ABANDONED tube stations are set to be turned into tourist attractions for visitors of the Olympic Games.

Entrepreneur Ajit Chambers is waiting for the go ahead from London Underground to start his project, where 26 underground stations will re-open for educational tours.

The 36-year-old has generated media attention after he was approached by former BBC Dragon's Den panellist Rachel Elnaugh, who has offered to be the fund raising manager for his project..

The idea is to re-open the stations ahead of the Olympic Games, some of which have been closed since the 1940's.

Stations such as Ongar, North Weald and Blake Hall, all on the Central Line, are included in the plans and could re-open for visitors to walk along the tracks.

Mr Chambers said: “The one's in the Epping Forest District are definitely on my list. All these stations near East London are my first port of call because of the Olympics. It will create tourist revenue during the 2012 Games and put cash back into the London Underground.

"I'm going to use my own money and also secure funding. The plan is to create a tourist adventure which is educational for tourists and open up 26 London Underground stations.

"Most of them were closed in the 1940's and as the economy changed during the war they had to close because they weren't creating revenue. Lots of the stations were used as shelters and in East London 2,000 women worked underground in factories. There's a lot of history behind these stations.”

Visitors would be given tours of the stations where exhibitions based on the tales behind the development of the underground would be on display.

Included in Mr Chambers plans is to open 40 shelters along the network used during the Second World War.

He added: “London Underground kept saying they could not afford to do this, but they don't have to because I'm putting my own money into it. It is more than likely going to go ahead and I'm just waiting to hear back from them. We are in discussions at the moment. Everyone is behind this.

"I need all of the stations to open before the Olympics so they will be advertising the Olympics to other countries to create more excitement before the Games.”