November 28th 2024.
London is known for its bustling transportation system, with countless options for getting around the city. However, anyone who has navigated through the stations during peak times knows it can be quite exasperating. Take Liverpool Street for example, a major station with connections to the east of England, but notoriously chaotic during rush hour. It's no surprise that it has been named the busiest station in London, with a staggering 94.5 million passengers passing through in 2024, according to the Office of Rail and Road.
On the other end of the spectrum, the quietest station in London has been revealed to be Sudbury & Harrow Road. Located in Greater London, this station only served 18,680 passengers on Chiltern Railways between April 2023 and March 2024. And according to recent data, the number of passengers using this station is actually declining. In the 12 months leading up to March 2023, only 19,778 people went through the barriers.
One of the reasons for the dwindling numbers could be the lack of trains that depart from this station. Sudbury & Harrow Road only operates a peak-only service, with just eight trains stopping there each day on the way to and from London Marylebone. That's four trains in the morning and four in the afternoon/evening, with no trains running after 19:33. And if you were hoping to travel on the weekends, you're out of luck, as no trains stop there at all on Saturdays or Sundays.
This is due to the fact that the station is located on a two-track line primarily used for fast trains heading to Oxford and Birmingham. As a result, there are limited opportunities for trains to stop at this station during the day. Local councillors have campaigned for more services at Sudbury & Harrow Road, with a petition launched in 2022 to bring a weekend service and up to four trains an hour for the residents of Sudbury.
Sudbury & Harrow Road is not the only quiet station in London, with several others also being revealed in the recent data. These include Drayton Green, South Greenford, Sudbury Hill Harrow, Morden South, and Birkbeck, among others. Brent Councillor Thomas Stephens, a Sudbury ward member, expressed disappointment at the decision not to add more trains, calling it a "huge missed opportunity for Wembley."
In response to the petition, Chiltern Railways stated that many stations on their line do not have the same access to public transportation as those in central London, making it difficult to increase the number of trains at Sudbury & Harrow Road without negatively impacting other customers or requiring significant investment in infrastructure.
Aside from the lack of trains, Sudbury & Harrow Road also has no real facilities for its passengers. There is no WiFi, ticket machines or office, toilets, parking, ATM, or refreshment facilities. Additionally, part of the station is not accessible for those with mobility issues. The station is unstaffed, but there are departure screens for information and a few seats for passengers waiting for their train.
Other stations in London were also found to be very quiet, including Drayton Green, South Greenford, Sudbury Hill Harrow, and Morden South. Do you have a story to share about your experience at a London train station? We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing us at [email address].
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