Originally known as the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway Company, the railway was largely promoted by local land owners following the failure of the planned extension of the Wallingford branch through to Watlington. Construction of the branch was authorised by an Act of Parliament dated 26 July, 1869.

This authorised the construction of the branch as a Light Railway, commencing from the Great Western Railway Station at Princes Risborough and running for a distance of 8 miles 66 chains to a terminus at Pyrton just outside Watlington.

The Branch was opened on 15 August, 1872 and had two intermediate stations at Chinnor and Aston Rowant. After opening, the company immediately ran into difficulties and for a period of time the company directors ran the line at their own expense. Finally after being offered the branch on more than one occasion, the Great Western Railway (GWR) acquired it on 01 July, 1883 for the sum of £23,000, which was less than half the cost of its construction. Under the ownership of the GWR, track on the branch was re-laid, the original being in very poor condition laid directly on the chalk. Rail level halts were opened at Bledlow Bridge, Kingston Crossing and Lewknor Bridge in 1906 and Wainhill Crossing in 1925. After the Second World War the passenger traffic on the branch started to fall and by the mid 1950s had fallen to such a level that on 01 July, 1957 the line was closed to passenger traffic.
chinnorrailway.co.uk/article.php/4/brief-history-of-the-line

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Location: Chinnor, South Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire, South East England, England, United Kingdom

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