The existence of London Underground ghosts remains contested, but those tasked with the Tube’s upkeep are haunted by one pesky phenomenon.
With millions of passengers travelling on the Tube network daily, it would be a miracle if there was no sign of the usage – the ghost marks.
But, instead of a supernatural ghoul lurking in the Underground tunnels, the ghost marks have a more normal origin on the Elizabeth line.
The Elizabeth line in particular is plagued by the marks because of its fresh white walls at relatively new stations, which opened in 2022.
They appear to be a magnet for grease and dirt stains off passengers’ backs and heads, so TfL has taken new measures to prevent them.
Ghost marks first appeared around a year and a half after the £20,000,000,000 Elizabeth line launched.
TfL previously said it was looking into new ways to clean the wall behind the platform seating ‘to try to remove any marks and protect the walls in future’ when the first marks appeared.
Now, TfL has found a creative way to prevent further ghost marks – colourful figures inspired by the Tube seat designs to protect the walls.
They have been installed at Bond Street, Farringdon and Liverpool Street stations at first.
Howard Smith, the Elizabeth line director, told BBC News: ‘The Elizabeth line has had a transformational effect since opening, providing new, accessible journey options for customers, including at new central London stations.
‘These stylish new moquette-inspired designs will enhance the customer experience by protecting the areas behind the seats.’
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The mayor of London Sadiq Khan first faced the question of the station wall cleanliness at the end of 2023, the Standard reports.
He said at the time that TfL maintains ‘a rigorous cleaning programme’ at all of its stations, but it was also exploring new ways the keep the areas clean.
The Elizabeth line has been heralded as a ‘game-changer’ for London when it opened. Customers have said previously the line is ‘more spacious and cleaner’ than the Tube.
By January 2025, the Elizabeth line had recorded 500,000,000 passengers since it opened.
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