Port Meadow Halt railway station

Port Meadow Halt was a railway station on the Varsity Line, between north Oxford and Port Meadow. The London and North Western Railway opened the halt as Summertown on 20 August 1906[1] and renamed it Port Meadow Halt in January 1907. It was closed between 1 January 1917 and 5 May 1919, and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway permanently closed it on 30 October 1926.[2] It was located on the north side of a footbridge leading from the present-day Aristotle Lane into Port Meadow, close to an occupation crossing which also gave access to the up platform.[2]

Port Meadow Halt
Site of Port Meadow Halt railway station in September 2009. Station site in centre; train upper left is passing Oxford North Junction
Location
PlaceOxford
AreaCity of Oxford
Grid referenceSP502079
Operations
Original companyLondon and North Western Railway
Post-groupingLondon Midland and Scottish Railway
Platforms2
History
20 August 1906Station opened as Summertown Halt
January 1907Station renamed Port Meadow Halt
1 January 1917Station closed
5 May 1919Station re-opened
30 October 1926Station closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z

The opening of the station marked the inauguration of a rail motor car service between Oxford and Bicester. Journey time was 37 minutes and, other than Port Meadow and Bicester, the service called at Wolvercote Halt, Oxford Road Halt, Islip, Oddington Halt, Charlton Halt and Wendlebury Halt.[3] On the opening day the rail motor ran hot at the end of a return trip from Bicester in the early part of the morning and a 2-4-2 locomotive hauling an 8-wheel corridor coach replaced it; a step-ladder had to be provided for passengers to alight as the halts were only constructed of sleepers laid at rail level.[3] The rail motor service was withdrawn as a wartime economy measure in 1917 and restored in 1919. It was permanently withdrawn from 1926 due to the introduction of motorised bus services around Oxford.[3]

Route
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Oxford Rewley Road
Line and station closed		   London and North Western Railway
Varsity Line		   Wolvercote Halt
Line open, station closed

Notes
  1. Waters 1986, p. 128.
  2. Mitchell & Smith 2005, fig. III.
  3. Little 1930, p. 223.

Sources
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
  • Little, E. (March 1930). "The Why and the Wherefore; Portmeadow Halt, L.M.S.R.". Railway Magazine. Westminster: Railway Publishing Company Ltd. 66 (393): 223. ISSN 0033-8923.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (July 2005). Oxford to Bletchley. Country Railway Routes. Middleton Press. ISBN 1-904474-57-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Waters, Laurence (1986). Oxford. Rail Centres. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-1590-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

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