Crediton railway station
Encyclopedia
Crediton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Crediton
in Devon
, England.
It is the current junction of the Tarka
and Dartmoor
lines, though the two lines run parallel until Coleford Junction (where the junction of the Barnstaple and Okehampton lines used to be) at Penstone
near Coleford
(west of Yeoford
).
The station, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
, was opened by the Exeter and Crediton Railway
on 12 May 1851. The line to was then opened by the North Devon Railway
on 1 August 1854. After 1 November 1865 additional London and South Western Railway
trains ran through the station going towards Okehampton.
The signal box
which controls the level crossing
was put into use on the 2 June 1875, and the footbridge built in 1878. It now controls the entire Tarka Line from just north of the Cowley Bridge Junction with the Bristol to Exeter line
, all the way to Barnstaple, although most of the line uses the No Signalman Token Remote (NSTR) system. Under this method of operation only a single train is allowed into each section, so not much signal control is actually required.
The goods yard closed on 4 December 1967.
. The line is promoted under the Tarka Line
name.
The main station building is the award-winning Tea Rooms. These appeared in a list of "highly commended" station cafes published in The Guardian
in 2009. The tea rooms house a 0 gauge static model of the station in LSWR days and displays about the railway locally.
The Friends of Crediton Station actively promote the station and have been involved in schemes such as planting flower beds.
In 2007, working with the Friends of Crediton Station, First Great Western painted the station in authentic LSWR colours.
Crediton
Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton, about north west of Exeter. It has a population of 6,837...
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 is the current junction of the Tarka
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
and Dartmoor
Dartmoor Railway
The Dartmoor Railway is a long railway line in Devon, England. From Crediton the line parallels the Tarka Line to the site of the former Coleford Junction. Heading west it then serves Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton and Meldon Quarry. The route is owned from Coleford to Meldon by Aggregate...
lines, though the two lines run parallel until Coleford Junction (where the junction of the Barnstaple and Okehampton lines used to be) at Penstone
Penstone
Penstone is a hamlet of some 21 houses in Devon, England, about from the villages of Colebrooke and Coleford, close to the point where the Exeter-Barnstaple and former Exeter-Okehampton rail lines diverge; the latter is now a freight line but there has recently been talk of reopening it to...
near Coleford
Coleford, Devon
Coleford is a small hamlet in Mid-Devon, England. It includes a chapel and a pub, and also has a park and a full set of public conveniences ....
(west of Yeoford
Yeoford
Yeoford is a village near the town of Crediton in Devon, England. It is served by Yeoford railway station on the Exeter to Barnstaple railway line, otherwise known as the Tarka Line.-Primary School:...
).
History
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
, was opened by the Exeter and Crediton Railway
Exeter and Crediton Railway
The Exeter and Crediton Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked Exeter and Crediton, Devon, England.Although built in 1847, it was not opened until 12 May 1851 due to disagreement about the gauge to be used...
on 12 May 1851. The line to was then opened by the North Devon Railway
North Devon Railway
The North Devon Railway was a British railway company which operated a line from Cowley Bridge Junction, near Exeter, to Bideford in Devon, later becoming part of the London and South Western Railway's system...
on 1 August 1854. After 1 November 1865 additional 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...
trains ran through the station going towards Okehampton.
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...
which controls the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
was put into use on the 2 June 1875, and the footbridge built in 1878. It now controls the entire Tarka Line from just north of the Cowley Bridge Junction with the Bristol to Exeter line
Bristol to Exeter line
The Bristol to Exeter line is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line in the southern United Kingdom and runs from Bristol, to Exeter, from where it continues as the Exeter to Plymouth line...
, all the way to Barnstaple, although most of the line uses the No Signalman Token Remote (NSTR) system. Under this method of operation only a single train is allowed into each section, so not much signal control is actually required.
The goods yard closed on 4 December 1967.
Services
Crediton is served by all trains on the Barnstaple to service. They connect with main line services at .Community railway
The railway between Exeter and Barnstaple is designated as a community railway and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail PartnershipDevon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is the largest Community Rail Partnership in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1991 to promote the use of, and improvements to, rural railways in Devon and Cornwall, and also to promote the places served in order to improve the local economy.The...
. The line is promoted under the Tarka Line
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
name.
The main station building is the award-winning Tea Rooms. These appeared in a list of "highly commended" station cafes published in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2009. The tea rooms house a 0 gauge static model of the station in LSWR days and displays about the railway locally.
The Friends of Crediton Station actively promote the station and have been involved in schemes such as planting flower beds.
In 2007, working with the Friends of Crediton Station, First Great Western painted the station in authentic LSWR colours.