Finstock
National Rail
General information
LocationFinstock, West Oxfordshire
England
Coordinates51°51′11″N 1°28′08″W / 51.853°N 1.469°W / 51.853; -1.469
Grid referenceSP366173
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeFIN
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGWR
Key dates
9 April 1934Opened as Finstock Halt
5 May 1969Renamed Finstock
Passengers
2018/19Decrease 1,714
2019/20Decrease 1,542
2020/21Decrease 102
2021/22Increase 364
2022/23Increase 706
Location
Map
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Finstock railway station serves the village of Finstock and the hamlet of Fawler in Oxfordshire, England. It is some distance from Finstock itself,[1] being situated to the north-east of Charlbury Road (the present B4022), which crosses the line on an overbridge.

The station and all trains serving it are operated by Great Western Railway. Finstock is the least used station in Oxfordshire according to the official passenger statistics.[2]

Finstock railway station featured in Geoff Marshall's YouTube series of Least Used Stations where his special guest was Ben Goldacre.[3]

History

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) on 9 April 1934, originally being named "Finstock Halt"[4] and having two platforms.[5] Each platform was approached by an inclined path from Charlbury Road, and each had a corrugated iron shelter with windows only in the end walls.[6]

On 5 May 1969 it was renamed "Finstock".[4] The line was singled on 29 November 1971, the former up line now carrying traffic in both directions, and the redundant down platform was removed. By September 1980 the former GWR waiting shelter had been replaced by a simple shelter open on three sides. On 9 March 1987 the former up platform was taken out of use and replaced by one built over the site of the former down line.[7] Evidence of the former up platform and access ramp is now overgrown.[1]

Services

Since at least February 1999 the station has been served by a minimal service of two trains per day, one in each direction.[8]

This service is currently formed of the 08:08 train to Didcot Parkway, via Oxford, and the 17:41 train to Moreton-in-Marsh which operate Monday-Friday only. There are currently no weekend services at the station with a normal service running on most Bank Holidays.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Great Western Railway
Cotswold Line
Monday-Friday Only

References

  1. ^ a b Stretton, John (2006). Oxfordshire; A Second Selection. British Railways Past and Present. Vol. 55. Kettering: Past & Present Publishing Ltd. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-85895-203-1.
  2. ^ Marshall, Geoff. "Least Used Stations". Geofftech.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019.
  3. ^ Finstock - Least Used Station in Oxfordshire, retrieved 27 February 2022
  4. ^ a b Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 97. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  5. ^ Robertson, Kevin (1990). Great Western Railway Halts. Vol. 1. Pinner: Irwell Press. ISBN 1-871608-17-1.
  6. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2003, figs. 48–51
  7. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2003, Historical background; figs. 52–53
  8. ^ Mitchell & Smith 2003, fig. 53


Categories