The UK's least used train station is just half an hour from Manchester

The UK's least frequented train station has been identified as Denton in Greater Manchester, recording a mere 54 entries and exits between April 2023 and March 2024.

Despite its proximity to Manchester city centre and the Peak District, Denton tops the chart for the country's most tranquil train stations.

The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) earlier this month unveiled the ten busiest train stations within and outside London, along with the five quietest stations in the UK.

Denton's inclusion on the list is hardly surprising to locals, given that it only sees two trains on Saturday mornings, one heading to Stockport and the other to Stalybridge.

Reddish South, another station on the same line, also made the list of least-used stations, ranking fifth with just 128 entries and exits during the same period.

These stations are typically frequented by train enthusiasts, as this route is among the few 'ghost trains', services that exist solely to keep the line commercially viable.

In stark contrast, London Liverpool Street, the UK's busiest station, saw 94.5 million entries and exits.

Meanwhile, Manchester Piccadilly, a mere half-hour from Denton and Reddish South, recorded 25.8 million, making it the second busiest station outside London, trailing behind Birmingham New Street with 33.3 million.

Outside of England, the specialists at ORR have disclosed that the least frequented station in Wales was Roman Bridge with 680 entries and exits, while in Scotland it was Kildonan, with 240 entries and exits.

Two UK stations, Stanlow and Thornton and Teesside Airport were omitted from the results, as both had services suspended for the entire year, resulting in them recording 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