Ashburton railway station
Encyclopedia
Ashburton railway station is a closed railway station situated in the town of Ashburton
in Devon
, England. It was the terminus of a branch line from Totnes
.
on 1 May 1872. The railway was amalgamated
into the Great Western Railway
in 1897 and this in turn was nationalised into British Railways on 1 January 1948. The station closed to passengers in November 1958 although goods traffic on the line continued until 7 September 1962.
The station was briefly re-opened by the Dart Valley Railway
, a heritage railway
, on 5 April 1969 following which occasional works trains operated but the station was closed finally in 1971 when track bed
between Ashburton and Buckfastleigh
was needed for improvements to the A38 road
. The South Devon Railway
, a successor to the Dart Valley Railway, still operates the rump of the branch between Totnes and Buckfastleigh.
and the nearby goods shed
both still stand as reminders of the town's railway past.
Ashburton, Devon
Ashburton is a small town on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, adjacent to the A38 Devon Expressway.It was formerly important as a stannary town , and remains the largest town within the National Park, with a population of around 3,500...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England. It was the terminus of a branch line from Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
.
History
Ashburton station, along with the rest of the branch from Totnes, was opened by the Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon RailwayBuckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway
The Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway built the broad gauge railway line from Totnes to Buckfastleigh and Ashburton in Devon, England.-History:...
on 1 May 1872. The railway was amalgamated
Consolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
into the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in 1897 and this in turn was nationalised into British Railways on 1 January 1948. The station closed to passengers in November 1958 although goods traffic on the line continued until 7 September 1962.
The station was briefly re-opened by the Dart Valley Railway
Dart Valley Railway
The Dart Valley Railway could refer to one of two heritage railways in Devon:* The South Devon Railway , which was reopened by Dart Valley Light Railway plc in 1969, and taken over by South Devon Railway Trust in 1992....
, a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
, on 5 April 1969 following which occasional works trains operated but the station was closed finally in 1971 when track bed
Track bed
A track bed or trackbed is the term used to describe the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links....
between Ashburton and Buckfastleigh
Buckfastleigh
Buckfastleigh is a small market town and civil parish in Devon, England situated beside the Devon Expressway at the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. It is part of Teignbridge District and, for ecclesiastical purposes lies within the Totnes Deanery. It has a population of 3,661...
was needed for improvements to the A38 road
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...
. The South Devon Railway
South Devon Railway Trust
The South Devon Railway Trust is a charitable organisation that operates a heritage railway from Totnes to Buckfastleigh in Devon, alongside the River Dart...
, a successor to the Dart Valley Railway, still operates the rump of the branch between Totnes and Buckfastleigh.
The site today
The station buildings with the important overall roofTrain shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
and the nearby goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
both still stand as reminders of the town's railway past.