Chinnor railway station

Chinnor railway station in Oxfordshire is on the line of the former Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway. The station was reopened by the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association in 1994 after a period of disuse.

Chinnor
Chinnor railway station in 2008
General information
LocationChinnor, South Oxfordshire
England
Coordinates51°41′52″N 0°54′25″W / 51.6978°N 0.9069°W / 51.6978; -0.9069
Grid referenceSP756004
Platforms1
Other information
StatusHeritage railway
History
Original companyWatlington and Princes Risborough Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
15 August 1872Opened
1 July 1957Closed
20 August 1994Reopened

History

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First opened in 1872 to serve Chinnor and the surrounding villages, the line was projected to be extended to Wallingford, where it would complete a cross-country line between Cholsey and Princes Risborough. However, due to financial difficulties the Watlington - Wallingford section was never built. The line was always single track.

British Railways closed the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway to passengers in 1957[1] and to goods in 1961. The station was demolished but the section of line between Princes Risborough and Chinnor remained open for cement traffic until 1989.[2]

Current access to the station is from the 'wrong' side of the tracks compared with the original layout (i.e. you have to cross the line to get to the station).

Routes

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A 1911 Railway Clearing House map of railways in the vicinity of Chinnor
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Wainhill Crossing Halt
Line open, station closed
  Great Western Railway
Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway
  Kingston Crossing Halt
Line and station closed
   Heritage railways
Terminus   Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway   Princes Risborough

References

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Bibliography

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  • Karau, Paul; Turner, Chris (1998). Country branch line: An intimate portrait of the Watlington branch. Vol 1: The story of the line from 1872-1961. Didcot: Wild Swan. ISBN 1-874103-43-7.
  • Karau, Paul; Turner, Chris (1998). Country branch line: An intimate portrait of the Watlington branch. Vol 2: The stations. Didcot: Wild Swan. ISBN 1-874103-46-1.
  • Oppitz, Leslie (2000). Lost Railways of the Chilterns. Newbury: Countryside Books. pp. 20–23. ISBN 1-85306-643-5.
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