What are the least used heritage railway stations.

[stadler]

Are there any heritage railway stations that get very little usage and hardly anyone boards or alights? For heritage railways there are no usage statistics publicly available but i am wondering if anyone is aware of any with very little usage?

Most heritage railway stations are well used with people getting on and off at all but i know that some heritage railways have very little publicity about some small intermediate stations so i am wondering about perhaps some of these.

Some that i am thinking of are Rolvenden and Wittersham Road on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. Newby Bridge on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway. Colesloggett Halt on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. Also some of the multiple tiny rural ones on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway. All of these have had no other usage when i have been.

 

[Iskra]

I’d imagine that Newtondale Halt on the NYMR and the intermediate stops on Ecclesbourne Valley and Peak Rail would all be contenders, as well as any on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

 

[The Pelican]

This Wikipedia article- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stations_and_halts_on_the_Talyllyn_Railway
- describes Fach Goch on the Talyllyn Railway as that railway's least used. The Talyllyn or the Vale or Rhiedol are good shouts since both have low platforms (hence less need for expensive paltform structures) and have remained open continuously since construction (so most stops built since that time are likely to have remained open). The Manx Electric Railway might be a good shout as well, along similar lines.

 

[pdeaves]

The intermediate ones between Paignton and Kingswear must be in with a shout. No service, I believe, so no use by default.

 

[MP33]

From the experience of relatives, who used the Snowden Railway. The intermediate stops, have increased use. When the service is shortened due to bad weather.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Is Waterfall on the Snowden Mountain Railway still open for passengers? If it is, that must be the least used.

 

[Titfield]

Herston Halt on Swanage Railway gets very limited use

 

[Belperpete]

Most of the halts on the Ffestiniog see fairly regular use by walkers, such as Plas Halt and Dduallt. Coed y Bleddiau is used by occupants of the cottage (I think the lets come with train travel included?), and by the cleaners, so gets more usage than might be expected. Campbell's Platform is probably the least used these days, but that is a private halt.

Likewise on the Welsh Highland, halts like Nantmor and Snowdon Ranger see fairly regular use by walkers. Likewise Pont Croesor which is also used by visitors to the Osprey Centre. Least used are probably Bont Newydd and PlasyNant. In the early days, when the line just ran to Dinas and so had quite a frequent service, BontNewydd saw fairly regular use by locals wanting to avoid the "Caernarfon crawl", but use dropped off as the line extended and services became less frequent, and with the opening of the bypass. PlasyNant was I think sponsored by the hotel, but has never seen much use, and even less now the hotel has closed.

 

[37069]

Miteside and Murthwaite on the R&ER would probably both struggle to reach 3-figures of passengers per year.

 

[rower40]

As already mentioned - Colesloggett on the Bodmin & Wenford. Steam trains only call there when travelling (downhill) towards Bodmin Parkway; the gradient, and the tree cover, mean that there's too much risk of not being able to get moving again if a steam train stops there on the uphill journey towards Bodmin General. Diesels (locos and units) can stop there in both directions.

 

[A S Leib]

Mountsorrel? I think it has a very limited service to begin with, and that Nunckley Hall has the heritage centre.

 

[Quincy]

Both Avon Riverside and Oldland common stations receive little passenger usage on the the Avon riverside to my knowledge. In the last year or so I’ve only had to ever sell one ticket to/ from either station.

Edit: I’ve also only ever checked about 2 people/ group’s tickets that was for either station. (As a TTI)

 

[xotGD]

Holywell Halt on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey.

 

[jumble]

Haste Hill on the Ruislip Lido Railway?

 

[bramling]

Are there any heritage railway stations that get very little usage and hardly anyone boards or alights? For heritage railways there are no usage statistics publicly available but i am wondering if anyone is aware of any with very little usage?

Most heritage railway stations are well used with people getting on and off at all but i know that some heritage railways have very little publicity about some small intermediate stations so i am wondering about perhaps some of these.

Some that i am thinking of are Rolvenden and Wittersham Road on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. Newby Bridge on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway. Colesloggett Halt on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. Also some of the multiple tiny rural ones on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway. All of these have had no other usage when i have been.

The halts on the Talyllyn Railway have got to be in with a shout. The small ones are nothing more than a name board, and are very hard to access. I visited them for posterity a few years ago and it was quite a mission just to reach them, footpaths that didn’t seem to exist in reality, swampy fields, and a bit of a liability having to negotiate herds of cows! I think they are essentially a throwback to past days, and are only retained as a nod to history.

I’m not entirely sure what the purpose is of the intermediate stations on the Snowdon Mountain Railway nowadays either. Waterfall seems officially unused. Hebron and Halfway don’t seem to see any use either. Only Rocky Valley and Clogwyn seem to serve any purpose, and even that is only under degraded working conditions. Again presumably they’re retained for historical value, and no doubt they provide some facilities for staff working on the railway.

 

[geoffk]

Most of the halts on the Ffestiniog see fairly regular use by walkers, such as Plas Halt and Dduallt. Coed y Bleddiau is used by occupants of the cottage (I think the lets come with train travel included?), and by the cleaners, so gets more usage than might be expected. Campbell's Platform is probably the least used these days, but that is a private halt.

Likewise on the Welsh Highland, halts like Nantmor and Snowdon Ranger see fairly regular use by walkers. Likewise Pont Croesor which is also used by visitors to the Osprey Centre. Least used are probably Bont Newydd and PlasyNant. In the early days, when the line just ran to Dinas and so had quite a frequent service, BontNewydd saw fairly regular use by locals wanting to avoid the "Caernarfon crawl", but use dropped off as the line extended and services became less frequent, and with the opening of the bypass. PlasyNant was I think sponsored by the hotel, but has never seen much use, and even less now the hotel has closed.

I was on a programme of photographic charter trains last month and we covered the WHR from Porthmadog to Rhyd Ddu. As well as Nantmor, we used the halts at Hafod Rhuffyd and Pitt's Head. These must be recently built, unlike those on the Vale of Rheidol and Talyllyn, which have probably been there since the lines were built, so presumably some use by walkers was expected; likewise Meillionen Halt, a stop in the woods which we passed through, serving a camp site.

 

[Djgr]

The intermediate ones between Paignton and Kingswear must be in with a shout. No service, I believe, so no use by default.

Casualties of the "experience" trend

 

[Belperpete]

I was on a programme of photographic charter trains last month and we covered the WHR from Porthmadog to Rhyd Ddu. As well as Nantmor, we used the halts at Hafod Rhuffyd and Pitt's Head. These must be recently built, unlike those on the Vale of Rheidol and Talyllyn, which have probably been there since the lines were built, so presumably some use by walkers was expected; likewise Meillionen Halt, a stop in the woods which we passed through, serving a camp site.

The heritage group paid for name boards to be provided at Hafod Rhuffydd, Pitts Head and the sites of a couple of other historic halts, but they aren't official stops these days. I don't think there is even any public access to some of these sites. They also paid for the rebuilding of the old station building at Tryfan Junction, which is an official halt and has a footpath leading from it which is occasionally used by those walking up to the quarries.

Meillionen was I think sponsored by the camp site, and sees quite a bit of use, although less now that they are aiming at fewer but more upmarket glampers.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

May I nominate Damems station on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway? Don't think I've ever seen anyone board (or alight) there.

 

[Iskra]

Holywell Halt on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey.

It did a decent trade at the diesel gala this year, as you can change sets there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Dec 2025 ==

May I nominate Damems station on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway? Don't think I've ever seen anyone board (or alight) there.

Very popular with bashers as you can use it to change sets. It does a steady trade, I’ve seen it used plenty and used it a lot myself. A few tourists alight there for the novelty

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Very popular with bashers as you can use it to change sets. It does a steady trade, I’ve seen it used plenty and used it a lot myself. A few tourists alight there for the novelty

That's as may be, but still reckon it's the least used station on the K&WVR. Anyone doing a full line return isn't likely to be starting at Damems. And I've never ever seen anyone board or alight there.

If it's not Damems, which do you reckon is the least used station on the line?

 

[Belperpete]

That's as may be, but still reckon it's the least used station on the K&WVR. Anyone doing a full line return isn't likely to be starting at Damems. And I've never ever seen anyone board or alight there.

When I visited a couple of weeks ago, people boarded or alighted there every trip. And on one trip, a significant group of people got off at Damems. They seemed to be having a celebration of some sort, perhaps a birthday, with drinks on the train. I even used it myself.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The halts on the Talyllyn Railway have got to be in with a shout. The small ones are nothing more than a name board, and are very hard to access. I visited them for posterity a few years ago and it was quite a mission just to reach them, footpaths that didn’t seem to exist in reality, swampy fields, and a bit of a liability having to negotiate herds of cows! I think they are essentially a throwback to past days, and are only retained as a nod to history.

One of them (Quarry Siding) gets a pretty healthy load of passengers once a year at the Race the Train event, though that event's future is sadly now in the balance due to the lack of volunteers at the local Rotary Club who run it. I think they'd be surprised if anyone was waiting there outside of that event.

 

[Iskra]

That's as may be, but still reckon it's the least used station on the K&WVR. Anyone doing a full line return isn't likely to be starting at Damems. And I've never ever seen anyone board or alight there.

If it's not Damems, which do you reckon is the least used station on the line?

It probably is the least used on the KWVR, but it’s positively bustling compared to some of the other stations mentioned.

 

[43055]

I’d imagine that Newtondale Halt on the NYMR and the intermediate stops on Ecclesbourne Valley and Peak Rail would all be contenders, as well as any on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Or even Ravenstor on the EVR. Most passengers arrive then leave on the same train.

 

[Trainlog]

Some that i am thinking of are Rolvenden and Wittersham Road on the Kent & East Sussex Railway.

I will have to disagree on Rolvenden. The workshop is one of the main attractions along the line for tourists to get out and see with the viewing platform (and occasionally shed tours) along with some services being run from Tenterden and Rolvenden on events days.

Wittersham Road, definitely. Middle of nowhere, very little attraction-wise apart from the coaches and wagons on display. Post Roberstbridge extension, it would be likely to be little used except for spotters as the main passing loop will likely be at Northiam.

 

[stadler]

I will have to disagree on Rolvenden. The workshop is one of the main attractions along the line for tourists to get out and see with the viewing platform (and occasionally shed tours) along with some services being run from Tenterden and Rolvenden on events days.

Wittersham Road, definitely. Middle of nowhere, very little attraction-wise apart from the coaches and wagons on display. Post Roberstbridge extension, it would be likely to be little used except for spotters as the main passing loop will likely be at Northiam.

That is a good point. Rolvenden is certainly far more used than Wittersham Road but it is still far less used than Bodiam and Northiam and Tenterden are. Up until the mid 2010s the KESR did not even publish any times for Rolvenden and Wittersham Road in their timetables. They acted like they did not even exist even though the trains still called at both.

 

[Crawley Ben]

Doniford Halt on the West Somerset Railway?

Cheers

Ben

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

How many use Haste Hill on the Ruislip Lido Railway?

 

[xotGD]

May I nominate Damems station on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway? Don't think I've ever seen anyone board (or alight) there.

There was a chap last year who started a journey to Australia by boarding a train at Damems. I saw him waiting on the platform. Was reported in Push and Pull magazine.