During early planning of the municipal transit system, Eureka Valley station was positioned to serve as a transfer station to the
Sunset Tunnel, whose east portal was originally to be located at the corner of Market and Eureka streets. The station had low platforms, with a single staircase on each platform leading to a small headhouse on each side of Market Street. Just east of the station, the tunnel dipped sharply (to connect to a planned Market Street subway) then rose to the surface at Castro Street. The station was permanently closed in 1972, and "temporary" ramps to the surface were built through the east ends of the platforms, allowing construction of the new subway while maintaining existing streetcar service (on 17th Street, Church, and Duboce). Cars on the K, L, and M lines began using temporary trackage on 17th Street on December 2, 1972, though the ramps were not completed until 1973. The remaining platforms are the Bay Area's only
ghost station and can be seen from passing trains. The stairwells remain in place, leading to emergency exits in the sidewalks outside. ==References==