Bodmin Parkway railway station
Encyclopedia
Bodmin Parkway railway station is a station on the Cornish Main Line
and serves the nearby town
of Bodmin
, Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. The station is 26.75 miles (43 km) west of , in the civil parish
of St Winnow
.
The station is situated south of the town with the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway operating the branch
to the town. First Great Western
operate the station along with every other mainline station in Cornwall. Both local and long-distance trains, including the Night Riviera
sleeper service, call at the station.
The entrance is on the platform served by trains to . A second platform is reached by footbridge which is served by trains to and Paddington. The opposite side of this platform is for the trains of the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway.
The bus link to Bodmin, Wadebridge
and Padstow
starts from outside the main entrance. Visitors to Lanhydrock House
should turn right outside the station and follow the path that leads under the railway line.
opened on 4 May 1859. Original proposals to build a branch to the town failed as the company could not raise enough capital, so instead they decided to open a station called "Bodmin Road" at a convenient point. As the agreement with Lord Vivian who owned the estate forbade the construction of a station in the estate and protracted negotiations were necessary before a new agreement could be reached. When the railway opened on 4 May 1859 all that could be reported was that: "No station has yet been erected for Bodmin, owing to the site not having been immediately determined upon. It will be either near to Glynn Bridge or "Respryn" Bridge, and until it is completed, the Bodmin traffic will be accommodated at a temporary wooden shed erected near the latter place." Respryn was near the entrance to Lanhydrock House
, the home of Mr Robartes, a railway supporter.
The new station was finally ready to open on 27 June 1859 and was named "Bodmin Road". Because of its remote location the station master was paid five pounds by the Post Office to carry out the duties of post master. He also received a special lodging allowance until a house could be provided for him two years later. A goods shed
was built in 1860 at the east end of the station, behind the platform for trains to Plymouth
and cattle pens were added the following year. A footbridge across the line was built by Mr Robartes in 1860 to enable visitors to reach Lanhydrock more easily. This was later replaced by a passage beneath the tracks. This path is still used by visitors to this National Trust
property who arrive by train.
In 1863 a Bodmin, Wadebridge and Cornwall Junction Railway was proposed to connect the Cornwall Railway
at Bodmin Road with the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
at Bodmin, an isolated standard gauge
line owned by the London and South Western Railway
. In 1864 an agreement was reached with the Cornwall Railway to work the line once it was completed, and an Act of Parliament
was obtained. Capital proved difficult to raise and so the scheme failed. The line was eventually built by the Great Western Railway
, opening on 27 May 1887; this meant that the goods shed had to be moved to the opposite end of the station to make room for the branch platform. This was a standard gauge line and so traffic from Bodmin to the Cornwall Railway had to be transferred at Bodmin Road until the broad gauge
was converted over the weekend of 21 May 1892.
The Cornwall Railway was originally a single track broad gauge
line, but a passing loop was situated at Bodmin Road to allow trains to pass. It was amalgamated
into the Great Western Railway
on 1 July 1889. After the route was converted to standard gauge in May 1892, the line westwards to was doubled on 2 July 1893 and eastwards to on 22 December 1893.
On 18 April 1895 a train derailed shortly after leaving Bodmin Road on the way to . Both the 3521 class 0-4-4-T locomotives left the rails on a curve and dragged nearly the whole of the train with them. No one was killed. It is thought that the track had been damaged by the preceding train, but the 3521 class locomotives were subsequently banned from working in pairs and were taken off fast trains until rebuilt as 4-4-0 tender locomotives.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948. The line to Bodmin General line lost its passenger service on 30 January 1967 and goods facilities at Bodmin Road were withdrawn the following year, however goods traffic continued on the branch line until 3 October 1983. The line was subsequently taken over by the Bodmin and Wenford Railway
and reopened as a heritage railway
on 17 June 1990. In 1989 the old station buildings, except for the signal box
, were demolished and replaced by modern brick and glass structures. The station had been renamed Bodmin Parkway on 4 November 1983.
A scene in an episode of the ITV television series "Doc Martin" was filmed at Bodmin Parkway railway station in 2005.
passes under the line north of the platforms. Western Greyhound
bus services to Bodmin
and Padstow
start from the small station car park which is next to the booking office, and a footpath leads west from here under the line to Lanhydrock House
.
The brick built First Great Western
booking office is next to the entrance on the westbound platform, and a matching building on the opposite platform serves as a waiting room for passenegers travelling towards Plymouth. The old signal box, now used as a cafe, is situated to the north-east of the booking office and the footbridge is situated beyond this. This is an old Great Western Railway wooden structure but with stairs in two different styles.
There is no booking office for the Bodmin and Wenford trains so passengers buy their tickets from the guard. These use the opposite face of the platform used by mainline trains towards Plymouth. The Bodmin line curves sharply away to the north at the west end of the platform, and between this line and the main line is the exchange siding used for occasional movements between the two railways, and a large modern carriage shed alongside that is used to store rolling stock for the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.
es but an electric telegraph linked the stations so that the policemen who controlled the dispatch of the trains could communicate. It is unclear when a signal box was first provided at Bodmin Road was opened, but the surviving structure is reported to have been brought into use either in 1893 with the doubling of the line, or even as late as 1897.
The signal box was fitted with a new locking frame in 1912 and was rebuilt circa 1928. The next signal box to the east was at Largin, and to the west was at Lostwithiel. A new signal box was opened on 31 January 1931 at Onslow Sidings (to serve a china clay works), 1.25 miles (2 km) towards Largin, but closed again on 10 November 1968. The signal box at Bodmin Road was itself closed on 30 May 1985 and Largin too on 14 December 1991.
The single track of the Bodmin branch was controlled by an electric train staff until 28 December 1950, after which an electric key token was used. Signalling on the branch was removed on 27 March 1968, after which points were operated by independent levers. The connection from the main line into the exchange siding is operated by a lever frame under the supervision of Lostwithiel signal box.
trains on the Cornish Main Line
between and with one train per hour in each direction. Some trains run through to or from London Paddington station, including the Night Riviera
overnight sleeping car service and the Golden Hind which offers an early morning service to London and an evening return. Other fast trains are the mid-morning Cornish Riviera
and the afternoon Royal Duchy.
There are a limited number of CrossCountry
trains providing a service to Scotland
in the morning and returning in the evening, and on summer weekends to , most of which run non-stop from Bodmin Parkway to Newquay.
Connecting Western Greyhound
bus service 555 runs from the station to Bodmin
, Wadebridge
, and Padstow
.
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
and serves the nearby town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The station is 26.75 miles (43 km) west of , in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of St Winnow
St Winnow
St Winnow is a civil parish situated in Cornwall, England, UK. Its name may be connected with either that of Saint Winnoc or Saint Winwaloe. It has a population of 304....
.
The station is situated south of the town with the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway operating the branch
Branch
A branch or tree branch is a woody structural member connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree...
to the town. First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
operate the station along with every other mainline station in Cornwall. Both local and long-distance trains, including the Night Riviera
Night Riviera
The Night Riviera is a sleeper train service operated by First Great Western. It is one of only two remaining sleeper services on the railway in Great Britain...
sleeper service, call at the station.
The entrance is on the platform served by trains to . A second platform is reached by footbridge which is served by trains to and Paddington. The opposite side of this platform is for the trains of the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway.
The bus link to Bodmin, Wadebridge
Wadebridge
Wadebridge is a civil parish and town in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles upstream from Padstow....
and Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
starts from outside the main entrance. Visitors to Lanhydrock House
Lanhydrock House
Lanhydrock is a civil parish centred on a country estate and mansion in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish lies south of the town of Bodmin and is bounded to the north by Bodmin parish, to the south by Lanlivery parish and to the west by Lanivet parish. The population was 171 in the 2001 census...
should turn right outside the station and follow the path that leads under the railway line.
History
Bodmin was the most important town in Cornwall when the Cornwall RailwayCornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
opened on 4 May 1859. Original proposals to build a branch to the town failed as the company could not raise enough capital, so instead they decided to open a station called "Bodmin Road" at a convenient point. As the agreement with Lord Vivian who owned the estate forbade the construction of a station in the estate and protracted negotiations were necessary before a new agreement could be reached. When the railway opened on 4 May 1859 all that could be reported was that: "No station has yet been erected for Bodmin, owing to the site not having been immediately determined upon. It will be either near to Glynn Bridge or "Respryn" Bridge, and until it is completed, the Bodmin traffic will be accommodated at a temporary wooden shed erected near the latter place." Respryn was near the entrance to Lanhydrock House
Lanhydrock House
Lanhydrock is a civil parish centred on a country estate and mansion in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish lies south of the town of Bodmin and is bounded to the north by Bodmin parish, to the south by Lanlivery parish and to the west by Lanivet parish. The population was 171 in the 2001 census...
, the home of Mr Robartes, a railway supporter.
The new station was finally ready to open on 27 June 1859 and was named "Bodmin Road". Because of its remote location the station master was paid five pounds by the Post Office to carry out the duties of post master. He also received a special lodging allowance until a house could be provided for him two years later. A 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...
was built in 1860 at the east end of the station, behind the platform for trains to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
and cattle pens were added the following year. A footbridge across the line was built by Mr Robartes in 1860 to enable visitors to reach Lanhydrock more easily. This was later replaced by a passage beneath the tracks. This path is still used by visitors to this National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property who arrive by train.
In 1863 a Bodmin, Wadebridge and Cornwall Junction Railway was proposed to connect the Cornwall Railway
Cornwall Railway
The Cornwall Railway was a broad gauge railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The section from Plymouth to Truro opened in 1859, the extension to Falmouth in 1863...
at Bodmin Road with the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway
The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway was a railway line opened in 1834 in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It linked the important town of Bodmin with the harbour at Wadebridge and also quarries at places such as Wenford...
at Bodmin, an isolated standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line owned 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...
. In 1864 an agreement was reached with the Cornwall Railway to work the line once it was completed, and an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
was obtained. Capital proved difficult to raise and so the scheme failed. The line was eventually built by 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...
, opening on 27 May 1887; this meant that the goods shed had to be moved to the opposite end of the station to make room for the branch platform. This was a standard gauge line and so traffic from Bodmin to the Cornwall Railway had to be transferred at Bodmin Road until the broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
was converted over the weekend of 21 May 1892.
The Cornwall Railway was originally a single track broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line, but a passing loop was situated at Bodmin Road to allow trains to pass. It 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...
on 1 July 1889. After the route was converted to standard gauge in May 1892, the line westwards to was doubled on 2 July 1893 and eastwards to on 22 December 1893.
On 18 April 1895 a train derailed shortly after leaving Bodmin Road on the way to . Both the 3521 class 0-4-4-T locomotives left the rails on a curve and dragged nearly the whole of the train with them. No one was killed. It is thought that the track had been damaged by the preceding train, but the 3521 class locomotives were subsequently banned from working in pairs and were taken off fast trains until rebuilt as 4-4-0 tender locomotives.
The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948. The line to Bodmin General line lost its passenger service on 30 January 1967 and goods facilities at Bodmin Road were withdrawn the following year, however goods traffic continued on the branch line until 3 October 1983. The line was subsequently taken over by the Bodmin and Wenford Railway
Bodmin and Wenford Railway
The Bodmin & Wenford Railway is a heritage railway, based at Bodmin in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has an interchange with the national rail network at Bodmin Parkway railway station, the southern terminus of the line.-History:...
and reopened as 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 17 June 1990. In 1989 the old station buildings, except for the signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
, were demolished and replaced by modern brick and glass structures. The station had been renamed Bodmin Parkway on 4 November 1983.
A scene in an episode of the ITV television series "Doc Martin" was filmed at Bodmin Parkway railway station in 2005.
Description
The railway here runs from north-east to south-west . The entrance to the station is on the south-east side of the line, and so the approach road from the road to BodminA38 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,...
passes under the line north of the platforms. Western Greyhound
Western Greyhound
Western Greyhound is a bus operator based in Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It operates many services throughout the county and also into Devon...
bus services to Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
and Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
start from the small station car park which is next to the booking office, and a footpath leads west from here under the line to Lanhydrock House
Lanhydrock House
Lanhydrock is a civil parish centred on a country estate and mansion in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish lies south of the town of Bodmin and is bounded to the north by Bodmin parish, to the south by Lanlivery parish and to the west by Lanivet parish. The population was 171 in the 2001 census...
.
The brick built First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
booking office is next to the entrance on the westbound platform, and a matching building on the opposite platform serves as a waiting room for passenegers travelling towards Plymouth. The old signal box, now used as a cafe, is situated to the north-east of the booking office and the footbridge is situated beyond this. This is an old Great Western Railway wooden structure but with stairs in two different styles.
There is no booking office for the Bodmin and Wenford trains so passengers buy their tickets from the guard. These use the opposite face of the platform used by mainline trains towards Plymouth. The Bodmin line curves sharply away to the north at the west end of the platform, and between this line and the main line is the exchange siding used for occasional movements between the two railways, and a large modern carriage shed alongside that is used to store rolling stock for the Bodmin and Wenford Railway.
Signalling
When the Cornwall Railway opened its trains were controlled by independently operated signals; there were no signal boxSignal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es but an electric telegraph linked the stations so that the policemen who controlled the dispatch of the trains could communicate. It is unclear when a signal box was first provided at Bodmin Road was opened, but the surviving structure is reported to have been brought into use either in 1893 with the doubling of the line, or even as late as 1897.
The signal box was fitted with a new locking frame in 1912 and was rebuilt circa 1928. The next signal box to the east was at Largin, and to the west was at Lostwithiel. A new signal box was opened on 31 January 1931 at Onslow Sidings (to serve a china clay works), 1.25 miles (2 km) towards Largin, but closed again on 10 November 1968. The signal box at Bodmin Road was itself closed on 30 May 1985 and Largin too on 14 December 1991.
The single track of the Bodmin branch was controlled by an electric train staff until 28 December 1950, after which an electric key token was used. Signalling on the branch was removed on 27 March 1968, after which points were operated by independent levers. The connection from the main line into the exchange siding is operated by a lever frame under the supervision of Lostwithiel signal box.
Services
Bodmin Parkway is served by most First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
trains on the Cornish Main Line
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
between and with one train per hour in each direction. Some trains run through to or from London Paddington station, including the Night Riviera
Night Riviera
The Night Riviera is a sleeper train service operated by First Great Western. It is one of only two remaining sleeper services on the railway in Great Britain...
overnight sleeping car service and the Golden Hind which offers an early morning service to London and an evening return. Other fast trains are the mid-morning Cornish Riviera
Cornish Riviera Express
The Cornish Riviera Express is a British express passenger train that has run between London and Penzance in Cornwall since 1904. Introduced by the Great Western Railway, the name Cornish Riviera Express has been applied to the late morning express train from London Paddington station to Penzance...
and the afternoon Royal Duchy.
There are a limited number of CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
trains providing a service to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in the morning and returning in the evening, and on summer weekends to , most of which run non-stop from Bodmin Parkway to Newquay.
Connecting Western Greyhound
Western Greyhound
Western Greyhound is a bus operator based in Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It operates many services throughout the county and also into Devon...
bus service 555 runs from the station to Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
, Wadebridge
Wadebridge
Wadebridge is a civil parish and town in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town straddles the River Camel five miles upstream from Padstow....
, and Padstow
Padstow
Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...
.
Further reading
- The records of the railway companies can be consulted at The National Archives at Kew.