Kingston Crossing Halt railway station
Encyclopedia
Kingston Crossing Halt railway station was a halt on the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway
which the Great Western Railway
opened in 1906 to serve the Oxfordshire
village of Kingston Blount
. The opening of the halt was part of a GWR attempt to encourage more passengers on the line at a time when competition from bus services was drawing away patronage.
to the east of the level crossing
on Kingston Hill. The halt was maintained by the residents of the primitive crossing house located on the other side of the level crossing; unlike at , the level crossing gates were normally kept closed across the railway line to allow the free passage of traffic between Kingston Blount and the A40 road
. The crossing keeper closed the gates across the road before the arrival of each train, with the exception of the early morning and late night goods services, when the guard was responsible. The station had basic facilities: a single low platform on which stood a wooden passenger waiting shelter and the running-in board. Up to twelve passengers were known to have caught the early morning services in the 1940s. In the long term the GWR's halt strategy did little to dissuade people from more convenient bus services. In 1957 British Rail
ways closed the halt and withdrew passenger services from the line.
runs parallel to the former railway alignment to the east for several hundred yards.
Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway
The Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway was a railway branch line between Watlington and Princes Risborough which remained operational for over 88 years between 1872 and 1961....
which the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
opened in 1906 to serve the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
village of Kingston Blount
Kingston Blount
Kingston Blount is a village about southeast of Thame in South Oxfordshire, England. The village is a spring line settlement at the foot of the Chiltern Hills escarpment. The long Ridgeway National Trail passes to the south and the Lower Icknield Way to the north.The Church of England parish...
. The opening of the halt was part of a GWR attempt to encourage more passengers on the line at a time when competition from bus services was drawing away patronage.
History
The halt was one of three that the GWR opened on the line in September 1906 to try to encourage passenger traffic in the face of increased competition from buses. It was situated to the south of Kingston BlountKingston Blount
Kingston Blount is a village about southeast of Thame in South Oxfordshire, England. The village is a spring line settlement at the foot of the Chiltern Hills escarpment. The long Ridgeway National Trail passes to the south and the Lower Icknield Way to the north.The Church of England parish...
to the east of the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
on Kingston Hill. The halt was maintained by the residents of the primitive crossing house located on the other side of the level crossing; unlike at , the level crossing gates were normally kept closed across the railway line to allow the free passage of traffic between Kingston Blount and the A40 road
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
. The crossing keeper closed the gates across the road before the arrival of each train, with the exception of the early morning and late night goods services, when the guard was responsible. The station had basic facilities: a single low platform on which stood a wooden passenger waiting shelter and the running-in board. Up to twelve passengers were known to have caught the early morning services in the 1940s. In the long term the GWR's halt strategy did little to dissuade people from more convenient bus services. In 1957 British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed the halt and withdrew passenger services from the line.
Present day
The cottage at the halt remains intact. One can see in the garden of the cottage small line side buildings and huts that can be identified in photographs taken when the line was still in operation. The Upper Icknield WayIcknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
runs parallel to the former railway alignment to the east for several hundred yards.