Whenever we think we already know Vienna well, we are surprised by the opposite. Our capital is full of hidden stories. This not only includes a fascinating crypt directly beneath St. Stephen’s Cathedral. There are also a lot of “lost places” in the city. One of the most exciting is hidden deep beneath the city: the Lerchenfelder Straße ghost station. Although the U2 passes thousands of passengers every day, no one has boarded or alighted here since 2003. Nevertheless, the abandoned station still holds a special attraction for urban explorers and history buffs.
From streetcar station to “lost place” legend
The station was opened in 1966, but initially as a streetcar stop. A few years later, Vienna’s subway network was converted and Lerchenfelder Straße became a station on the U2 line in 1980. A symbol of Vienna’s modernization and the city’s growth in the post-war period.
But the triumphant advance of Vienna’s public transport system and ongoing rationalization brought changes: The station, which was located between the Volkstheater and Rathaus U2 stops, was judged to be “too close” to other stations and underused. Those responsible discussed the matter for a long time until the final decision was made in 2003: the Lerchenfelder Straße station would be closed. It has been closed to passengers ever since.
What remains of the ghost station?
You can still see the ghost station today! If you take the U2 between Volkstheater and Rathaus, you can still see the old platform, ghost lights and faded signs if you look closely in the dark of the tunnels. But you can’t get any closer today. The entrance is now closed and no longer accessible to the public, but the station is still legendary as a “lost place”.
This is not set to change for the time being. The Gesiterbahnhof Lerchenfelder Straße station is now mainly used for technical purposes, for example as a location for Wiener Linien’s operating and security facilities. The reopening of the station also plays no role in the current planning and major expansion projects for the U2 and U5 lines. Instead, the focus is on transforming the above-ground Lerchenfelder Strasse into a climate-friendly area for all residents.
Places like the ghost station Lerchenfelder Straße tell of the transformation of the metropolis, the constant coming and going and how places that were once part of everyday life become urban myths. The subway in particular is notorious for this – today there are even raves at the stations. Last but not least, Lerchenfelder Strasse also reflects Vienna’s flexible cityscape: where one place disappears, something new emerges elsewhere.