Bideford railway station
Encyclopedia
The first Bideford railway station was opened on 2 November 1855 as the terminus of the Bideford Extension Railway from Barnstaple
. This was taken over by the London and South Western Railway
about ten years later.
This station was resited in 1872 when the line was extended to Torrington
.
Regular passenger trains from Barnstaple were withdrawn on Sat. 2 October 1965 although special trains occasionally used the station until the line was closed in 1982. After closure a railway preservation society was formed to reopen the station and part of the line. They laid over 200 yards of track in the station and collected some rolling stock and a small diesel locomotive. From 2004-6 a train service was operated but they were then forced to close temporarily due to vandalism and a threat to build houses on the trackbed. By 2010 the site and the rolling stock were being prepared for service again. See Bideford Railway Heritage Centre.
The station buildings are now owned by Devon County Council
and are currently being used as offices for the North Devon Coast & Countryside Service.
Recently, the station was included on the ATOC Connecting Communities report, that recommends closed lines and stations that should have a railway station. The report proposes the reopening of the Barnstaple
- Bideford
railway line.
Barnstaple railway station
Barnstaple railway station is the terminus of a long branch line, known as the Tarka Line, north west of Exeter St Davids, in Devon.It was known as Barnstaple Junction from 1874 to 1970 as it was the junction between lines to , , and Exeter-History:...
. This was taken over by the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
about ten years later.
This station was resited in 1872 when the line was extended to Torrington
Great Torrington
Great Torrington is a small market town in the north of Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below...
.
Regular passenger trains from Barnstaple were withdrawn on Sat. 2 October 1965 although special trains occasionally used the station until the line was closed in 1982. After closure a railway preservation society was formed to reopen the station and part of the line. They laid over 200 yards of track in the station and collected some rolling stock and a small diesel locomotive. From 2004-6 a train service was operated but they were then forced to close temporarily due to vandalism and a threat to build houses on the trackbed. By 2010 the site and the rolling stock were being prepared for service again. See Bideford Railway Heritage Centre.
The station buildings are now owned by Devon County Council
Devon County Council
Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. Based in the city of Exeter, the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon...
and are currently being used as offices for the North Devon Coast & Countryside Service.
Recently, the station was included on the ATOC Connecting Communities report, that recommends closed lines and stations that should have a railway station. The report proposes the reopening of the Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
- Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
railway line.