Port Meadow Halt railway station
Encyclopedia
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 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. 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.
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 , , , , and . 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. The rail motor service was withdrawn as a wartime economy measure in 1917 and restored in 1919. It was permanently withdrawn from 1925 due to the introduction of motorised bus services around Oxford.
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
, between north Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Port Meadow
Port Meadow, Oxford
Port Meadow is a large area of common land beside the River Thames to the north and west of Oxford, England.The meadow is an ancient area of grazing land, still used for horses and cattle, and has never been ploughed...
. The London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
opened the halt as Summertown on 20 August 1906 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
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
permanently closed it on 30 October 1926. It was located on the north side of a footbridge leading from the present-day Aristotle Lane
Aristotle Lane
Aristotle Lane is a road in north Oxford, England.The lane links North Oxford, leading from the junction of Kingston Road and Hayfield Road , with Port Meadow to the west, via bridges over the Oxford Canal and railway...
into Port Meadow, close to an occupation crossing which also gave access to the up platform.
The opening of the station marked the inauguration of a rail motor car
Railmotor
Railmotor is a term which was used by several British railway companies for a steam railcar.-Overview:William Bridges Adams started building railmotors as early as 1848, but only in small numbers...
service between Oxford
Oxford Rewley Road railway station
Oxford Rewley Road railway station was a railway station serving the city of Oxford, England, located immediately to the north of what is now Frideswide Square on the site of the Saïd Business School. It was the terminus of the Buckinghamshire Railway, which was worked, and later absorbed, by the...
and Bicester
Bicester Town railway station
Bicester Town is the smaller of two railway stations serving the town of Bicester in Oxfordshire. The larger is . Bicester Town station is miles north-east of . It is operated by Chiltern Railways.-History:...
. Journey time was 37 minutes and, other than Port Meadow and Bicester, the service called at , , , , and . 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
2-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
locomotive hauling an 8-wheel corridor coach
Corridor coach
A corridor coach is a type of railway passenger coach divided into compartments and having a corridor down one side of the coach to allow free movement along the train and between compartments....
replaced it; a step-ladder had to be provided for passengers to alight as the halts were only constructed of sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
laid at rail level. The rail motor service was withdrawn as a wartime economy measure in 1917 and restored in 1919. It was permanently withdrawn from 1925 due to the introduction of motorised bus services around Oxford.