List of least used railway stations of Great Britain
Least Used Station for 2020/21 period (current) Teesside Airport | |
---|---|
Location | County Durham England |
Grid reference | NZ373138 |
Managed by | Northern |
Platforms | 2 (1 in use) |
Other information | |
Station code | TEA |
Key dates | |
3 October 1971 | Opened |
25 November 2021 | Announced as least used station |
Passengers | |
2018/19 | 338 |
2019/20 | 2[a] |
This article will show a list of the top five least used stations of Great Britain in the year stated. A least used station is a station that received the fewest entries/exits (described as a passenger) as defined by Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in a given timeframe. These statistics are released by the ORR every December or January.
Overview[]
This table shows the top least used stations of every period covered in this page. ↓ = Lowest number seen by a least used station in this article, ↑ = Highest number seen by a least used station in this article.
Station Name | Location | Passengers | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020/21 | Sugar Loaf | Powys | 0↓ | The six stations drew in this period
The Covid-19 Pandemic severely affected these statistics |
Stanlow and Thornton | Cheshire | |||
Sampford Courtenay | Devon | |||
Llanbedr | Gwynedd | |||
Beasdale | Highland | |||
Abererch | Gwynedd | |||
2019/20 | Berney Arms | Norfolk | 42 | |
2018/19 | Stanlow and Thornton | Cheshire | 46↑ | The two stations drew in this period |
Denton | Greater Manchester | |||
2017/18 | Redcar British Steel | Teesside | 40 | |
2016/17 | Barry Links | Angus | 24 | |
2015/16 | Shippea Hill | Cambridgeshire | 12 | Was the least used station twice in a row |
2014/15 | 22 | |||
2013/14 | Teesside Airport | County Durham | 8 | Was the least used station four times in a row |
2012/13 | 8 | |||
2011/12 | 14 | |||
2010/11 | 18 | |||
2009/10 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 42 | |
2008/09 | Teesside Airport | County Durham | 44 | |
2007/08 | Crosskeys | Caerphilly | 8 | Station opened during this period |
2006/07 | Tyndrum Lower | Stirling | 17 | |
2005/06 | Gainsborough Central | Lincolnshire | 21 | Was the least used station twice in a row |
2004/05 | 21 | |||
2003/04 | Statistics were not released for this period. See the section for this period for more details. | |||
2002/03 | Barry Links | Angus | 8 | The two stations drew in this period |
Gainsborough Central | Lincolnshire | |||
2001/02 | Beauly | Highland | 23 | Station opened during this period |
2000/01 | Buckenham | Norfolk | 22 | |
1999/00 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 14 |
Publicity[]
The publicity around these stations is fuelled by the nature of how unusual they are. Railway enthusiasts are known to visit them for either being able to say they have been there, or in order to boost the station's statistics up to make it more used. Geoff Marshall, a YouTuber known for his railway-related content, has a series dedicated to visiting these stations.[1] His project with his wife Vicki Pipe, All the Stations, was also a primary reason for increasing the number of passengers at Shippea Hill between the 2015/16 period and 2016/17 period.[2]
There has also been news coverage on a few of the Least Used Stations, for example Berney Arms had an ITV reporter sent to cover it when it was announced in the 2019/20 period.[3]
Statistics[]
Period between 2020 and 2021[]
COVID-19[]
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great effect on the railway network in Great Britain. Usage fell approximately 78% in the period between April 2020 and March 2021.[4] Some stations were even closed for long periods of time due to inability to Social distance, caused by short platforms.
Zero Stations[]
There were 6 stations which were used by 0 people in this period, those being: Abererch, Beasdale, Llanbedr, Sampford Courtenay, Stanlow and Thornton, and Sugar Loaf.[4] Abererch, Llanbedr, and Sugar Loaf were some of a few stations closed during the pandemic due to social distancing measures.[4] Sampford Courtenay was last served by Great Western Railway in summer 2019, and had all of its services withdrawn in December 2019 not long before the Dartmoor Heritage Railway went into administration, and no trains have served it since.[5] Beasdale and Stanlow & Thornton had low passenger usage pre-pandemic, so the restrictions impacted this even further.[4] These stations will not be shown in the table for this period, but will be shown in the overview table.
Stations above zero[]
The least used station in this period (other than zero stations) was Teesside Airport, see period 2013 and 2014 for further information on this station. The second least used was Tygwyn in Gwynedd. Pre-pandemic, this station got around 2000 passengers annually. However, it was closed during the pandemic due to social distancing measures, and when it was re-opened it never gained back its previous form. This is the same for most stations which fell dramatically in this period. Other than zero stations, the statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[4]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Teesside Airport | County Durham | 2 |
2 | Tygwyn | Gwynedd | 4 |
3 | Okehampton | Devon | 6 |
4 | Llandanwg | Gwynedd | 8 |
5 | Kirton Lindsey | Lincolnshire | 10 |
Period between 2019 and 2020[]
Due to the stats for this period finishing recording in March, this release was not completely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The least used station in the whole country for this period was Berney Arms, a small request stop on a lesser-used line between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. It dropped by approximately 90% from its statistics last year, due to it being closed for 15 months for signalling work.[6] The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[7]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Berney Arms | Norfolk | 42 |
2 | Elton & Orston | Nottingham | 68 |
3 | Stanlow & Thornton | Cheshire | 82 |
4 | Havenhouse | Lincolnshire | 84 |
5 | Denton | Greater Manchester | 92 |
Period between 2018 and 2019[]
The least used station in this period was a tie, the title being taken by both Stanlow and Thornton and Denton. Denton has always been very underused, being on a line that only gets one 2-way journey on a Saturday only. Stanlow and Thornton used to get an hourly service in the 1980s, but it has now been reduced to two trains in each direction a day.[8] The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[9]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Denton | Greater Manchester | 46 |
Stanlow & Thornton | Cheshire | ||
3 | Reddish South | Greater Manchester | 60 |
4 | Barry Links | Angus | 122 |
5 | Havenhouse | Lincolnshire | 158 |
Period between 2017 and 2018[]
The least used station in this period was Redcar British Steel. It suffered a massive drop in passengers in this period, going from above 1000 passengers in 2014/15 dropping to just 40 in this period.[10][circular reference] This is due to the steel works which this station served being closed,[11] and the station having no access other than from the train. The station itself had all of its services suspended in December 2019. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[12]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Redcar British Steel | Teesside | 40 |
2 | Barry Links | Angus | 52 |
3 | Denton | Greater Manchester | 70 |
4 | Teesside Airport | Teesside | 74 |
5 | Stanlow & Thornton | Cheshire | 92 |
Period between 2016 and 2017[]
The least used station in this period was Barry Links. Originally opened by the Dundee and Arbroath Railway, Barry Links is located on the Dundee–Aberdeen line just east of the town of Barry. Its always been fairly unused due to a very sparse train service (one train a day in each direction).[13] The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[14]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Barry Links | Angus | 24 |
2 | Teesside Airport | Teesside | 30 |
3 | Breich | West Lothian | 48 |
4 | Redcar British Steel | Teesside | 50 |
5 | Kildonan | Highland | 76 |
Period between 2015 and 2016[]
The least used station in this period was Shippea Hill. Originally opened as 'Mildenhall Road' in 1845, it has since been through two name changes; one in 1885 which saw it named as 'Burnt Fen', and again in 1904 where it was renamed to its current name, Shippea Hill.[15] Its located on the Breckland line, approximately six miles west of Ely. Its location is the reason of it being so least used. The statistics for this period show the top five least used stations to be:[16]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Shippea Hill | Cambridgeshire | 12 |
2 | Reddish South | Greater Manchester | 38 |
3 | Pilning | Gloucestershire | 46 |
4 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 48 |
5 | Barry Links | Angus | 68 |
Period between 2014 and 2015[]
The least used station in this period was Shippea Hill (It had this honour three times in a row). See above for background information on this station. The second least used was Coombe Junction Halt, a station which always seems to find itself in the top five or ten. This is due to its location (on a small industrial estate near Liskeard) and its sparse service.[17] The statistics for this period show the top five least used stations to be:[18]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Shippea Hill | Cambridgeshire | 22 |
2 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 26 |
3 | Teesside Airport | Teesside | 32 |
4 | Reddish South | Greater Manchester | 54 |
5 | Barry Links | Angus | 60 |
Period between 2013 and 2014[]
The least used station in this period was Teesside Airport (It had this honour four times in a row). It is a very sparsely served station on the Tees Valley line. It only receives one train a week as of the December 2020 timetable coming into effect.[19] It has two platforms but only one is used due to there being only one service a week. It serves Teesside International Airport, which by airport-standards is also fairly under-used. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[20]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Teesside Airport | Teesside | 8 |
2 | Shippea Hill | Cambridgeshire | 12 |
3 | Reddish South | Greater Manchester | 26 |
4 | Barry Links | Angus | 40 |
5 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 42 |
Period between 2012 and 2013[]
The least used station in this period was Teesside Airport. It had this honour four times in a row. See above for background information on the station. The second least used was Coombe Junction Halt, a small halt on the Looe Valley Line. It only gets four trains a day (two in each direction) as most trains reverse at the level crossing around 50 ft down the track. See Looe Valley Line for more information. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[21]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Teesside Airport | Teesside | 8 |
2 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 48 |
3 | Shippea Hill | Cambridgeshire | 50 |
4 | Barry Links | Angus | 52 |
5 | Kildonan | Highland | 62 |
Period between 2011 and 2012[]
The least used station in this period was Teesside Airport. It had this honour four times in a row. See above for background information on the station. The second least used station was Dorking West. The only reason it gets this title is due to a supposed anomalous result caused by a 'computer predicting system'.[22] This station would usually see around 50,000 passengers each year.[23] The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[21]
- Teesside Airport, in Teesside, which totalled 14 passengers in this period
- Dorking West, in Surrey, which totalled 16 passengers in this period[22]
- Denton, in Greater Manchester, which totalled 30 passengers in this period
- Reddish South, in Greater Manchester, which totalled 56 passengers in this period
- Coombe Junction Halt, in Cornwall, which totalled 60 passengers in this period
Period between 2010 and 2011[]
The least used station in this period was Teesside Airport. It had this honour four times in a row. See above for background information on this station. The second least used station was Dorking West. This station got second place twice in a row (see above) due to a supposed anomalous results caused by a 'computer predicting system'.[22] See above for background information on this station. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
- Teesside Airport, in Teesside, which totalled 18 passengers in this period
- Dorking West, in Surrey, which totalled 22 passengers in this period[22]
- Coombe Junction Halt, in Cornwall, which totalled 38 passengers in this period
- Denton, in Greater Manchester, which totalled 52 passengers in this period
- Breich, in West Lothian, which totalled 68 passengers in this period
Period between 2009 and 2010[]
The least used station in this period was Coombe Junction Halt, a small halt on the Looe Valley Line. Owing to its sparse service of four trains a day,[17] and its location on an industrial estate near Liskeard, this station is always very under used. More background information on this station is available in the section for the period between 2012 and 2013. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
- Coombe Junction Halt, in Cornwall, which totalled 42 passengers in this period
- Teesside Airport, in Teesside, which totalled 68 passengers in this period
- Reddish South, in Greater Manchester, which totalled 76 passengers in this period
- Barry Links, in Angus, which totalled 90 passengers in this period
- Sugar Loaf, in Powys, which totalled 106 passenger in this period[b]
Period between 2008 and 2009[]
The least used station in this period was Teesside Airport. Background information for this station is available in the section for the 2013 and 2014 period. The second least used station in this period was Denton. Located on the Stockport–Stalybridge line, it only receives two services (one to Stalybridge and one to Stockport) on a Saturday. Owing to this, this station is always hovering around the top five, but very rarely actually going top. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
- Teesside Airport, in Teesside, which totalled 44 passengers in this period
- Denton, in Greater Manchester, which totalled 56 passengers in this period
- Maidstone Barracks, in Maidstone, which totalled 70 passengers in this period
- Kirton Lindsey, in Lincolnshire, which totalled 88 passengers in this period
- Barry Links, in Angus, which totalled 94 passengers in this period
Period between 2007 and 2008[]
The least used station in this period was Crosskeys. The only reason it earnt this title was due to the station only being reopened during this period, and there was not enough time for the station to get a proper usage. It is located on the Ebbw Valley Railway in Wales and is served with one train an hour in each direction on Monday to Saturday, and approximately one train every two hours on a Sunday. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
- Crosskeys, in Caerphilly, which totalled 8 passengers in this period
- Llanhilleth, in Blaenau Gwent, which totalled 10 passengers in this period
- Reddish South, in Greater Manchester, which totalled 47 passengers in this period
- Dorking West, in Surrey, which totalled 52 passengers in this period[22][c]
- Teesside Airport, in Teesside, which totalled 52 passengers in this period
Period between 2006 and 2007[]
The least used station in this period was Tyndrum Lower. One of two stations in the small village of Tyndrum, this one is located on the West Highland Line. With only six trains calling at this station on Monday-Saturday, and the local village only having a population of 167,[25] this station is always rather unused, now getting around 5,000 passengers modern-day.[26] The statistics for this period showed the top five least used station to be:[24]
- Tyndrum Lower, in Stirling, which totalled 17 passengers in this period
- Buckenham, in Norfolk, which totalled 22 passengers in this period
- Coombe Junction Halt, in Cornwall, which totalled 32 passengers in this period
- Golf Street, in Angus, which totalled 38 passengers in this period
- Barry Links, in Angus, which totalled 44 passengers in this period
Period between 2005 and 2006[]
The least used station in this period was Gainsborough Central. It had this honour twice in a row. The station earned this title due to its sparse Saturday-only service which were introduced in British Rail in 1993.[27] Located on the Sheffield–Lincoln line it only three of these Saturday only trains. It has since gained a better service after a long campaign for better service on the line finally succeeded.[27] The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
- Gainsborough Central, in Lincolnshire, which totalled 21 passengers in this period
- Shippea Hill, in Cambridgeshire, which totalled 26 passengers in this period
- Barry Links, in Angus, which totalled 28 passengers in this period
- Buckenham, in Norfolk, which totalled 29 passengers in this period
- Dorking West, in Surrey, which totalled 40 passengers in this period[22][c]
Period between 2004 and 2005[]
The least used station in this period was Gainsborough Central. It had this honour twice in a row. See above for background information on this station. The second least used station in this period was Watford West. Despite the station being closed by this time, 25 people still purchased a ticket to this station, causing the statistics to count it. The station closed in 2002, the line itself being closed a year later. See Watford West for more information. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
- Gainsborough Central, in Lincolnshire, which totalled 21 passengers in this period
- Watford West, in Hertfordshire, which totalled 25 passengers in this period
- Barry Links, in Angus, which totalled 26 passengers in this period
- Dorking West, in Surrey, which totalled 29 passengers in this period[22][c]
- Golf Street, in Angus, which totalled 30 passengers in this period
Period between 2003 and 2004[]
Statistics for this period were not produced due to a change in the methodology used.[28]
Period between 2002 and 2003[]
The least used station in this period was Barry Links and Gainsborough Central. For background information on these stations, see period 2004 and 2005 for Gainsborough Central and period 2016 and 2017 for Barry Links. The third least used station for this period was Golf Street. Located on the Dundee–Aberdeen line, the station only gets three trains a day, and to this day it remains in the top five least used stations in Scotland.[29] The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24][d]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Barry Links | Angus | 8 |
2 | Gainsborough Central | Lincolnshire | 8 |
3 | Golf Street | Angus | 18 |
4 | Watford West | Hertfordshire | 26 |
5 | Shippea Hill | Cambridgeshire | 29 |
Period between 2001 and 2002[]
The least used station in this period was Beauly. It only gained this title as the station was opened during this period, so it did not have enough time to gain a significant number of passengers. Its located on the Far North Line between Inverness and Muir of Ord. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Beauly | Highland | 23 |
2 | Barry Links | Angus | 24 |
3 | Gainsborough Central | Lincolnshire | 24 |
4 | Pontefract Baghill | West Yorkshire | 40 |
5 | Buckenham | Norfolk | 41 |
Period between 2000 and 2001[]
The least used station in this period was Buckenham. This station is rather unique in the way that it only receives services on weekend. This is not unheard of but also not common. It has this irregular service pattern due to its popularity with walkers and bird-spotters[30] as it is located next to the RSPB Buckenham Marshes and RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Buckenham | Norfolk | 22 |
2 | Barry Links | Angus | 31 |
3 | Gainsborough Central | Lincolnshire | 31 |
4 | Pilning | Gloucestershire | 36 |
5 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 44 |
Period between 1999 and 2000[]
The least used station for this period was Ditton, despite having no services since 1994. The reason it still ranks in this period despite it having no services is because someone purchased a ticket to and from this station. Unusually, this period, a station was created in the data under the name of "King's Cross St Pancras" which recorded only 41 passengers despite the usage for both stations individually being many thousands of times greater. The statistics for this period showed the top five least used stations to be:[24]
Position | Station Name | Station Location | Usage Figure |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ditton | Cheshire | 1 |
2 | Coombe Junction Halt | Cornwall | 14 |
3 | Buckenham | Norfolk | 18 |
4 | Gainsborough Central | Lincolnshire | 19 |
5 | Pilning | Gloucestershire | 23 |
Periods before this[]
A request to the ORR for information periods earlier than 2010 and 2011 was successful. The statistics provided for periods before 1999 and 2000 seem unreliable so will not be put into this article.
References[]
- ^ "Least Used Stations - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ^ "Shippea Hill station: Least visited site joins challenge". BBC News. 2017-06-03. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ^ Berney Arms - Least Used Station in Britain (2019/20), retrieved 2021-11-25
- ^ a b c d e "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
- ^ "Dartmoor Railway goes into Administration". RailAdvent. 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2021-12-24.
- ^ "Station Usage 2019/20" (PDF). Office of Rail and Road. p. 1.
- ^ "Estimates of Station Usage". Office of Rail and Road.
- ^ Geoff Marshall. "Stanlow and Thornton - Least Used Station in Cheshire". YouTube.
- ^ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT-BHrG096Mf-R8xLztejMWc_ArrYNhG_vNnn__85AcrKboWY7QeFlzCXPqN1Hs4n-Sck-e8at9RM4s/pub?output=xlsx
- ^ "Wayback Machine capture of this article showing the passenger usage in 2014/15". Archived from the original on 2020-11-12.
- ^ "BBC Article about the Redcar Steelworks shutting". BBC News. 12 October 2015.
- ^ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ9UIRY4fhsXXerQ_lXR999iUVdLi7TpsyNGmhs3G1kFGGTXyJhT-JnFkT9Ku9bT4HQHwtm72g34zPL/pubhtml
- ^ "National Rail Enquiries | Barry Links". National Rail Enquiries. 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Estimates of Station Usage 2016/17" (PDF). Office for Rail and Road.
- ^ "City of Ely: Introduction | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
- ^ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSFEnyhkT08jewb6ZDw-ieVy0tbtpS7DkCyNbOKeKiLq-kEwJzQmV5F4S7HrqFw4xMOrJlYbXhxjdRT/pubhtml
- ^ a b "GWR Looe Valley Line Timetable" (PDF). 16 December 2020.
- ^ "Station Usage (2015/16)". Office of Rail and Road.
- ^ "December 2020 timetable" (PDF). Northern Rail. 12 December 2020.
- ^ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRIYuC11EXeOC02hyA1bZEeUjUTwLBzoza2JMakqCmRQh8qg0Ehpsc7s_oKq9T3JVbznhRDIGec0ng2/pubhtml
- ^ a b https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTxgLaRfoQh7bQsvLWMRrgjqcCYDGsEqXdnTlwbVc9OAmvdczxEMBWk0S14IBR3UoG1YddJjodkds8_/pubhtml
- ^ a b c d e f g Martin, Guy (2013-05-09). "Dorking West station usage figures 'an anomaly'". SurreyLive. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
- ^ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTxgLaRfoQh7bQsvLWMRrgjqcCYDGsEqXdnTlwbVc9OAmvdczxEMBWk0S14IBR3UoG1YddJjodkds8_/pubhtml This shows that Dorking West got around 50,000 in the period after this.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Station Usage Estimates".
- ^ Contributors, Ewan Crawford. "Upper Tyndrum - RAILSCOT". www.railscot.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
- ^ , Wikipedia, 2020-12-06, retrieved 2020-12-23
- ^ a b , Wikipedia, 2020-12-03, retrieved 2020-12-23
- ^ "Passenger Usage Statistics for 2015/16 period - a Freedom of Information request to Office of Rail and Road". 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
- ^ "Buckenham - Least Used Station In Norfolk - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
External links[]
- Estimates of station usage, released by the Office of Rail and Road.
- Archived Estimates, on National Archives (for periods from 1997 to 2017)
Notes[]
- ^ Covid-19 Pandemic caused significant decrease.
- ^ Only station to break through the 100-passenger mark in this list
- ^ a b c May not be due to this, but this seems to be the only logical theory
- ^ The spreadsheet provided for this period does not provided the added together entries and exits, so this has been done manually.
- Railway stations in Great Britain