After the Wallingford branch line opened, it ran regular passenger shuttle services to the GWR mainline for almost a century.

Watlington, with a population in 1851 of 1,884, suffered in the early part of the nineteenth century from poor road communications, at a time when transport and trade were becoming important, and other settlements were flourishing.

In 1861 a branch railway was proposed from near Cholsey, to run through Wallingford, Benson, Watlington and Chinnor to reach Princes Risborough, but the idea was not progressed.

[3][5] First proposals were to construct Wallingford station adjacent to the market place, but in fact it was located on the southern margin of the town.

[1] The Board of Trade inspection took place on Tuesday 26 June 1866,[note 1][3] and line opened to the public without ceremony on Monday 2 July 1866.

[13]Following the opening the board met to consider the issue of extending the line to Benson (at the time frequently referred to as Bensington) as the statutory powers for land acquisition were to expire soon.

The general economic conditions had deteriorated considerably, and the commercial bank Overend, Gurney and Company had failed in May 1866, deepening the crisis.

The company's own revenue account was in serious difficulty, and sums due to the GWR in connection with the working arrangement were not being paid, and the contractor for the part of the line already built was also pressing for his money.

In June 1871 the matter was raised again and an offer to purchase was made: £3,515 of GWR 5% preference stock would be transferred to the W&WR shareholders, as well as £16,750 cash.

[5] With the passing of the Transport Act 1947 and the creation of British Rail, passenger services were 14 trains each way on weekdays running only to and from Cholsey station in 1947.

[5][9] Although goods operations to Wallingford station ceased on 13 September 1965, rail traffic continued to run to the Associated British Maltsters (Southern) Ltd mill.

Paul Karau and Chris Turner, An Illustrated History of the Wallingford Branch, Wild Swan Publications Ltd, Upper Bucklebury, 1982, ISBN 0 906867 10 X