Appleford Railway Station, Oxfordshire

On the Cherwell Valley Line.

Layout
The station is awkwardly positioned on a humpback bridge and passengers must descend steep steps to the platforms.
Platform 1 is used for Northbound First Great Western services towards Oxford and Platform 2 is used for those towards London Paddington station.

High-speed passenger and freight trains pass through the station with little or no warning. As with any station, it is advised to keep a sensible distance from the platform edge, trains can pass through at speeds of up to 125mph.

History
It was opened originally on the opening of the line from Didcot to Oxford. The opening was 12 June 1844, having being planned and partly built by the Oxford Railway, which was absorbed into the Great Western Railway before the opening of the line. It was however closed after just a few years in February 1849.

It was reopened as Appleford Halt by the Great Western Railway on 11 September 1933 in a bid to compete with the growing competition from the buses. It lost its "Halt" suffix and status on 5 May 1969. Unusually, until recently it retained the original wooden platforms and corrugated iron pagoda-roofed waiting shelters. These have been replaced by "bus shelter"-like waiting shelters. It has never been staffed; originally passengers could purchase tickets at the village Post office, however since this has closed down, and ticketing facilities aren't present, passengers need to purchase tickets from the on-train conductor.