Starcross railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Starcross


locale = Starcross, Devon
borough = Teignbridge
latitude = 50.627806
longitude = -3.447675
code = SCS
manager = First Great Western
platforms = 2
original = South Devon Railway
pregroup = Great Western Railway
postgroup = Great Western Railway
years = Opened
events = 1846
lowusage0203 = 58,384
lowusage0405 = 69,175
lowusage0506 = 76,771
lowusage0607 = 84,968

Starcross railway station is a small station on the London to Penzance Line in the village of Starcross, Devon, England. It is on the shore of the River Exe estuary and is linked to a pier used by the ferry to Exmouth on the other side of the estuary. One of the South Devon Railway engine houses, which formerly powered the trains on this line, is situated alongside the station.

History

The station was opened by the South Devon Railway on 30 May 1846. [cite book| last = Gregory| first = R H| title = The South Devon Railway| publisher = Oakwood Press| date = 1982| location = Salisbury| id = ISBN 0-853612-86-2] It only had a single platform at this time, the second one being added in November 1848. It was provided with a train shed until 1906 when the station was rebuilt. [cite book| last = Kay| first = Peter| title = Exeter - Newton Abbot: A Railway History| publisher = Platform 5 Publishing| date = 1991| location = Sheffield| id = ISBN 1-8725-2442-7]

Trains were worked by atmospheric power from 13 September 1847 until 9 September 1848. The engine house was subsequently used as a Methodist chapel; a youth club; a coal store; a museum of the atmospheric railway; and is currently the home of the Starcross Fishing and Cruising Club.

The South Devon Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 February 1876, which in turn was nationalised into British Railways on 1 January 1948.

Public goods traffic was withdrawn from 6 September 1965 and coal traffic ceased on 4 December 1967. The station became unstaffed on 3 May 1971 and the old station building was finally demolished in 1981. [cite book| last = Oakley| first = Mike| title = Devon Railway Stations| publisher = The Dovecote Press| date = 2007| location = Wimbourne| id = ISBN 1-904349-55-6] The footbridge, which had been erected in 1895, was replaced by the present structure in 1999.

Description

Access to the platform for trains towards Exeter is up a few steps from the main road through the village; the platform for trains towards Dawlish is reached by a footbridge. This second platform also serves as the access to the pier used by the Starcross to Exmouth Ferry, which forms a link in the South West Coast Path.

There is a waiting shelter on the platform for trains to Exeter but the other side is open to the elements.

ervices

Starcross is served by First Great Western trains in both directions on an approximately hourly basis during the day. Most trains run between Exmouth and Paignton; on Sundays the service is less frequent and most trains only run between Exeter St Davids and Paignton. [cite web |title = National Rail Timetable 135 (Winter 2007)|publisher= Network Rail|url = http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/eNRT/Dec07/timetables/Table135.pdf|format=PDF] The route from Exeter St Davids through Starcross to Paignton is marketed as the "Riviera Line".

A few trains run from Bristol or from London Paddington station on the London to Penzance Line, and one South West Trains service from London Waterloo station calls in the evening, otherwise passengers travelling east or north change into main line trains at St Davids, or at Newton Abbot if travelling westwards.

A ferry to Exmouth also operates on an hourly basis during the day, from Easter to October.cite web | url = http://www.exe2sea.co.uk/ferry.shtml | title = Exmouth to Starcross Ferry | publisher = Exe to Sea Cruises | accessdate = June 7 | accessyear = 2007]

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References

Further reading

*cite book| last = Beck| first = Keith| coauthor = Copsey, John| title = The Great Western in South Devon| publisher = Wild Swan Publication| date = 1990| location = Didcot| id = ISBN 0-906867-90-8
*cite book| last = Cooke| first = RA| title = Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR, Section 14: South Devon| publisher = RA Cooke| date = 1984| location = HarwellSwcp
topath=0 yards
anti-nextstation=Exmouth convert|0.5|mi|km (plus ferry)
clck-nextstation=Dawlish Warren convert|2|mi|km