Finstock and Combe came up for closure in 1994 (but were saved by the Cotswold Line Promotion Group-
source). Don’t know if it got to the consultation stage, but they have a more or less usable service for commuting now (and, from experience travelling on the stopping train several times, 5-10 regular passengers each day even with the limited service).
While the CLPG campaigned against the closure proposals, what really saved Combe and Finstock from the axe was that British Rail had messed up the applications for closure.
The reason given for the proposals was that because so few passengers used the two halts, it would not be cost-effective to extend their platforms to meet new safety standards.
However, they did not notify the Health & Safety Executive about this, so that it could give an official response. When this omission came to light, the applications were ruled invalid.
By then the 1993 Railways Act, the legislation for rail privatisation, had become law. This meant that the old process to apply for station closures was replaced and BR did not bother to restart the process under the new rules.
The halts had much the same weekday one train into Oxford and one back service then. There used to be a second train into Oxford in the morning peak that lasted, I think, until the late 1980s, which left Moreton-in-Marsh at 06.10.
This was followed by the 07.45 departure from Moreton, which was the rough equivalent of today's morning peak Class 165 stopper from Worcester.
But there were also Saturday calls at both halts and at Ascott-under-Wychwood and Shipton (and more services both ways than on weekdays) but they were dropped from the timetable in 2006, with Shipton the only one to keep its Saturday services.
