Redruth railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Redruth


manager = First Great Western
locale = Redruth
borough = Kerrier, Cornwall
latitude = 50.23320
longitude = -5.22602
code = RED
platforms = 2
original = West Cornwall Railway
pregroup = Great Western Railway
postgroup = Great Western Railway
years = Opened
events = 1852
lowusage0203 = 186,977
lowusage0405 = 219,013
lowusage0506 = 228,511
lowusage0607 = 258,384

Redruth Station serves the town of Redruth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The station is operated by First Great Western as is every other station in Cornwall.

History

First station

"Located at coord|50.23157|N|5.23255|W|type:landmark_region:GB"

The Hayle Railway opened a station on the west side of Redruth on 31 May 1838. The railway had been built to move goods to and from local mines and the harbours at Hayle and Portreath. A passenger service started on 26 May 1843; nearly 200 people travelled on the first train from Redruth to Hayle. cite book| last = Jenkins| first = SC| coauthors = Langley, RC| title = The West Cornwall Railway| publisher = Oakwood Press| date = 2002| location = Usk| id = ISBN 0-85361-589-6 ]

econd station

The West Cornwall Railway was authorised by an Act of Parliament passed on 3 August 1846 to take over the Hayle Railway and extend its line westwards to Penzance, and eastward to Truro. It took possession of the Hayle line on 3 November 1846 and set about rebuilding it. A viaduct was built convert|61|ft|m|0 above the streets of Redruth and a new station was opened at the east end of this on 11 March 1852. On 25 August 1852 the line was continued through a short tunnel at the east end of Redruth station and on to a temporary station at Truro Highertown, and was completed to a station at Newham Wharf in 1855. The present day station at Truro was reached in 1859 but through trains over the Cornwall Railway could not start until 1867 due to the two railways being built to different gauges. The main station buildings were replaced by the Great Western Railway in the 1930s but the wooden shelter on the westbound platform survives and the footbridge is marked as being erected in 1888. cite book| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = The Great Western Railway in Mid Cornwall| publisher = Kingfisher Railway Publications| date = 1988| location = Southampton| id = ISBN 0-946184-53-4]

The original convert|489|ft|m|0 viaduct was built in timber to the designs of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but it was replaced in 1888 by a masonry structure. cite book| last = Binding| first = John| title = Brunel's Cornish Viaducts| publisher = Atlantic Transport Publishing/Historical Model Railway Society| date = 1993| location = Penryn| id = ISBN 0-90689-956-7] The line had until now been just a single track with a passing loop in the station, but the new viaduct was wide enough for two tracks once the RailGauge|84 gauge rail was no longer required following the abandonment of broad gauge services in 1892. The second line was brought into use in February 1894; a second line was laid eastwards from the station in 1911. [cite book| last = Cooke| first = R A| title = Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR: Section 10, West Cornwall| publisher = R A Cooke| date = 1977| location = Harwell]

The original Hayle Railway station became a goods depot when the new station opened, access to it being controlled by 'Redruth Junction' signal box which also controlled access to the goods branch line to Tresavean mine. Goods sidings were also provided on both sides of the line at the new station, with a large goods shed on the north side of the line. A new goods depot was opened at Drump Lane, east of the tunnel, in 1912.

Description

The station is on the side of a hill with the road climbing steeply from beneath the viaduct at the west end of the station, to climb over the tunnel at the east end. Where the road and railway are on the same level is the entrance to the station. The main offices are on the eastbound platform and a footbridge to the westbound platform spans the tracks near the entrance. There is step-free access to this platform from an approach road on that side of the line.

Buses call at the main entrance to the eastbound platform. A car park is also on this side of the station between the main building and the viaduct on the site formerly occupied by the goods shed.

ervices

Redruth is served by all First Great Western trains on the trains on the Cornish Main Line between Penzance and Plymouth. [cite web |title = National Rail Timetable 135 (Summer 2008)|publisher= Network Rail|url = http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/eNRT/May08/timetables/Table135.pdf|format=PDF] Some trains run through to or from London Paddington station, including the Night Riviera overnight sleeping car service and the mid-morning Cornish Riviera.

There are a limited number of CrossCountry trains providing a service to Scotland in the morning and returning in the evening. One of the local services to Penzance each weekend runs from and to London Waterloo station and is operated by South West Trains.

ee also

* Redruth and Chasewater Railway

References