At one period there were four different railway routes from the northern end of Princes Risborough station,although there has only ever been one to the south.
The first railway to reach Princes Risborough was the Wycombe Railway,which opened its Oxford extension from High Wycombe as far as Thame on 1 August 1862.[1][2][3] There were three intermediate stations on this section:West Wycombe,[4] Princes Risborough and Bledlow. The cost of construction of the station building was £1104 9s 5d and additional general costs were £824 8s 0d. The station building as built was a typical Wycombe railway design with an open porch at the right hand end on the platform elevation,the design was the same as West Wycombe,Bledlow and Wheatley,and also on the original part of the Wycombe railway Cookham,Marlow Road,Wooburn Green and Loudwater. A branch of the Wycombe Railway was opened from Princes Risborough to Aylesbury on 1 October 1863.[3][5] The Wycombe Railway was worked by the Great Western Railway,and was absorbed by that railway in 1867.
The original station building was located a few hundred yards further north than the present site. The original building was extended at the north end to provide extra office accommodation between 1870 and 1880,and a curved roof canopy covering the platform may have also been added at the same time. Further additions to the building were made between 1894 and 1896.
A second platform was added when the Watlington branch was opened in 1872 although there was only a single track between the two platforms. In 1892 a new signal box was brought into use and a new passing loop,so the second platform was rebuilt with two tracks between them. A footbridge was also provided at this time.
The Great Western &Great Central Joint Committee was created with the dual objective of providing the Great Central Railway with a second route into London,bypassing the Metropolitan Railway;and of providing the GWR with a shorter route to the Midlands.[7][8] Central to this scheme was the upgrading of the existing GWR route between High Wycombe and Princes Risborough,which was transferred to the Joint Committee at its establishment on 1 August 1899. The line was extended in a north-westerly direction to Ashendon Junction,at which point the joint line ended,and a GCR route ran northwards to Grendon Underwood Junction,just south of Calvert;both sections opened for goods on 20 November 1905,and for passengers on 2 April 1906.[9][10] Continuing in the same north-westerly direction from Ashendon Junction,the Bicester cut-off line,which was purely GWR property,was opened for goods trains on 4 April 1910,and to passengers on 1 July 1910.[11][12]
The Watlington branch closed to passengers on 1 July 1957,and the route to Oxford via Thame closed on 7 January 1963;[3] services over the GCR route ceased on 5 September 1966,[10] leaving the present network of two lines to the north,to Banbury and to Aylesbury.
Chiltern Railways considered reinstating the Wycombe Railway's Oxford extension via Thame,but instead constructed a chord at Bicester to permit services to run from the main line onto the westernmost section of the Varsity Line,restored between Bicester and Oxford;this permitted a new service to Oxford which opened in 2015.
Princes Risborough Station,platform 3
Part of the Watlington branch line has been reopened by the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway,which extended its heritage railway service to a new platform face at Princes Risborough station on the site of the former platform to Watlington,Platform 4;although the platform opened in August 2018,the platform as well as the Railway is still being maintained. Princes Risborough station currently has four platforms:Platform 1 for Aylesbury;Platform 2 from Aylesbury to London (via High Wycombe);Platform 3 for Bicester,Banbury,Oxford and Birmingham;and Platform 4 for the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Heritage Railway.
Originally,two through roads allowed non-stop running clear of the platform roads. Radical cuts on the Chiltern Main Line and Great Central Main Line in the 1960s left the station with only two usable platforms - the current platforms 1 and 2. In 1998 to increase capacity on the line Chiltern Railways reinstated platform 3,the down platform,on top of the old down platform road,in a manner similar to that at West Ruislip. Fragments of the original down platform are still visible at the station. The 'up' through road,removed from service as part of previous drastic running-down of the route which left only two usable platforms,was restored in September 2011 as part of Chiltern's Evergreen 3 upgrade project.
Signal box
The signal box pictured in 2009
Built in 1904,Princes Risborough North Signal Box,located towards the northern end of Platform 3,is the largest surviving Great Western Railway signal box in the country.[14] It closed in 1991 when modernisation of the line moved signalling operations to Marylebone and became a Grade II listed building after a successful public campaign to save it from demolition.
The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association were granted an agreement with National Rail allowing them to maintain the box and undertake restoration work after a period of neglect left the box damaged by weather and vandals.[15] Work had previously ceased in 1998 due to safety concerns but was resumed in 2013.[16]
The Monday to Friday off-peak service consists of 2 trains per hour eastbound to London Marylebone and 2 trains per hour westbound to Oxford,with occasional peak-time calls from services to Banbury and Birmingham Snow Hill. Additionally,the station is the terminus of shuttle services on the single-track line to Aylesbury,which,since May 2023,run at alternating 60 and 90 minute intervals,with occasional services extending through to London Marylebone.[17]
The ticket office is staffed for most of the day Monday to Friday and on Sundays. On Saturdays the ticket office is staffed from the morning until early afternoon.[18]
There are two self-service ticket machines located just outside the station for use by passengers when the ticket office is closed or busy. There are also departure screens located on all three platforms and inside the waiting room.
The station has a waiting room,toilet facilities and step free access to all parts of the station:passengers reach platform 3 via lifts at either end of the footbridge. There is also a café.
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company that has operated the Chiltern Railways franchise since July 1996. Since 2009, it has been a subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains.
The Chiltern Main Line is a railway line which links London (Marylebone) and Birmingham, the United Kingdom's two largest cities, by a 112-mile (180 km) route via High Wycombe, Bicester, Banbury, Leamington Spa and Solihull.
Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, on the London–Aylesbury line from London Marylebone via Amersham. It is 38 miles (61 km) from Aylesbury to Marylebone. A branch line from Princes Risborough on the Chiltern Main Line terminates at the station. It was the terminus for London Underground's Metropolitan line until the service was cut back to Amersham in 1961. The station was also known as Aylesbury Town under the management of British Railways from c. 1948 until the 1960s.
Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station, one of two serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about 0.5 miles (800 m) west of the city centre, north-west of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road. It is on the line for trains between London Paddington and Hereford via Worcester Shrub Hill. It is a starting point for fast and local trains to London Paddington and London Marylebone, and for local trains to Reading, Worcester, and Banbury. It is also on the north/south Cross Country Route from Manchester Piccadilly and Newcastle via Birmingham New Street and Reading to Southampton Central and Bournemouth. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, and also served by CrossCountry and Chiltern Railways trains. Immediately to the north is Sheepwash Channel Railway Bridge over the Sheepwash Channel.
The Oxford–Bicester line is a railway line linking Oxford and Bicester in Oxfordshire, England. Opened in 1850, later becoming part of a through route to Cambridge, it closed in 1967 along with much of the rest of the original line. The section between Oxford and Bicester was reopened in 1987 as a branch line, and closed from early 2014 to late 2015 for a substantial upgrade in which it became part of a new route between Oxford and London Marylebone via High Wycombe. In addition, it is intended that by 2025 the original route eastwards will be restored as far as Bletchley allowing services to run to Bedford. This East West Rail project includes a long-term plan to re-establish the route through to Cambridge.
The Aylesbury–Princes Risborough line is a rural branch line between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. The line is single track throughout with a maximum speed of 40 mph.
Haddenham & Thame Parkway railway station is a station in Buckinghamshire serving the village of Haddenham and town of Thame in the neighbouring county of Oxfordshire, England. The station is on the western edge of Haddenham, about 2 miles (3 km) north east of Thame, and is served by Chiltern Railways.
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between Maidenhead and Oxford that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to Aylesbury.
The Great Western and Great Central Joint Railway was a railway built and operated jointly by the Great Western Railway (GWR) and Great Central Railway (GCR) between Northolt and Ashendon Junction. It was laid out as a trunk route with gentle curves and gradients and spacious track layouts. The two companies each needed approach railways at both ends of the line to connect their respective systems; these were built as part of a single project.
The railway system of Buckinghamshire has a long and complex history dating back to the 1830s with the opening of sections of today's West Coast Main Line and Great Western Main Line. The development of Buckinghamshire's railway network was largely due to its position nationally as many long-distance routes chose to go through Buckinghamshire, especially between Britains two largest cities, London and Birmingham. The county had its own pulling power in addition, as produce such as the Aylesbury Duck could then be easily transported to the capital.
Aynho for Deddington railway station was a railway station serving the village of Aynho in Northamptonshire, England. It was on what is now known as the Cherwell Valley Line.
Aynho Park was a railway station serving the village of Aynho in Northamptonshire, England. It was on what is now known as the Chiltern Main Line.
Ashendon Junction in Buckinghamshire, England, was a major mainline railway junction where, from July 1910, the Great Western Railway's (GWR) London-Birmingham direct route diverged from the Great Central Railway's (GCR) main London-Sheffield route. It was near the small village of Ashendon, about 10 miles north-east of Oxford.
The Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway was an independent English railway company that opened a line between the Oxfordshire towns of Watlington and Chinnor in 1872. The 9 mi (14 km) branch, which connected to the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Princes Risborough, did not make any money and was taken over in 1883 by GWR resulting in its investors sustaining considerable losses.
West Wycombe railway station was a railway station that served the village of West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire Situated about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) east of the village the station opened in 1862 and closed in 1958. Minutes of the Wycombe Railway state that construction of West Wycombe station in 1862 cost £430 8s 8d, equivalent to £42,731 in 2021, with additional general works at £417 8s 8d, equivalent to £41,441 in 2021.
Wainhill Crossing Halt was a halt on the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway which the Great Western Railway opened in 1925 to serve the Oxfordshire hamlet of Wainhill. 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.
Bledlow railway station was an intermediate station on the Wycombe Railway which served the Buckinghamshire village of Bledlow from 1862 to 1963. It was one of two stations to serve the village, the other being Bledlow Bridge Halt on the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway, which was 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to the south and closer to the village. The possibility of reopening the line through Bledlow, which is now part of a long-distance footpath, has been explored by Chiltern Railways, the franchise holder for the Chiltern Main Line which runs through Princes Risborough.
Towersey Halt railway station was an intermediate station on the Wycombe Railway which served the Oxfordshire village of Towersey from 1933 to 1963. The opening of the halt was part of an attempt by the Great Western Railway to encourage more passengers on the line at a time when competition from bus services was drawing away patronage. The possibility of reopening the line through Towersey Halt, which is now part of a long-distance footpath, has been explored by Chiltern Railways, the franchise holder for the Chiltern Main Line which runs through Princes Risborough.
Horspath Halt was an intermediate station on the Wycombe Railway which served the Oxfordshire village of Horspath from 1908 to 1915, and then from 1933 to 1963. The opening of the halt was part of an attempt by the Great Western Railway to encourage more passengers on the line at a time when competition from bus services was drawing away patronage. The possibility of reopening the line through Horspath Halt has been explored by Chiltern Railways, the franchise holder for the Chiltern Main Line which runs through Princes Risborough.
Morris Cowley was an intermediate station on the Wycombe Railway which served the small town of Cowley, just outside Oxford, from 1908 to 1915, and again from 1928 to 1963. The station originally opened as part of an attempt by the Great Western Railway to enable to have more passengers access to the line, at a time when competition from bus services was drawing away patronage. The line through Morris Cowley remains open for the purposes of serving the BMW Mini factory, although the possibility of reinstating passenger services has been explored by Chiltern Railways, the franchise holder for the Chiltern Main Line which runs through Princes Risborough.
References
Jenkins, Stanley C. (1978). The Great Western & Great Central Joint Railway. The Oakwood Library of Railway History. Blandford: Oakwood Press.
MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol.I (1sted.). Paddington: Great Western Railway.
MacDermot, E.T. (1931). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol.II (1sted.). Paddington: Great Western Railway.
Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (April 2002). Paddington to Princes Risborough. Western Main Lines. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN1-901706-81-8.
Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (September 2002). Princes Risborough to Banbury. Western Main Lines. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN1-901706-85-0.
Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (April 2003). Branch Lines to Princes Risborough. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN1-904474-05-5.
Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (November 2006). Aylesbury to Rugby. Midland Main Lines. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN1-904474-91-8.
Slater, J.N., ed. (May 1974). "Notes and News: Transfer of Marylebone-Banbury services". Railway Magazine. London: IPC Transport Press Ltd. 120 (877). ISSN0033-8923.
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