Time stops at Chamberí station

For decades, the underground station of Chamberí, located in the very centre of Madrid, has been ignored not only by trains but also by passengers. It has been known as the ghost station. Nowadays, it has been turned into a museum which is open to the public.

Those who wish to visit it, will see the original iron ticket offices and old advertisements painted on glazed tiles. In addition, we can also see archaic signpostings that indicate where we must leave used tickets. It seems as if time has stopped there. After recalling how Calle Bravo Murillo has changed, today we will go for A Walk Into the Past, visiting Chamberí Station. Would you like to come with us?

CERAMICS AND GLAZED TILES ON THE PLATFORM

Chamberí Station was inaugurated in 1919. At that time it only had one Line with eight stations.

The architect Antonio Palacios designed it. It was a very striking station at that time due to the fact that it was decorated with colourful glazed tiles which turned, what could have been a gloomy station, into a bright one.

The ceramic murals, of the 20´s, with advertisements painted on them, also drew the attention of the passengers. In the 60´s, the number of passengers increased more and more. Because of this, the stations of Line 1 were expanded. That was when Chamberí Station was closed down. It was impossible to prolong it due to the curve of the route and the proximity of other stations.

Thus, for decades, Chamberí Station fell into disuse. It was not until 2006 that its restoration was approved to turn it into a museum open to the public. We must point out that it is a magnificent opportunity to see and imagine how passengers travelled in the underground 50 years ago.

A VERY ARTISTIC STATION

In spite of the fact that Chamberí Station fell into disuse for over 40 years, it has constantly come to mind to the Madrileños. As a result of this, it has been connected to some artistic productions. For instance, in the 80´s a new rock group from Madrid called Los Coyotes, composed the song The Ghost Station which was inspired by it. Furthermore, Chamberí Station was chosen to shoot some of the scenes of the film Pájaros de Papel which was based on the Spanish Civil War.

A LOFT IN THE CENTRE OF CHAMBERI

Near Chamberí Station, in Calle Bretón de los Herreros, we have a beautiful loft which has recently been restored with top-quality materials.