Britain’s Least-Used Railway Station Records 54 Entries and Exits

Denton railway station, located in Tameside, Greater Manchester, has been identified as Britain’s least-used station. Estimates from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) indicate that the station recorded only 54 “entries and exits” during the period from April 2023 to March 2024. Other stations with low usage included Ince and Elton in Cheshire, which ranked as the third least-used with an estimated 86 entries and exits, and Reddish South in Greater Manchester, the fifth least-used with 128 entries and exits, both within the same timeframe. Conversely, Manchester Piccadilly registered as the second busiest station outside London, with approximately 25.8 million entries and exits, while Liverpool Central secured the 10th position with 12.6 million. These estimates are compiled from the rail industry’s ticketing and revenue system, supplemented by local ticketing data. Denton is served by only two trains per week, which provide connections to Stockport and Stalybridge exclusively on Saturdays. The frequency of train services at Denton was significantly reduced in the 1990s subsequent to route alterations. Infrequently used railway stations are occasionally maintained in operation because facilitating a minimal number of train stops is simpler than undertaking a complete closure. Feras Alshaker, ORR’s planning and performance director, stated: “These statistics provide crucial insights for passengers, the rail industry and its stakeholders and demonstrate clearly how travel patterns are changing across the country. “Alongside our rail usage statistics they show that since the pandemic rail usage continues to increase.”