Surrey’s quietest train station used by just 33 people day on average
Surrey's quietest train station has been revealed in the latest data. Betchworth train station is used by just 33 people a day on average.
There were a total of only 12,368 entries and exits at Betchworth station through the turnstiles in the year up to March 2023, according to the latest data from the Office for Rail and Road.
The station is in the rural village at the foot of the North Downs, and midway between Reigate[1] and Dorking[2]. The local church, St Michael’s, was used as a set for the film Four Weddings and a Funeral.
The little village boasts a school, a pub, post office/village shop and a functioning blacksmith and is host to the annual Cowpie Rally, organised by Surrey Young Farmers. As well as the small train station.
As for the busiest train station, Woking[5] came out as the busiest railway station in the county. There were a total of 5.32 million entries and exits through the station’s turnstiles in the year up to March 2023, according to the latest data from the Office for Rail and Road. It’s an increase of 1.3 million journeys compared to the previous year, and makes it the 78th busiest station in Britain. That’s down from 74th last year. Guildford[6] is next with a total of 5.28 million entries and exits. That’s followed by Epsom[7] (Surrey) with 2.89 million, Redhill[8] with 2.71 million, and Walton-On-Thames with 2.03 million. At the other end of the scale, Betchworth had the fewest journeys in our region. Just 12,368 entries and exits were made at the station. That’s followed by Chilworth (23,712), Ockley (29,096), and Dorking West (33,452). Nationally. London Liverpool Street has overtaken Waterloo as Britain's busiest train station. A total of 80.4 million entries and exits were made through the station’s turnstiles in the year up to March 2023, according to the latest data from the Office for Rail and Road. That’s 2.5 times as many journeys compared to a year earlier, when 32.2 million journeys either started or ended there. Paddington had the next highest footfall with 59.2 million entries and exits in the year to March. That’s up from 23.9 million a year earlier. Waterloo, which was the most used station a year ago, was third in the list with 57.8 million entries and exits. While the station has dropped down the rankings, it has still seen an increase in journeys, up from 41.4 million last year. London Bridge (47.7 million) and London Victoria (45.6 million) complete the top five. The opening of the new Elizabeth Line in London has had a massive impact on the rankings. Newly opened stations on the line had 78.3 million entries and exits in the year to March 2023. Existing stations on the line’s route saw entries and exits increase by 126.7 million That’s a combined total of 205.0 million. Britain’s two busiest stations - Liverpool Street and Paddington - are both on the Elizabeth Line. They were ranked the country’s fourth and fifth busiest last year respectively. They experienced an extra 48.3 million and 35.3 million passengers, the largest increase of any station in the country. Tottenham Court Road is a new entry on the list, straight in as the seventh busiest in the country, with 34.9 million passengers in the year to March. Bond Street is new in at 19th with 19.4 million passengers. Birmingham New Street was the most popular station outside of London. A total of 30.7 million entries and exits were made at the station. Leeds is next on the list with 24.0 million, then Manchester Piccadilly with 23.6 million. A total of 1.39 billion passenger journeys were made on the railways between April 2022 and March 2023. That’s a 40% increase compared to the previous year when there were 990.0 million. Denton in Tameside was the least used station in the country, excluding those where services were suspended. Just 34 exits and entries were made there in the year to March 2023. That’s followed by Elton and Orston in Nottinghamshire with 56. Reddish South in Stockport is next with 100, Coombe Junction Halt in Cornwall with 120, Scotscalder in the Highlands with 124, Ince and Elton in Cheshire with 130, and Shippea Hill in Cambridgeshire with 142. 20 least used stations in Surrey Top 20 stations in Surrey Station: Entries and exits
Betchworth station looking like a ghost town (Image: Christy O'Brien - SurreyLive)
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