Witney railway station

Witney
Witney station in 1962, with an Oxford - Fairford train taking on water while the driver exchanges the single-line tablet with the porter-signalman
Location
Place Witney
Area Oxfordshire
Grid reference SP356088
Operations
Original company East Gloucestershire Railway
Pre-grouping Great Western Railway
Post-grouping Great Western Railway
Platforms 2
History
15 January 1873 Station opens
18 June 1962 Station closes
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

Witney railway station served the Oxfordshire town of Witney on the Oxford, Witney and Fairford Railway line.[1] It consisted of two stone-built platforms, a station building, a signal box, and a shed in the form of a pagoda.

History

The first station in Witney was opened in 1861 as the terminus of the Witney Railway. In 1873 the East Gloucestershire Railway opened an extension of the line which branched off the Witney Railway just before the terminus;[2] this included a new Witney station just west of the new junction, which opened with the new line on 15 January 1873.[3] Left on a short spur line, the old terminus was closed to passenger traffic,[3] but remained in use as the town's goods station. Witney was most popular station on the line, accounting for around forty per cent of passengers in the 1920s.[4]

British Railways changed the name to ‘Witney (Oxon)’, although there were no other stations named Witney.[3] The station was closed to passengers on 18 June 1962,[3][5] and the station building was demolished in January 1969. The site has been developed into an industrial estate.

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
South Leigh
Line and station closed		   Great Western Railway
Witney Railway
   Brize Norton and Bampton
Line and station closed

References

  1. ^ Conolly, W. Philip (January 1976). British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer (5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 10, section E5. ISBN 0 7110 0320 3. EX/0176. 
  2. ^ "Witney Junction". The Fairford Branch Line. Martin Loader. http://www.martin.loader.btinternet.co.uk/Witney_Junction.htm. Retrieved 21 June 2009. 
  3. ^ a b c d Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 253. ISBN 1 85260 508 1. R508. 
  4. ^ "Witney (Passenger)". The Fairford Branch Line. Martin Loader. http://www.martin.loader.btinternet.co.uk/Witney_Passenger.htm. Retrieved 19 June 2009. 
  5. ^ "Closure". The Witney & East Gloucestershire Railway. David M Howse. 11 February 2007. para. 1. http://www.d.m.howse.btinternet.co.uk/closure.html. Retrieved 19 June 2009. 

External links