Doleham - Least Used Station in East Sussex

On the mostly single track line between Ashford and Hastings is the station of Doleham which gets just seven passenger trains a day stopping on weekdays.
We took the 2G16 which is the 08:53 from Platform 1C from Ashford International.
The Office of Rail and Road Station Statistics can be downloaded here: dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statist...

[@sbs5130]

8:52 After the man with the chainsaw was finished, they decided to rename the station Two Oaks.

[@tjfSIM]

Ha ha! This comment deserves more likes :)

[@buksi6342]

A little while after, it became One Oak, recently it became No Oaks.

[@jumpcutfilms1958]

@@buksi6342 And then today it became O

[@donghsukte]

@Transport News Finland or an oak.....

[@pitchykoo_botsalot_yt]

😹

[@FreekyFreezer]

Rule #1: Dont ever interrupt someone in competitive multiplayer

[@rynsaccount]

Robin Brockhusen LOL

[@Ryan-zh9tz]

Robin Brockhusen lol he was doing deathmatch though

[@fk9183]

Robin Brockhusen hahahahaha

[@xerainlongnose916]

exactly he's bang out at cs go

[@RatelHBadger]

Ironically perhaps... Ashford International is AFK. Which is something Geoff, couldn't get his nephew to do.

[@robertboffey8061]

I like how Adam was playing on the CS:GO map: 'Train'.

[@Psevdonim123]

It runs in the family somewhere... Probably affects boys only🤣

[@rev1l0oar]

Ah, many a time I unintentionally ended up at Three Oaks station after falling asleep on the train home from Eastbourne meaning to get off at Hastings! Very quiet and peaceful, but very lonely at night waiting for my wife to pick me up if there was no service back towards Hastings. The Three Oaks pub just a stones throw away from the entrance gate to the station was nice the last time I was there before moving away! Good times and a great video, I have always been very fond of the Marshlink line!

[@JBLewis]

These "Least Used" videos are fun! I have started to explore the areas around the stations via Google Maps after watching each of the videos.

[@DonConstance]

Railways, countryside, and platform dancing. Splendid, more please!

[@tonylancaster8704]

Another great video, You two make a lovely couple

[@marcussheen]

Thank goodness you found the meeting point!

[@octocast6744]

Geoff Marshall what camera do u use

[@YoloMenace001]

@@octocast6744 I think he uses a GoPro

[@Keithbarber]

@@octocast6744 one that takes photos and videos I would imagine

[@davidjamessussex1671]

Awe! I used to commute from Hastings to Rye every day for school. It’s such a beautiful line and it was 1996-2001 so they still had the old slam door carriages on that line. I loved them. So much less sterile and so noisy and bouncy. Brilliant if you’re 12! Probably wouldn’t like a noisy bouncy dirty train as much now!

[@tpfootballanalysis6752]

I remember going in the train journey between Rye and Hastings 2 years ago. I remember going past some empty stations

[@bruce_adams]

I'm absolutely fascinated by the option of *walking* between stations and towns. The UK has such a concentration of scenery packed in. On a somewhat related note, (outside of the Northeast Corridor) the US would benefit from more long distance trains at increased frequencies and at more stops - just as Geoff talks about.

[@ecoomber]

I love these train adventure vlogs!

[@JoshyFre2003]

Ayoo, good to see you doing more of these!

[@matthew.trains4841]

If you think Doleham has a short platform, you should go to Beauly near Inverness in Scotland, only 1 set of doors on the train opens.

[@matthew.trains4841]

yeah, it's only 15 metres long

[@matthew.trains4841]

I think it's because it is in the Highlands and there was little space to build it

[@thomasnorton2679]

or Gilfach fargoed in the welsh valleys

[@borderlands6606]

The smallest halt I know of was on the Mildenhall branch in Suffolk. Wortlington Golf Links Station had no platform, just a sign and a lamp. The guard gave passengers assistance onto a folding step on a coach.

[@matthew.trains4841]

KasabianFan44 it would've been so passengers at least someone had a bit of space to wait for their train

[@JFinney]

I've been on that line two years in a row, although admittedly it was between Hastings and Brighton and a busy Saturday morning.

[@kirstywho1991]

I'd happily get lost there, looks beautiful.

[@NeoDerGrose]

We got even smaller stations here in Germany. There are some that only fit the first two doors of a tram-style train. The platforms are just about 20 meters long. Therefore the last to doors and the complete second emus are locked when stopping there. There are announcements ahead of the last stations to change to the right carriage because you couldn't change them between the stations. You need to see this, it's hilarious. But it's not even the best. The same operator operates a secret station. No signs, no platform, the trains just stop at request at a level crossing. When they upgraded the line in the 50s and changed gauge from narrow gauge to standard gauge they needed a small portion of land from a nearby remote farm. In exchange they granted this stop.

[@SimonS44]

NeoDerGrose Stadtbahn Karlsruhe?

[@NeoDerGrose]

SimonHellinger Ja klar, wo sonst. ;)

[@barvdw]

Have seen the request stop at railway crossings in the Czech Republic as well (e.g. the train from Dolni Poustevna to Rumburk, can't exactly recall the name of the stations, but there were several). And why not, no need for a lot of infrastructure if it's only a small village, no ticket machines, all tickets are sold by the conductor...

[@akarouge]

Beauly only has 1 platform of 15 metres.

[@SRBAnimate]

The least used station on the ttc is Ellesmere

[@jbuller]

Lovely to include all your asides together. Very touching

[@Adam-xs1qv]

argh your videos are so addicting! great video again

[@390h8er]

I love your visits to these deserted stations. Looked like the perfect day for an adventure. A 'Meeting Point' for a tiny rural halt is pretty funny. You have to wonder. WHY??

[@OEPNVInternational]

Awesome video Geoff! I would love to see more of these in the future :)

[@thetelephoneprankster4254]

OMG I cannot believe you were at Ashford yesterday! I live 40 minute further down the line towards Dover and Ramsgate. Glad you had fun. I see the Brighton/Ashford trains are still as good as they always have been (!)

[@thelearc0]

I really love your videos :D Please do more!! :D

[@nightw4tchman]

This was really fun, you should make more like this!

[@andreafox4099]

Watching this series on new year's eve and ooooh a geocache find too. Heart be still.

[@JackLebeau666]

Great video Geoff, love the Casey style vlog today.

[@toddhunter5257]

Great video! I loved the bit were you said a two car train is too long for this station.. I have to admit I found that quite amusing.

[@fraancetate8759]

I very much enjoy your videos,brilliant

[@MrRobhotspur]

hi Geoff,its adams dad I just like to say thank you we have followed you steps around the London tube network a fair bit.as you can imagine as a driver on hs1 I need not to see many more train lines but I do with adam and he teaches me....again thank you

[@MrRobhotspur]

thx

[@MM0SDK]

This was nice to see. I used to live in Hastings, so know the station well. There used to be two train stations in Ore, Hastings. Crowhurst is another small station that doesn't see much use, aside from the BMX riders.

[@stuartlydes-uings1876]

By the way nice of you to visit my hometown of Ashford! I live not too far away on the other side of the M20 motorway from where you stayed!

[@Broadercasting]

Ah, it brings back pleasant memories of my youth on a Week's Rover from Hastings to Rye via most of the intermediate stations when it was double track and a mini Thumper.

[@ToranJShaw]

On a line I use regularly, in Thuringia, there's a station that fits the profile of Doleham. It's served every two hours, in both directions, on a one track line; and I've only seen it used a couple of times, since I've been here!

[@MichaelBrodie68]

Lovely video series Goeff. Thanks

[@jamieward277]

If you fancied going less local, there is Sampford Courtnay station in Devon that got 146 estimated entries and exits this year, but is only served on summer Sundays. Alternatively, there is Lapford station that saw 2354 entries and exits this year, Newton St Cyres which saw 2760 and Portsmouth Arms which saw 884 passengers.

[@NathTrains]

Great video like always!! :)

[@andrewholloway231]

A really good video. I enjoyed it.

[@niklasf449]

I love it! Please make more videos together!

[@tango602]

If you are ever in Cornwall then go to Coombe Junction Halt, it only had 26 passengers last year

[@webrarian]

And, of course, they did. But that is another story...

[@squarewheelsorguk]

What a beautiful video, and a lovely couple! I love that part of the world. I used Doleham halt many times, before they axed most of its services - always on the old Thumpers. BTW I think it was those old trains that were nicknamed 'Maggot' as their centre-coach was wider than the end-coaches.

[@CheekyBandit]

Mid 1990s some two coach Class 205s got strengthened with trailers from Class 411s that were reduced from 4 to 3 coaches.

[@okotokspaul]

The station was opened on 1 July 1907. At first named Guestling Halt, it was later renamed Doleham Halt, before being simplified to Doleham on 5 May 1969

[@olly5764]

I explored this line on my summer holidays in the 80's and 90's with the wonderful old English electric "Thumper" units. far more interesting beasts than the current traction!

[@davidf2281]

These videos are bizarrely compelling.

[@esmeephillips5888]

Between 1907 and 1959 there was a more remote stop between Doleham and Winchelsea called Snailham Halt. It had no road access, but the line was crossed by a rough track across the Brede Levels between the hilltop villages of Udimore and Icklesham. I doubt many locals from either used it. There was a rough wooden platform and shelter. Lighting was an oil lamp on a pole. It was served by steam push-pull trains by request only. The guard sold tickets here and at Three Oaks & Guestling (so called) and Doleham, but Winchelsea had a station house and was staffed- by the guy who had manned Devil's Dyke, terminus of the defunct tourist branch from Brighton. Snailham closed when the line was dieselized with multiple units. That was when concrete replaced wood along this route.

[@voxley19]

Great walk you had there Geoff- better than the one I did on 25 November!

[@TheHorrorDevotee]

I'm frooooooom Ashford! Ahhh, memories of Eureka Park

[@briancarson9309]

Another really enjoyable trip. Great idea if you have the time.

[@FarlandHowe]

Very entertaining, but i cannot imagine why....

[@shrubbie1]

Doleham, yes a bit of a backwater. The whole line seemed to be on the edge of death when the wheezy old thumpers still plied the route (until 2000ish?), then we got a fancy new bunch of trains ('The Maggot') and a through service to Brighton - at the expense of Doleham/Three Oaks and to some extent, Winchelsea. Now the trains get extremely busy at times and the two car units cannot cope. There is a campaign for the Javelin trains to run to Hastings, but I think Amber Rudd is too busy now to bother with local issues...as you noticed, the line would need some major infrastructure upgrade to enable such a thing (such as 'leccy! and a big bunch of cash). Still, I am fond of this line, and you can have fabulous walks along the 1066 Walk...as disccovered! Thanks for visiting East Sussex...

[@agent_605]

I stayed at that place a few years ago on my way to France as I was driving all the way from the North

[@blackmanjohn9]

This is my neck of the woods. I know it started out as Guestling Halt but really, it was called Doleham Halt for yonks before it lost the Halt. Down a country lane and in a big dip. Probably one of the most romantic stops ever by car .

[@multiplio2924]

I've been on this line loads when I went on holiday in Rye! It was pretty busy when I went though...

[@josho1994]

was gonna say Three Oaks as well until i saw the titlecard. Also Jeff, you should have showed the viewers Doleham itself, its really weird because its just a row of houses on a really steep hill...in the middle of nowhere...

[@mjw9phd]

Great video, often passed when I lived in Hastings but always put off alighting by the wait for a return train (and the lack of any kind of facilities at Doleham whatsoever, I'm lead to believe it was built to serve a row of cottages). Just thinking that Winchelsea on the same line must be fairly sparsely used given the distance from its namesake village (though probably has more summer traffic due to walkers). Is the least used station in a county going to be a regular thing from now on?

[@grumpygoomba9763]

I am surprised that you actually managed to get anywhere with Southern - I thought they were always on strike...

[@grahamc5531]

My grandparents used to live in St Leonards during the 70s & early 80s when I was a kid. Used to take the old Thumpers to go to Doleham and then walk a few miles in the summer months into the country to go strawberry picking. Ah memories!

[@nicholassainsbury8963]

There's a station called Wondabyne on the Central Coast line of the Sydney Trains network in Australia that only has enough room for the rear door of the train and the train will only stop if you signal the driver

[@LGTransport_331]

Great series! You should try Shippea Hill, least used station in the UK, next!! Only about 22 passengers a year

[@ThameslinkTV]

Well, you can only get to Smallbrook Junction station by train. There's no footpath (unless you want to try and cross the line to the platform near the Tescos, lol) and if there's no steam service, that's why there's only 0 passengers a day! Imagine buying a ticket to Smallbrook Junction when you can't because no train actually stops there unless the steam railway is open! HA!

[@kodamathedestroyed]

Ha ha, nice to see such townies braving the wilds. ;) Will you be back for Kent's least used station too?

[@DavidLeeKersey]

Love these little out of the way stations and trying to think what the area was like back when they could support hourly service.

[@ehanchowdhury7656]

Your video was amazing man what the hell.

[@alangates5634]

smallest ever stations? great video :-)

[@DARam4009]

Ever wanted to visit either the West Highland Line, the Paisley Canal line or the Dundee-Carnoustie line?

[@andyhessey]

I will have the pleasure of visiting those stations shortly to do some work... Looks very pretty if not terribly accessable

[@DonCarlosofFreiburg]

Yeay! Another Train enthusiast / fellow geocacher :)

[@ryanidious4510]

Geoff what inspired your love of trains?

[@lewismelrose4334]

I went to Three Oaks Today - Instantly came home and watched this video

[@RUOKH]

As a user of Doleham Halt, I can assure you that there are not an average of 9 passengers per day; it is more like 1 to 2 passenger max. The stats are false as a ticket to Doleham from the Eastbourne direction was cheaper than a ticket to Hastings, hence when people discovered this fare anomaly, they started buying tickets to Doleham but alighted at Hastings, thus skewing the user statistics. Otherwise, a fun and brilliant video clip - thanks for making it.

[@tomo8910vids]

I can't help but think that Geoff had to go outside a first time to set up the camera then go back inside to film the shot for the first few shots. It must look so wierd.

[@RJE48]

Have you been to the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway? It has a regular service throughout the year and is a 27 mile round trip.

[@spatrompete2601]

Nice video is like a young couple on a romantic walk :-)

[@zaveexixterteen3841]

You should do a train spotting video at doleham! It'll be very packed video!

[@dungeness3224]

OH THREE OAKS. our little group of 9 i think it was used that station three or four times in a week last year i think so maybe thats where some of the passenger numbers came from ;0 its a lovely area around there. we came for the holiday park down the road a bit. my mum loves to stay in a caravan around hastings often and we go to either st leonards or coghurst hall, st leonards wed get to from the rather lovely station west st leonards and coghurst wed get to from three oaks and walking for a while. first time we went we didnt know which way to go, its a left over the bridge once you leave the gate but we took a right. walked all the way through the little village and on to a main road then we realised maybe this is the wrong direction. oh and the whole guestling area is really nice. its split up into guestling green, guestling thorn (i think those are the right names) and three oaks, and we walked through all three of them! :0 we were walking to hastings instead of taking the train. took damn long but it was nice id recommend it.

[@mellonians]

Fun fact, the old trains used on that line used old submarine engines! They were nicknamed thumpers! Edit: was just looking for more info on that, but might have to eat my words. That was what I was told by a conductor when I travelled in one to Ore in around 2002.

[@glenatkinson1230]

They sounded similar to the old 500 units from NIR in N Ireland

[@tommercer1406]

Can you do the Cotswolds Line? I take it every day and am intrigued to know what the least used station is. My guess is Coombe or something

[@ThomasWhiteford]

That 171 unit that you got was actually an Ex Scotrail Unit that Moved south to Southern

[@ianmcclavin]

I went to Doleham once in about 1985! It's not quite as remote as say, Berney Arms in Norfolk (at least there's a road at Doleham!!), but otherwise very similar, mainly fields. There was a more frequent service here then, all the hourly daytime service used to stop here; I was quite surprised by this, as at the time, Earlswood and Salfords stations, in much busier areas, on the London - Brighton main line were open rush hours only for a few years (unbelievable now!!) This situation has now been reversed, with Doleham now getting a spartan service, even Three Oaks and Winchelsea are only 2-hourly.

[@arfski]

There's a road to Berney Arms, just happens to take forever, with 1 set of gates to go over the railway, and then a further 3 sets of field gates...

[@WrongStyleWrestling]

Hi Geoff. I really like the acoustic music you use throughout your videos, such as 1:07. Did you make it or is it copyright free music that anyone can use? Thanks, Dei.

[@terrymarriott4798]

Good stuff!

[@philhomes233]

Ha ha. I explored the Ashford/Hastings line in the late 70s, Doleham was of course one of the stations I had a close look at !.

[@marthaanderson2656]

Man I would roll with you any time. train ride, cross country walk, a geocache and coffee. When I come to London I get my train fix. Sadly the western US ( or any part, really) is never going to catch up to the joy of these things.

[@marthaanderson2656]

Was there twice in 2016, always discovering something new. I just discovered your videos and now I have fodder for fun explorations next time. Highlight of a visit in 2015 was being involved with a mainline signal breakdown and being stuck in Haywards Heath on a Friday afternoon. Arrived back at Victoria just at 5pm. I felt like I had really "arrived" and experienced the full flavor of train travel that day. Missed buy bus connect in HH on the way down, too.

[@SpartanBunzer]

How do you find least used stations on the ORR?

[@SebastianPeitsch]

This is more riveting than the 7th Harry Potter 😅

[@lewisclark8073]

You should come to Teesside airport station. They only have around 3 passengers per year

[@IrishTransportEnthusiast]

Where do you find the geocache website?

[@mintysgt]

I just ramdomly see this vid. Knowing doleham well I decided to watch it, saying Tftc with a picture seems a little tight when you vlog, doleham station just happens to be a cache I adopted a few months back

[@talcharlotte8502]

Hearing Eastbourne made me really happy my long distance partner lives there i miss it

[@ciaranburrows1914]

Ive just had an idea for a video you and viki could do, All The Hams. Visiting every station with ham in the name

[@nathanhuxley8603]

170 in birmingham sometimes get a extra train class 153 or 158 i think it is?

[@veedubbya]

Don't know whether it's unique, but this line has two stations with three letter names, and uses only 4 letters between them.

[@jimmy7train]

Those are some expensive tickets wow! Also that train is really empty I'm surprised they run that many cars on the train. How many minutes was that ride?

[@harryvince]

What Was The First Song When The Writing Was On The Screen.

[@sognsvann3]

what is the Station in London with the most tracks?

[@TheTravelingPair]

2:56 in the bottom left hand corner there’s smoke

[@HenrysAdventures]

I enjoyed watching that! I've not been on that line yet. Maybe 2018 will be the year I do! :)

[@ieb994]

No more Geofftech?

[@Ciaran100]

Old news fam

[@oldtechnobodycaresabout]

the line is called 'Marshlink'

[@SiVlog1989]

Someone told me that Three Oaks and Doleham have the character more of a Cornish Branch line than East Sussex, fair assessment?

[@phwayne]

I like the station to station nature hike. Maybe the a theme for another set of train videos?

[@rulipari]

In 2015, I got off the Train right at Doleham once. To unerstand, why this is Special (or to just make it more Special), I am german. And I do not have any Family living in the UK. So - yes. I saw this Station, LIVE and in "Action". - rulipari