The tiny UK ‘ghost station’ that has just one train a week set to be demolished
A TINY station in the UK which has just one train route a week could soon be shut down and demolished.
Also known as ghost stations, there are a number in the UK where few or even no trains that operate.
Despite this, they remain in use, to keep the lines open for future use – and is often more expensive to close them down.
West Midlands Railway’s Andrew McGill told the BBC: “It’s sometimes easier and simpler to keep that station open and to do that we need to run at least one service a week.”
One of these is Bordesley Station in Birmingham, one stop past the main Birmingham New Street station.
Having first opened in 1855, it used to connected London Paddington to Birkenhead, being upgraded from two platforms to four.
However, it was then downgraded in the 1960s, and since May 2007, has had just one train a week.
This arrives just after 4pm on Saturday and travel snorthbound to Birmingham.
The only other service is on match days if there is a game nearby at St Andrews grounds to which a train will also stop at the station.
Around 9,000 passengers used the station between 2022-2023 – far fewer than 2019-2020’s 24,000.
Yet it could soon be closed down.
Mr McGill said it could be demolished to allow future rail hub plans in the area.
Previous visitors have raved about the unique station.
One person wrote: “I find the station a masterpiece, it’s a bare island platform with a shelter.
“It really feels like your special being in the station catching the 1 train a week.”
Another said: “The least used station in the West Midlands! Only one train a week on a Saturday unless there is a football match on nearby.
“Because of this though lots of passing trains and decent views over Birmingham City Centre!”
Ghost stations are also popular with train enthusiasts.
One ghost station fan Jen, who has a Youtube channel JenOnTheMove added: “They’re like special quirks of the network and there’s quite a few of them dotted around the country.”
Others include Polesworth Station in Warwickshire – who had just 188 passengers travel through in a year.
And in Staffordshire, Barlaston and Wedgwood stations have no trains at all, with rail-replacement buses in place since 2004.
In Manchester, Denton Station only had 46 passengers in a year.
But the area is starting to thrive, with new restaurants and attractions opening with one local saying it used to be a “ghost town”.
And the UK’s tiniest train line is between Stourbridge Town and Stourbridge Junction, a mere 0.8miles that takes just three minutes and costs £2.
In better news, Moseley Village Train Station is set to reopen after more than 80 years along with Aldridge Station, which closed 60 years ago.
Three scenic train journeys you can take in the UK
Cornish Coast – One trip that rail enthusiasts seem to love is along a stretch of the Cornish coast and takes just 10 minutes to complete.
The route from St Erth to St Ives only stops at Carbis Bay en route to its final destination, but the views out the window for the whole journey are pretty spectacular.
Another highlight of the journey is that St Ives station is situated right next to Porthminster beach, meaning the sand and sea can be accessed almost immediately.
Meanwhile, the station is less than a ten minute walk into town, where the harbour, shops, galleries and pubs can be explored.
Durham to Edinburgh – Another train route that people in the UK love is the East Coast train line between Durham and Edinburgh, with coastal views and city landscapes among the sights that can be seen out the window.
Newcastle, Berwick, Lindisfarne and Durham Cathedral are all among the highlights on that route.
Scotland’s West Highland Line – While Scotland is home to plenty of famous landmarks and top attractions, it also has one of the most breathtaking train routes in the world.
Scotland’s West Highland Line has previously been dubbed the best rail journey in the world by Wanderlust – and it’s easy to see why.
The journey from Glasgow to Fort William is one of my favourite train routes – and I’ve interrailed through mainland Europe.
With mountain landscapes, serene lochs, wistful moors, and wildlife all visible through the train window, it’s certainly a route all holidaymakers should consider doing at least once.