While seasoned rail commuters will be very familiar with the sight of trains and platforms packed with passengers, particularly during peak periods such as the morning rush and evening commute, there are other stations where the reality couldn't be more different. The quietest station in Britain welcomed just 68 passengers throughout an entire year.
Earlier this year it was revealed just 68 people had used Elton and Orston station, in the south east of Nottinghamshire, between 2024 and 2025, making it the least-used station across the entire UK. Only two trains call there daily, one bound for Nottingham and the other towards Skegness. These services operate Monday to Saturday, with no trains stopping at the station on Sundays or bank holidays.
READ MORE: The train station home to UK's longest platform that takes 10 minutes to walk
READ MORE: New UK train station could connect 2 popular cities with 5 trains per hour
The station does not have staff or a ticket office, and passengers move between platforms by walking across an unmanned level crossing.
The station first opened in 1850, the Nottingham Post has previously reported, though passenger figures steadily declined throughout the 20th century. The figure of 68 passengers represents a considerable fall from the preceding year, when 212 were recorded. The station is reportedly maintained as it proves simpler to schedule infrequent stops than to obtain permission for its permanent closure.
Train enthusiast Claire Martin, who boasts more than 20,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts as clairesfootsteps, paid the station a visit to see it for herself. Sharing footage of her trip on Instagram, she said: "I am at the UK's least used station.
"From 2024 to 2025 only 68 passengers were recorded here. There are two platforms, but to get from one to the other you have to use this unattended level crossing."
She went on: "There is one train per day in each direction, and the next one is due in a couple of minutes." Capturing a train departing, she said: "No one got off or on the train, but it did stop."
She noted that the train featured in the footage was heading west towards Nottingham, while passengers travelling the other way would stop at Grantham and Skegness. Viewers took to the comments section to share their thoughts.
One remarked: "It's such an expensive and time-consuming process to close a station in the UK that companies don't bother trying."
Another commented: "The good thing is that the station is kept alive even though it is used so little for those few who need it." While somebody else added: "Imagine missing it by a couple of minutes."
The Office of Rail and Road, which disclosed the statistics, has previously noted that being named the quietest station in Britain can actually boost visitor numbers. Between 2023 and 2024, Denton Station in Greater Manchester held the title of quietest, recording a mere 54 visits. The following year, however, this figure had nearly doubled to 100, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
A spokesperson previously stated: "In previous years, usage at some of the least used stations presented as part of these statistics has increased the following year. We understand that highlighting the least used stations within these statistics can encourage people to visit them."
The figures relate to the year 2024/2025
