Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway

Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway
The bridge over the River Tavy between Devonport and Bere Alston

The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway in England was built by an independent company (1890-1923) but operated by the London and South Western Railway as part of its main line to give it independent access to Plymouth. It ran from Lydford to Devonport Junction, just west of Plymouth North Road station and opened on 2 June 1890. A branch from Bere Alston to Callington was opened on 2 March 1908 using the newly built Bere Alston and Calstock Light Railway and the re-gauged East Cornwall Mineral Railway ; section to Gunnislake still operating. The Branch was engineered under the supervision of Holman Fred Stephens with the consulting engineers Galbraith and Church and was not operated by the London and South Western but as an independent railway . It was absorbed by the Southern Railway in 1923 following the Railways Act 1921.

The line from Bere Alston to Lydford (and beyond to Okehampton) was closed on 6 May 1968 and the line from Gunnislake to Callington was closed on 5 November 1966.

The PD&SWJR's lines from St Budeaux to Bere Alston and Bere Alston to Gunnislake are still open - today's Tamar Valley Line. There are moves to reopen the section of old line between Bere Alston and Tavistock North and also moves to have a cycleway along any new railway for much of this route.

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