Exton railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Exton
code = EXN


manager = First Great Western
latitude = 50.66792
longitude = -3.44374
locale = Exton
borough = East Devon
platforms = 1
lowusage0203 = 12,059
lowusage0405 = 10,583
lowusage0506 = 10,255
lowusage0607 = 11,505
original = London and South Western Railway
postgroup = Southern Railway
years = Opened
events = 1861

Exton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Exton in Devon, England. It is situated on the Avocet Line which runs between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth.

History

A station known as Woodbury Road opened with the railway on 1 May 1861; it was renamed Exton Halt on 28 February 1965 but has since lost the "halt" suffix in common with most similar stations. Its location on the banks of the River Exe were exploited for many years by placing a camping coach in the goods yard that could be hired by holidaymakers. [cite book |last = Mitchell |first = Vic|coauthors = Smith, Keith |title = Branch Lines to Exmouth |publisher = Middleton Press |date = 1992 |location = Midhurst|id = ISBN 1-873793-00-6]

Description

The station has a single platform – on the left of a train arriving from Exeter – and faces out across the estury of the River Exe.

The platform is much lower than usual in the United Kingdom which leads to a significant step up into the trains. This is difficult for the less mobile or for people with luggage, also while all trains carry wheelchair ramps, it is not possible to use them here. Requests to Railtrack and Network Rail to raise the platform have so far been unsuccessful.

ervices

About half the trains on the Avocet Line from Exmouth to Exeter St Davids call at Exton on request – this means that passengers alighting here must tell the conductor that they wish to do so, and those waiting to join must signal clearly to the driver as the train approaches.

Beyond Exeter St Davids they generally continue to either Paignton or Barnstaple. Connections are available at Exeter Central for Pinhoe and stations to Waterloo; passengers for other main line stations change at St Davids.

References