About Wallingford Railway Station
Wallingford Station is a railway station serving the town of Wallingford – a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire.
When the original proposed route from London to Bristol was changed and passed through Didcot, local businessmen met and formed the Wallingford and Watlington Railway Company (WWRC) in 1864, with the aim of building a branchline from Moulsford (initially named ‘Wallingford Road’ Station) to Wallingford and then going on to Watlington.
On 2 July 1866, the Wallingford railway branch line was opened by the Wallingford and Watlington Railway from a junction with the Great Western Railway (GWR) main line at Moulsford (known as Wallingford Road until that date) to Wallingford, where a station was constructed on the south side of Wantage Road (now Station Road).
The line did not progress beyond Wallingford because it was hard to raise share capital as bank interest rates were high in the 1860s (following the collapse of at least one bank) and also because of the prohibitive cost of building a bridge over the River Thames at Benson.
For such a short line and a small station, the location was well patronised by commercial freight customers. A new station was built on the south side of St. John’s Road when the line reopened as a heritage railway run by the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway.
Getting there
By car
Wallingford is located halfway between Oxford and Reading and easily accessible from the M4 and M40 motorways, train and bus.
Access via the A4130 Wallingford By-Pass. The roundabout is the first one on the By-Pass heading South / East and the one after the level crossing heading North / West. Postcode for SatNav OX10 9GQ.
Parking
There is a free car park at Wallingford Station for passengers. Please note the car park may not be available during some special events such as Back to the Forties or the Santa Express. Additionally, Wallingford has a number of car parks located in the town centre. Please refrain from parking on residential streets.
By bus
Oxford to Wallingford – Buses leave from stop H5 in St Aldates, Oxford and pull up in the Market Place, Wallingford.
Reading to Wallingford – Buses leave from opposite Reading train station and pull up in the Market Place, Wallingford.
By train
GWR run services from Oxford, Reading and London to the nearest local stations of Cholsey and Didcot. It is usually possible to join the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway from Cholsey Station to Wallingford on normal running weekends. However, during special events, a local bus from outside Cholsey Station to Wallingford town centre may be required.
