London’s laziest tube station was just a copy of another nearby one

Walking through multiple London Underground stations on your commute can sometimes give you an eerie sense of déjà vu. The endless tunnels and walkways merge into one as you navigate the travel network among millions of other commuters every morning.

But while it’s more of a cliché than anything else, the first few people to use a particular Northern Line station may have noticed something oddly familiar about it.

Borough, which is in Zone 1 near London Bridge, was built as an identical copy of Kennington station when it was built in 1890.

READ MORE: The South London Tube station undergoing major changes

This included everything from the distinctive dome perched over the station entrance to the tunnels below. As architects and engineers planned to open the world’s first deep-level underground railway, they decided to take a shortcut and copy the design of Kennington station for Borough.

The City and South London Railway initially ran from the City of London to Stockwell – passing under the River Thames. Within 17 years it had been extended north to Euston and south to Clapham Common, creating the backbone of the modern Northern Line.

Passengers using Kennington and Borough stations today won’t be hit with the same level of déjà vu as when the line first opened. Kennington no longer has the same below-ground layout, while Borough no longer has a large dome on the station roof.

Additionally, the southbound platform at Borough is one storey lower, and the original architectural finishes of the narrow stairs leading down have been obscured by the station’s modern infrastructure. Despite this, the overall feel of this section is somewhat reminiscent of the southbound platform at Kennington station.

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