The UK’s least used train station near busy city was used just 54 times this year

The UK’s quietest train station has been revealed – and it’s less half an hour away from a major city.

The least used train station in the UK has been revealed as Denton in Greater Manchester, with just 54 entries and exits between April 2023 to March 2024.

Despite being just half an hour from Manchester city centre and its location near the Peak District, Denton has topped the list of quietest train stations in the country.

Earlier this month, the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) revealed the ten busiest train stations within and outside London and the UK’s five quietest stations

Denton’s appearance on the list is perhaps unsurprising for those who know the area, as it is served by just two trains on Saturday mornings, one to Stockport and one to Stalybridge.

Another station on the same line, Reddish South, also made it onto the list of least-used stations, coming in at fifth with just 128 entries and exits during the same time period.

These stations are typically used by train enthusiasts as this route is one of a small number of ‘ghost trains’, which are train services that exist purely to keep the line open for commercial use.

In comparison, the UK’s busiest station, London Liverpool Street, recorded 94.5 million entries and exits.

While Manchester Piccadilly, just half an hour from Denton and Reddish South, recorded 25.8m million, coming in second for stations outside London, just behind Birmingham New Street with 33.3 million.

Outside of England, the experts at ORR have revealed that the least used station in Wales was Roman Bridge with 680 entries and exits, while Scotland’s was Kildonan, with 240 entries and exits.

Two UK stations, Stanlow and Thornton and Teesside Airport were excluded from the results, as both had services suspended for the entire year, meaning they recorded 0 entries and exits.

The UK’s least used train stations – with numbers of entries and exits

1. Denton, 54

2. Shippea Hill, Cambridgeshire, 70

3. Ince and Elton, Cheshire, 80

4. Polesworth, Warwickshire, 118

5. Reddish South, Greater Manchester, 128