Falmouth Docks railway station
Encyclopedia
Falmouth Docks station in Falmouth, Cornwall
is the terminus of the Maritime Line
to Truro
, the services are operated by First Great Western
.
Act had provided for a terminus at Falmouth on the waterfront at Greenbank. By the time the line was built the packet ship
s, which had been the commercial justification for the line, no longer called there. Instead new docks had been constructed near Pendennis Castle
to which the railway was diverted. The grand Falmouth Hotel was opened in 1865 just outside the station, with sea views across Gyllyngvase
beach. The railway, Falmouth docks
and hotel companies shared several directors, the hotel company even leased the refreshment rooms on the station.
The station was constructed out of granite
was 200 feet (61 m) long and 90 feet (27.4 m) wide, the three tracks and two platforms
being covered by a train shed
. As no other stations were provided in the town at the time it was known just as Falmouth, and was opened on 24 August 1863. A large goods shed
and a 100 feet (30.5 m) long engine shed
were both provided just outside the station. A siding ran down to the docks from the end of the platform.
The need to provide accommodation for all the staff were met by building twenty dwellings, known as Railway Cottages, in four terraces of five dwellings. These are situated just below the station by the entrance to the docks.
The Cornwall Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway
on 1 July 1889. The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948 which was in turn privatised in the 1990s.
The station was closed on 7 December 1970 when a new station, also named Falmouth, was opened 845 metres (924.1 yd) away and nearer to the town; on 5 May 1975 the latter was renamed The Dell and the 1863 station was reopened under its original name. On 15 May 1989, both were renamed: Falmouth became Falmouth Docks, and The Dell became Falmouth Town. Passengers now have a choice of three stations in the town: Falmouth Docks, , and (opened in 1925).
panel on its wall which depicts the link between the railway and the area's maritime heritage. It has level access from the car park.
The station is at the south end of the town on the hillside above the docks and near Pendennis Castle
and Gyllyngvase
Beach.
line and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
. The line is promoted under the "Maritime Line
" name.
While passenger numbers have been steadily growing at most Cornish stations in recent years, the growth at Falmouth Docks has been exceptional. More than 28,000 people passed through the station in the twelve months ending March 2003, but this had more than doubled just four years later. Falmouth Town, however, continues to be the busiest of the three stations in Falmouth.
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
to and from . They ran no more frequently than once each hour – often much less than this – but during 2009 services were increased in frequency after a new (and novelly constructed) passing loop was installed at .
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
is the terminus of the Maritime Line
Maritime Line
The Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom.-History:...
to Truro
Truro railway station
Truro Station serves the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. It is the situated on the Cornish Main Line and is the junction for the Maritime Line to Falmouth. The station is operated by First Great Western....
, the services are operated by 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....
.
History
The original 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...
Act had provided for a terminus at Falmouth on the waterfront at Greenbank. By the time the line was built the packet ship
Packet ship
A "packet ship" was originally a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. In sea transport, a packet service is a regular, scheduled service, carrying freight and passengers...
s, which had been the commercial justification for the line, no longer called there. Instead new docks had been constructed near Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
to which the railway was diverted. The grand Falmouth Hotel was opened in 1865 just outside the station, with sea views across Gyllyngvase
Gyllyngvase
Gyllyngvase is one of the four beaches associated with Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom, south of Pendennis Castle.It is to the south of Falmouth town centre, but was an essentially rural area as recently as the late 19th century...
beach. The railway, Falmouth docks
Falmouth Docks
Falmouth Docks are the docks of the town of Falmouth in Cornwall, England, UK.The docks are served by the Falmouth Docks railway station. Policing is by the Falmouth Docks Police.-Further reading:...
and hotel companies shared several directors, the hotel company even leased the refreshment rooms on the station.
The station was constructed out of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
was 200 feet (61 m) long and 90 feet (27.4 m) wide, the three tracks and two platforms
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
being covered by a train shed
Train 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...
. As no other stations were provided in the town at the time it was known just as Falmouth, and was opened on 24 August 1863. A large 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...
and a 100 feet (30.5 m) long engine shed
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
were both provided just outside the station. A siding ran down to the docks from the end of the platform.
The need to provide accommodation for all the staff were met by building twenty dwellings, known as Railway Cottages, in four terraces of five dwellings. These are situated just below the station by the entrance to the docks.
The Cornwall Railway was amalgamated 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. The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways from 1 January 1948 which was in turn privatised in the 1990s.
The station was closed on 7 December 1970 when a new station, also named Falmouth, was opened 845 metres (924.1 yd) away and nearer to the town; on 5 May 1975 the latter was renamed The Dell and the 1863 station was reopened under its original name. On 15 May 1989, both were renamed: Falmouth became Falmouth Docks, and The Dell became Falmouth Town. Passengers now have a choice of three stations in the town: Falmouth Docks, , and (opened in 1925).
Description
The single platform is on the left hand side of trains arriving from . It is covered now by just a canopy but features a mosaicMosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
panel on its wall which depicts the link between the railway and the area's maritime heritage. It has level access from the car park.
The station is at the south end of the town on the hillside above the docks and near Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
and Gyllyngvase
Gyllyngvase
Gyllyngvase is one of the four beaches associated with Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom, south of Pendennis Castle.It is to the south of Falmouth town centre, but was an essentially rural area as recently as the late 19th century...
Beach.
Passengers
The railway from Truro to Falmouth is designated as a community railCommunity rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
line and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
Devon 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 "Maritime Line
Maritime Line
The Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom.-History:...
" name.
While passenger numbers have been steadily growing at most Cornish stations in recent years, the growth at Falmouth Docks has been exceptional. More than 28,000 people passed through the station in the twelve months ending March 2003, but this had more than doubled just four years later. Falmouth Town, however, continues to be the busiest of the three stations in Falmouth.
| 2002-03 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entries | 14,305 | 18,815 | 23,208 | 28,371 | 31,609 | 49,652 |
| Exits | 14,156 | 19,619 | 24,108 | 31,171 | 35,555 | 49,652 |
| Total | |38,434 | 59,542 | 99,304 |
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services
All trains are operated by 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....
to and from . They ran no more frequently than once each hour – often much less than this – but during 2009 services were increased in frequency after a new (and novelly constructed) passing loop was installed at .