There are thousands of railway stations in the world, but only a few really hold a prominent history or are so ornately decorated and constructed, that people strictly use them to see their wonders and charms. It's surprising that these train stations still exist, with some of them being built in the 18th or 19th century and still remaining intact and of course, in use for people to get to wherever they need to be.

We've listed a few of these impressive train stations, with some featuring jaw-dropping Victorian-Gothic architecture, immense halls and built with exquisite marble and stone. However, we've also listed train stations that were probably once beautifully decorated, but sadly, saw their last trains depart and were left to be abandoned forever.

These forgotten train stations look like ghost towns and some have been left abandoned for so long, forests have taken them over, completely covering them in greenery. Some of the most notable abandoned stations are City Hall Station in New York City where a once gorgeous station that included large chandeliers and glass tiles ended up closing because of its inability to cater to larger trains. A popular and massive station, Michigan Central Station in Detroit, is a reminder of the city's rise and its dramatic fall.

Check out the ten train stations that look like ghost towns and ten railway stations that have lived on through centuries, and have retained their charm.

20 Ghost Town: City Hall Station

City Hall Station in New York City is one of the most gorgeous abandoned train stations in the world. Opened in 1904 by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, the station featured stunning architectural work, including glass tiles, large chandeliers, and a beautifully arched platform. Sadly, it was closed in 1945 and wasn't used much because of its curving platform and its inability to cater to larger trains. While the public isn't allowed to visit the abandoned station, members of the New York Transit Museum are. However, passengers can stay on the train when it loops around and heads back uptown and catch of glimpse of the station as it passes through old City Hall station.

19 Ghost Town: Croix-Rouge In Paris

While thousands of people use the metro system in Paris, not many know that there are dozens of stations that look like ghost towns. One station, in particular, is called Croix-Rouge, which was commissioned in 1923 and closed in 1939 because of its proximity to the Sevres-Babylon station. The station has been marked with a ton of graffiti, however underneath all of these markings are still remnants of tiles that pre-date World War II. The abandoned train station has become famous in a way with artists and travelers visiting it and using it for installations.

18 Ghost Town: Cincinnati Subway

The Cincinnati Subway Station in Cincinnati, Ohio was a project all gone wrong. The city tried to build this station in the early 1900's after the river trade was at its peak; however, the station was never up and running, and basically failed. A number of problems arose while building the station including budget redrafts and halted construction attempts. It is considered a failed attempt for the city and remains abandoned, becoming America's largest abandoned station. The project to create this subway station was finally stopped in the 1920's, but visitors can still go and check out the underground subway tunnel as one of the many tours available in the area.

17 Ghost Town: Aldwych Tube Station

London's abandoned Aldwych Tube Station was opened in 1907 and was used as a bomb shelter during the Blitz in the 1940s as well as a hiding place for British Museum treasures. During the time when it actually ran, the station was used to service the Piccadilly line but closed in 1994 because of maintenance costs. While the station is closed now, it is being used by different organizations to train police and the fire brigade. There are tours offered here and has been actually used in some major Hollywood films including "V for Vendetta" and "Atonement."

16 Ghost Town: Porte des Lilas-Cinéma Station

Porte des Lilas-Cinema Station is just another one of dozens of stations in Paris that have been left abandoned. However, this railway station has become very popular for films and has been used for numerous movie sets and is known as the Parisian subway of the movies. You might even recognize the station in the 2001 film "Amelie," where they renamed the station "Abbesses." According to a guide, the trains that are stationed here are only used for decor and directors like to film here because it is quite comfortable and they can change the layout of the station if they wish. Like many other stations, Porte des Lilas was built in 1921, but was no longer needed and was disused in 1939.

15 Ghost Town: Estacion Canfranc

Canfranc International railway station is a stunning abandoned station in Spain, which was opened in 1928 and closed in 1970 when a train derailment on the Pau-Canfranc railway line, demolished the L’Estanguet Bridge, and the bridge was never rebuilt. The main building was 240 meters long and had 364 windows and 156 doors. It's easy to picture how stunning this station might have appeared when lit up at night thanks to its numerous windows and impressive solid structure. Sadly, it appears that the building is decaying, but it's been said that the government of Aragon plans to turn the station into a hotel and build a new station beside it.

14 Ghost Town: West Oakland 16th Street Station

The massive West Oakland 16th Street Station opened in the early 20th century and was one of the three train stations that opened at the time in Oakland, California. When an earthquake hit the area in 1989, the station ultimately closed and what you see today is a large abandoned building and it's railroad tracks that have shown signs of decay. Thankfully, the building became one of Oakland's historic landmarks and is now being used as a rental space for events. There is still lots of graffiti sprawling all over the building and its industrial space can make you feel as if you went back in time.

13 Ghost Town: Petite Ceinture Station

Built over 150 years ago, the Petite Ceinture ("little belt") is an abandoned railway that stretches nineteen-miles and has become a fantastic urban space. You can find gardens, art, flowerbeds, school children sitting and doing their homework, people lounging and playing board games and is said to be very reminiscent of the New York High Line. According to The Guardian, while the abandoned railway become a great green space, the line is also "dotted with entry points to the Paris catacombs," so it is not unusual to be walking here and find the city's "urban explorers rising from the depths of the city's underbelly through secret passageways."

12 Ghost Town: Helensburgh Station

The former Helensburgh Railway Station looks like something out of a movie. A forest has literally grown over the old station and it is quite stunning and eerie at the same time. The Helensburgh tunnels were built on the Sutherland to Wollongong line in the 1880s in Australia and were abandoned thirty years later to make it easier for the steam locomotives. Many people believe that the tunnels are haunted after a number of deaths occurred. However, people still come to see these abandoned tunnels and the overgrowth of forest that has covered a station that is a reminder of the speed of Australia's growth.

11 Ghost Town: Michigan Central Station

This jaw-dropping station in Detroit, Michigan is a reminder of the city's rise and it's dramatic fall. The station was built in 1913 and saw over 200 trains every single day at its peak. The interior of the building was spectacular and it was known as Detroit's Ellis Island, where thousands of generations of Detroiters would come to the city for jobs at factories. The last train to exit the station of this massive depot was in 1988, and since then, the building has become a hot spot for looters, trespassers, and squatters. Thankfully, after years of speculation, Ford Motor Company bought the building in 2018 and will renovate it by 2022.

10 Still Running: Antwerpen Centraal Station

Antwerpen Centraal Station is one of the most impressive railway stations in the world. It was completed in 1905 by King Leopold II and is a neo-Baroque style station with more than 20 types of marble and stone. The station is located in Antwerp, Belgium and was originally built as the terminus of the Brussels-Mechelen-Antwerp railway line, but now works as a through-station for commuter trains, intercity trains, and Thalys high-speed trains connecting Amsterdam to Paris and Lille via Belgium. The station also features iron and glass vaulted ceilings and if you ever make it to this station and have a little time, walk around and glance at all of its beauty.

9 Still Running: St. Pancras International

St. Pancras International is located in London and is a sight to see with its red brick Gothic facade. The enormous building took a whopping twenty years to build and was finally completed in 1869. Its stunning facade is a testament to England's Victorian architecture and it welcomes people coming into London from all over Europe including France and Belgium. During World War II, the building was used as a meeting point for Allied soldiers and an escape route. Today, you'll find many people going in and out the station and there are even numerous shops, restaurants and bars inside for travelers who need to pass the time while waiting for their train.

8 Still Running: Grand Central Terminal

New York's Grand Central Terminal was completed in 1913 and still holds the same charm as it did back then. Millions of people walk through this station every year and it is the world's largest railway station with food courts at its lower level, shops, bars, and even tennis courts upstairs. The main concourse of the spectacular building is jaw-dropping, with a celestial mural on its ceiling, gold chandeliers, and antique gold-barred ticket stations where passengers still go to when purchasing their tickets. Grand Central Terminal is also full of secrets, from a Whispering Gallery to a hidden bar. If you are looking for a bite, its recommend passengers check out the Oyster Bar.

7 Still Running: Estacao De Sao Bento

In Porto, Portugal, you'll find this awe-inspiring station with its blue and white mural depicting the country's history. The station occupies the site of the former Benedictine convent of S. Bento de Ave-Maria, which dated back to 1518, but by the 19th century had fallen and later replaced by this impeccable station. The Sao Bento Station is among one of Europe's most breathtaking stations where train enthusiasts will admire the tiles depicting historical scenes, with most of them containing a Catholic message. It took artist Jorge Colaco 14 years to complete and it is made up of a whopping 20,000 tin-glazed ceramic tiles.

6 Still Running: Kazansky Railway Station

Train stations in Moscow, Russia are known for being lavishly decorated and the Kazansky Railway Station is no different. The station is the western terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway and also the city's largest train station. It took 27 years to complete and was up and running in 1940. Alexey Shchusev who was an architect to both Tsars and even Stalin designed it. One of the most elaborate places here is the station's restaurant, where travelers dine under a beautifully decorated ceiling before boarding their train. On the façade of the train station, passengers will notice a clock with signs in gold.

5 Still Running: Milano Centrale

Milano Centrale railway station is the main railway station for Milan, Italy and has about 500 trains passing through every day going from the city to the rest of Italy and further. The station is the largest train station in Europe by volume and replaced two previous stations, with the first being laid out by King Victor Emmanuel III. The station has numerous architectural styles, mostly Art Deco which combines to create a stunning station with 11,000 cubic meters to marble. The arrival hall is huge; there are numerous sculptures demonstrating strength and power when it became more complex during Mussolini's regime, and it's walled in the central hall are covered in marble and travertine stone.

4 Still Running: Helsinki Central

Helsinki Central Railway Station has a beautiful exterior with distinguishing features such as its clock tower and two pairs of enormous statues holding spherical lamps, lit up at nighttime, on either side of the station's main entrance. The main entrance also features a huge arched window and surrounding it there are bow patterns, toothed patterns and floral patterns in an Art Nouveau style. Helsinki Central is the main station for commuter rail and long-distance trains departing Helsinki, Finland and sees over 400,000 people per day. The station building was opened in 1919 and is mostly clad in Finnish granite. In 2013, the BBC chose Helsinki Central as the worlds most beautiful railway stations.

3 Still Running: Dunedin Railway Station

The Dunedin Railway Station in New Zealand is massive and covered in spectacular embellishments that you won't see in other railway station. Dunedin Railway Station opened in 1906 and hasn't lost any of its charms since then. The station is reflected of Flemish Renaissance-style featuring white Oamaru limestone facing on black basalt rock. The station resembles a large Gingerbread House and is very fascinating. The booking hall features a mosaic floor of nearly 75,000 tiles of Royal Doulton porcelain. The ground floor of the station is used as a restaurant while the upper floors have an art gallery and a sports hall of fame.

2 Still Running: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a historic railway station in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India built in stunning architectural styles of Victorian-Gothic art and Indo-Saracenic Revival. The railway station is an important part of the city's growth and life and is well connected by rails to all parts of the country. The station is also a UNESCO Heritage Site and a symbol of Bombay's reputation. The massive and impressive building was designed by British architect Frederick William Stevens to honor Queen Victoria, Empress of India. The railway station was completed in 1888, mixing Eastern Western styles and was inspired by St. Pancras and Indian palace architecture.

1 Still Running: Gare de Lyon

Located in Paris, France, Gare de Lyon is one of the busiest railway stations in Europe and is marvelous both inside and out. The station features a prominent clock tower, stone facade, glass and iron ceiling, and Beaux-Arts detail. There are a whopping 90 million passengers who use this station, which serves trains headed to the south and east of France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Its most famous feature is Le Train Bleu, the station's dazzling restaurant that has been serving famous guests including Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Salvador Dali, and Jean Cocteau.

References: atlasobscura.com, thisinsider.com, businessinsider.com, euronews.com, dailytelegrapg.com.au, historicdetroit.org