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Barnstaple railway station
Barnstaple railway station is the northern terminus of the Tarka Line and serves the town of Barnstaple, Devon. It is 39 miles 75 chains (64.3 km) from Exeter Central and 211.25 miles (339.97 km) from London Waterloo. It is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates the passenger service.
It opened in 1854 but, from 1874 until 1970, it was known as Barnstaple Junction railway station, as it was the junction between lines to Ilfracombe, Bideford, Taunton and Exeter.
The Taw Vale Railway & Dock opened a railway to carry goods traffic between a quay at Fremington Pill and Barnstaple in August 1848. William Thorne, who worked the horse-drawn trains, built a warehouse at the terminus in Barnstaple which was by the Sticklepath turnpike gate and the bridge across the River Taw.
On 1 August 1854 the North Devon Railway (as the Taw Vale was now known) opened a 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) gauge line from Crediton where it linked with the Exeter and Crediton Railway. The traffic on the original line between Barnstaple and Fremington had ceased in 1851 and this line was now rebuilt to the North Devon's broad gauge, reopening as part of the route to Bideford on 2 November 1855. The North Devon Railway was amalgamated into the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) on 1 January 1865 by which time the LSWR had already laid a third rail from Exeter to Bideford so that its 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gauge trains could use the line.
A single platform on the river side of the line served passengers. A goods yard was laid out between the passenger station and the river which included a goods shed behind the platform and William Thorne's old warehouse. A second platform was added on 20 July 1874 when the Ilfracombe Branch Line opened. This included a new station at Barnstaple Quay on the other side of the river so the original 'Barnstaple' station was renamed Barnstaple Junction. Three years later, on 30 April 1877, the LSWR ceased operating broad gauge trains to Barnstaple.
The Devon and Somerset Railway had opened its own station in Barnstaple at Victoria Road in 1873 but from 1876 this was operated by the Great Western Railway (GWR). A connection was opened between the GWR station and the LSWR at Barnstaple Junction on 1 June 1887. This crossed the river on its own bridge and joined the LSWR line south of the Junction station. Some GWR trains continued beyond Barnstaple to Ilfracombe In 1891 a second track was brought into use on the Exeter line as far as umberleigh.The station was further enlarged and resignalled between 1922 and 1924. This included cutting back the hill above the station so that a new track could be added behind the platform that had been built in 1874 to provide an additional platform face.
With the creation of British Railways in 1948 there was opportunity to rationalise the facilities in Barnstaple. Most of the goods traffic was handled at the Victoria Road station although full wagons loads were still handled at Barnstaple Junction. Victoria Road closed to passengers on 12 June 1960 so all trains from Taunton ran to Barnstaple Junction. During the next ten years most of the lines around Barnstaple closed. Passenger services on the Bideford route ceased from 2 October 1965, the Taunton service was withdrawn from 3 October 1966, and the Ilfracombe branch closed on 5 October 1970. This just left the service to Exeter and Barnstaple Junction became plain Barnstaple once more. On 21 May 1971 the track was simplified and the line to Umberleigh was reduced to just one track. The goods trains to Victoria Road were withdrawn on 30 May 1970 and those on the Bideford line stopped on 31 August 1982.
A new booking office was opened on 10 November 1981 but the second platform was closed in August 1990. In 2008 a café was opened in the former station master's house.
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Barnstaple railway station
Barnstaple railway station is the northern terminus of the Tarka Line and serves the town of Barnstaple, Devon. It is 39 miles 75 chains (64.3 km) from Exeter Central and 211.25 miles (339.97 km) from London Waterloo. It is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates the passenger service.
It opened in 1854 but, from 1874 until 1970, it was known as Barnstaple Junction railway station, as it was the junction between lines to Ilfracombe, Bideford, Taunton and Exeter.
The Taw Vale Railway & Dock opened a railway to carry goods traffic between a quay at Fremington Pill and Barnstaple in August 1848. William Thorne, who worked the horse-drawn trains, built a warehouse at the terminus in Barnstaple which was by the Sticklepath turnpike gate and the bridge across the River Taw.
On 1 August 1854 the North Devon Railway (as the Taw Vale was now known) opened a 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) gauge line from Crediton where it linked with the Exeter and Crediton Railway. The traffic on the original line between Barnstaple and Fremington had ceased in 1851 and this line was now rebuilt to the North Devon's broad gauge, reopening as part of the route to Bideford on 2 November 1855. The North Devon Railway was amalgamated into the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) on 1 January 1865 by which time the LSWR had already laid a third rail from Exeter to Bideford so that its 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gauge trains could use the line.
A single platform on the river side of the line served passengers. A goods yard was laid out between the passenger station and the river which included a goods shed behind the platform and William Thorne's old warehouse. A second platform was added on 20 July 1874 when the Ilfracombe Branch Line opened. This included a new station at Barnstaple Quay on the other side of the river so the original 'Barnstaple' station was renamed Barnstaple Junction. Three years later, on 30 April 1877, the LSWR ceased operating broad gauge trains to Barnstaple.
The Devon and Somerset Railway had opened its own station in Barnstaple at Victoria Road in 1873 but from 1876 this was operated by the Great Western Railway (GWR). A connection was opened between the GWR station and the LSWR at Barnstaple Junction on 1 June 1887. This crossed the river on its own bridge and joined the LSWR line south of the Junction station. Some GWR trains continued beyond Barnstaple to Ilfracombe In 1891 a second track was brought into use on the Exeter line as far as umberleigh.The station was further enlarged and resignalled between 1922 and 1924. This included cutting back the hill above the station so that a new track could be added behind the platform that had been built in 1874 to provide an additional platform face.
With the creation of British Railways in 1948 there was opportunity to rationalise the facilities in Barnstaple. Most of the goods traffic was handled at the Victoria Road station although full wagons loads were still handled at Barnstaple Junction. Victoria Road closed to passengers on 12 June 1960 so all trains from Taunton ran to Barnstaple Junction. During the next ten years most of the lines around Barnstaple closed. Passenger services on the Bideford route ceased from 2 October 1965, the Taunton service was withdrawn from 3 October 1966, and the Ilfracombe branch closed on 5 October 1970. This just left the service to Exeter and Barnstaple Junction became plain Barnstaple once more. On 21 May 1971 the track was simplified and the line to Umberleigh was reduced to just one track. The goods trains to Victoria Road were withdrawn on 30 May 1970 and those on the Bideford line stopped on 31 August 1982.
A new booking office was opened on 10 November 1981 but the second platform was closed in August 1990. In 2008 a café was opened in the former station master's house.