Superclub Tube, a restaurant inside one of the carriages that serves guests three nights a week.

Ex-Jubilee Line carriages now sit on top of the roof at Village Underground in Shoreditch.

While others have found their way to museums including the London Transport Museum and the Actor Depot.

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Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum is home to the 1968 Victoria Line Tube car which is also often used for filming in TV and film.

You can also see retired Tube trains on the Isle of Wight, as the small region uses the trains on the Island Line, with the Tube trains from the 1970s and 1980s currently in use.

The carriages are refurbished and cleaned before arriving on the island and are often a tourist favourite.