what is the smallest station with a direct service to london

[Gwiwer]

There is no direct Marlow - London service. The through peak-time trains operate to and from Bourne End with a 2-car class 165 or 166 unit on the "Marlow Donkey" in time-honoured fashion. This is pretty much the same service pattern as has existed for many years. Even when the line was open through to High Wycombe the timetable showed Bourne End as a terminus from all three directions for many trains with just a few through from Paddington or Maidenhead - High Wycombe.

[Guest Belgian]

The longest platform thing has come up before. Colchester was quoted for many years, but more recently has been 'disqualified'. Colchester has a very long platform that a passenger can walk along, but a train can't travel its full length because it has a step in it if you see what I mean, a dead end single sided bay, hence the disqualification. The platform at Gloucester is continuous and now generally accepted as the longest in Britain.

Going back a long way to the 'longest platform' side-issue (and therefore 'off-topic') Bournemouth was always quoted as the second-longest platform with Manchester Victoria/Exchange having the longest. Since the latter was closed in 1969, surely Bournemouth became the longest, although Cheriton at Folkestone, on the Channel Tunnel line, is now quoted on Wikipedia as the longest in Europe.

 

JE