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| Chiltern Railways 165 005 on Platform 2 |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Type: | National Rail (Chiltern Main Line) & Preserved Railway (CPRR) |
| Station code: | PRR |
| Opened: | 1862 |
| Platforms: | 4 |
The railway reached Princes Risborough via the Wycombe Railway in 1862 when a line from High Wycombe was extended to Thame, a branch also being built through to Aylesbury. This line was built to broad gauge though was converted to standard gauge in 1870 after the railway became part of the growing Great Western Railway empire [1].
The Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway also reached the station in 1872 with a line from Watlington. This was also later absorbed by the GWR but the line was closed to passenger use in the 1950s and closed entirely in 1989. Parts of the line were later reopened as the preserved Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway and in 2018 the preserved line finally returned to Princes Risborough [2] and operate services via a newly built platform 4 to Chinnor.
Major rebuilding of the station took place in 1905 when the Great Central Railway and GWR built a new route to avoid the GCR using Metropolitan Railway metals, part of the scheme being the upgrading of the existing line through Princes Risborough. Most of the station's structures date from this rebuilding. The station had a goods yard but it closed in 1966 [3]. A route to Oxford also ran from Princes Risborough but this was closed in 1963.
The station was reduced to a single platform (with a bay) and remained like this for a long time (London Marylebone of course was threatened with closure in the 1970s and 80s) but in 1999 a new platform was built for down services (and a new footbridge built). Also a new through line for non-stopping services was been restored.
Princes Risborough is a busy station with regular Chiltern Railway services to and from London Marylebone to Aylesbury, Banbury and Birmingham Moor Street. Four platforms are in use though the bay Platform 1 is nowadays less frequently used. Access between the other platforms is via a footbridge.
The Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway also reached the station in 1872 with a line from Watlington. This was also later absorbed by the GWR but the line was closed to passenger use in the 1950s and closed entirely in 1989. Parts of the line were later reopened as the preserved Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway and in 2018 the preserved line finally returned to Princes Risborough [2] and operate services via a newly built platform 4 to Chinnor.
Major rebuilding of the station took place in 1905 when the Great Central Railway and GWR built a new route to avoid the GCR using Metropolitan Railway metals, part of the scheme being the upgrading of the existing line through Princes Risborough. Most of the station's structures date from this rebuilding. The station had a goods yard but it closed in 1966 [3]. A route to Oxford also ran from Princes Risborough but this was closed in 1963.
The station was reduced to a single platform (with a bay) and remained like this for a long time (London Marylebone of course was threatened with closure in the 1970s and 80s) but in 1999 a new platform was built for down services (and a new footbridge built). Also a new through line for non-stopping services was been restored.
Princes Risborough is a busy station with regular Chiltern Railway services to and from London Marylebone to Aylesbury, Banbury and Birmingham Moor Street. Four platforms are in use though the bay Platform 1 is nowadays less frequently used. Access between the other platforms is via a footbridge.
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| CPRR stock stored South of the station |
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| Preserved 97 205 on Platform 4 (CPRR) |
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| Chiltern 165 030 with a London Marylebone service |
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| A Chiltern service passes though |
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| A Chiltern 165 departs for London |
[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Princes Risborough to Banbury (Middleton Press, 2002) p. 2
[2] "Reaching Princes Risborough", CPRR Website <http://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/product.php/79//27b10091d42e3b564feeedb12d8e80e6>
[3] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Branch Lines to Princes Risborough (Middleton Press, 2003) Fig. 113
