Inside UK’s loneliest station where 54 passengers a year have to hail train like a bus… and wait a WEEK if they miss it

A PASSENGER walks to the extremity of the level and puts his manus retired to emblem down the ‘Denton Flyer’ arsenic it comes into Britain’s slightest utilized railway station.

Just 1 bid work runs a week tally done the eerily quiescent station in Denton, Greater Manchester, connected Saturday morning.

Rail enthusiasts telephone it a ‘ghost station’ and it has gained cult presumption arsenic the bid has to beryllium flagged down earlier it volition stop.

Over the past year, conscionable 54 passengers were recorded utilizing the station, which is hidden by a gaffe roadworthy onto the M67 motorway.

It is simply a crisp spike successful popularity from the twelvemonth before, erstwhile it welcomed conscionable 34 travellers, according to statistic released this week by the Office of Rail and Road.

When we sojourn the presumption connected a caller Saturday, the 8.42am bid is astir to get unusually engaged – with 2 passengers.

The bid defender jokes that this greeting is "rush hour" arsenic Derek Lack, 73, waves down the bid to marque definite it stops.

The pensioner has walked 2 miles from his location in Denton to scope the station.

He said: "I'm of the presumption that if you don't usage it you suffer it truthful that's wherefore I've come.

"Mind you, it's not that reliable.

"I came the different week and it conscionable didn't crook up.

“I bash privation they’d tally much trains arsenic it would beryllium precise handy.”

Leaning retired of 1 of 2 carriages arsenic the bid pulls into Denton, defender Darren Scholes, 51, said: "This is simply a engaged time – there’s not often this galore here.

“We bash get the unusual obstruction enthusiasts mind. I emotion moving this way arsenic it’s truthful unusual.”

Man connected a mission

The 2nd rider has enactment successful a sizeable effort to drawback the train, nicknamed the Denton Flyer, arsenic it dilatory meanders from a presumption successful the foothills of the Pennines to Stockport.

Charity manager Mark Morton, 51, near his location successful Bradford, West Yorks, astatine 6.30am to marque definite helium was connected time.

Mark is simply a obstruction enthusiast who is connected a ngo to sojourn everyone of Britain’s 2,600 obstruction stations.

Denton is astir fig 500 for him.

He said: “This is astir apt the astir antithetic presumption I’ve visited.

“It feels beauteous eerie arsenic it’s truthful deserted and feels truly lonely adjacent though we’re adjacent Manchester.

“I’ve been to a fewer presumption successful Devon and they truly are successful the mediate of nowhere.

“But this is conscionable truly unsocial and I truly wanted to tick Denton off arsenic it’s truthful quiescent and is simply a existent catch.”

He added: “I question a batch done my enactment and truthful I effort and sojourn a bid wherever I can.

“I’m going to get disconnected astatine the adjacent presumption and past drawback the bid backmost truthful I’ll person 2 caller ones this morning.”

UK's quietest station

The Office of Rail and Road said determination were lone 54 recorded journeys betwixt April 2023 and March 2024, at Denton, making it the quietest presumption successful the country.

The two-platform presumption is maintained by Northern Rail and has nary unit and nary summons office.

Its hidden distant location, adjacent to a Sainsbury’s, and by a motorway makes entree hard and is 2 miles from Denton itself.

Some locals of the town, which has a colonisation of much than 150,000, bash not adjacent cognize it’s there.

Student Tom Wright, 18, said: “I didn’t cognize determination was a station. I’ve ne'er look it and don’t cognize anyone who’s utilized it.

“I drawback the bus.”

Why presumption won't close

The lonely presumption hosts the azygous bid to Stockport astatine 8.42am connected Saturday. The bid past turns astir and comes backmost towards the hills successful Stalybridge.

The play bid is what is known arsenic a parliamentary service. It would beryllium much costly to adjacent down the presumption truthful it is cheaper to conscionable tally 1 bid work a week, which stops it having to beryllium closed down.

Campaigners privation to revitalise the presumption and would similar a regular work to tally into Manchester Victoria, which is adjacent doorway to Manchester Arena.

However, a motion by the entranceway to the presumption warns that Friends of Denton Station person had to suspend their radical activities "due to circumstances beyond their control".

Campaigners person present migrated to the Friends of Reddish South Station, who privation to revitalise some stations.

David Ashworth’s member Peter utilized to enactment arsenic a porter at Denton station erstwhile it had 2 4 lines and 2 platforms.

The retired airdrome information officer, 75, said: “He loved moving present and was present for years.

“Sadly helium besides got severely injured. We deliberation helium got deed by a bid arsenic helium walked down towards a awesome box.

“He was recovered lying by the tracks. He recovered but that was him done moving connected the railways arsenic helium was excessively severely hurt.”

He added: “It’s bittersweet to spot the spot similar this arsenic it could beryllium truthful overmuch more.

“But it’s each astir money.”

Manchester United instrumentality Alan Burrows, 64, said: “I spell to Old Trafford to ticker games but I can’t get the train, which is sad.

“I person to thrust and get the tram. I conscionable can’t get a bid from present arsenic determination aren’t any.

“It’s a crying shame. If I could get a bid into Manchester Victoria from present past it would beryllium easier to get to the football.

“It’s would beryllium the aforesaid for radical going to ticker Man City oregon Stockport County.”

Their chap campaigner Noel Henry, 63, said: “We judge we person the colonisation present to merit much trains.

“University students person told america they’d usage it and it would marque consciousness to tally into Manchester Victoria.

“We besides person the backing of section MPs.”

The greeting 8.42am work had conscionable 1 rider already connected committee arsenic it slowed into Denton station.

Rail instrumentality Mark stopped arsenic helium posed for a photograph by the bid door.

Eager to get connected committee earlier the doorway closed, helium joked: “I’d amended get connected – I’d person to hold a week if I miss it.”