Feniton railway station
Encyclopedia
Feniton railway station serves the village of Feniton
in Devon
, England. It was opened by the London and South Western Railway
(LSWR) in 1860 but is now operated by South West Trains
which provides services on the London Waterloo to Exeter
route.
It has been known by several different names, but from 1874 to 1967 it was Sidmouth Junction while it was the junction
for branch lines through to and .
and was opened by the LSWR on 19 July 1860, along with its Exeter Extension from to Exeter Queen Street
. It was named "Feniton" after the nearest village, but less than a year later it was renamed (on 1 July 1861) as "Ottery and Sidmouth Road". In February 1868 this was changed again to "Feniton for Ottery St Mary". On 6 July 1874 a branch line to was opened and the station changed its name once more to become "Sidmouth Junction", a name that it managed to retain for more than 90 years.
On 1 May 1897 a new line to was opened and this was extended on 1 June 1903 to . Although the junction for this line was at , Sidmouth Junction was the de facto junction as it was situated on the London main line. A third platform
was provided to accommodate branch line trains; this was a terminal bay at the Yeovil end of the westbound platform. It was on this platform that the main two-storey building was situated.
A goods yard and goods shed
was provided adjacent to the bay platform. This was closed on 6 September 1965. The following year saw the withdrawal of local stopping trains on the main line, but Sidmouth Junction remained open until 6 March 1967 when passenger services were withdrawn from the branch lines.
The station was however reopened on 5 May 1971 as a result of local campaigning by the residents of the expanding village, assuming the original "Feniton" name. A ticket office was erected in 1974 as the original building had been demolished while the station was closed. The platform was rebuilt and lengthened in 1992 but is still shorter than many of the trains that call.
of the Ottery Road which was operated by the station staff. A signal box
was provided in 1875 at the east end of the station on the north side of the line, opposite goods yard. Because it was too far from the level crossing a small signal box was provided at that end of the station to control the level crossing. The main signal box was closed on 21 May 1967 but the level crossing box was retained. The line through the station reduced to just a single track on 11 June 1967. In 1974 the level crossing gates were replaced by lifting barriers; the level crossing box was abolished at the same time and the barriers are operated from a panel within the station building.
operate daily between and London Waterloo station, generally calling at Feniton every two hours.
Feniton
Feniton is a village and civil parish in East Devon the English county of Devon. It lies approximately west of Honiton, north of Ottery St Mary, and east of Talaton. The parish of Feniton also incorporates the hamlets of Colesworthy, Higher Cheriton and Curscombe, and covers an area of 644...
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 opened 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...
(LSWR) in 1860 but is now operated by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
which provides services on the London Waterloo to Exeter
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
route.
It has been known by several different names, but from 1874 to 1967 it was Sidmouth Junction while it was the junction
Interchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system, and allows passengers to change from one route to another. Transfer may occur within the same mode, or between rail modes, or to buses...
for branch lines through to and .
History
The station was designed by William TiteWilliam Tite
Sir William Tite, CB was an English architect who served as President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was particularly associated with various London buildings, with railway stations and cemetery projects....
and was opened by the LSWR on 19 July 1860, along with its Exeter Extension from to Exeter Queen Street
Exeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station is the most centrally located of the railway stations in Exeter, Devon, England. It is smaller than St Davids which is on the west side of the city but it is served by trains on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line, and is also by local services to , and . From...
. It was named "Feniton" after the nearest village, but less than a year later it was renamed (on 1 July 1861) as "Ottery and Sidmouth Road". In February 1868 this was changed again to "Feniton for Ottery St Mary". On 6 July 1874 a branch line to was opened and the station changed its name once more to become "Sidmouth Junction", a name that it managed to retain for more than 90 years.
On 1 May 1897 a new line to was opened and this was extended on 1 June 1903 to . Although the junction for this line was at , Sidmouth Junction was the de facto junction as it was situated on the London main line. A third platform
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...
was provided to accommodate branch line trains; this was a terminal bay at the Yeovil end of the westbound platform. It was on this platform that the main two-storey building was situated.
A goods yard and 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 provided adjacent to the bay platform. This was closed on 6 September 1965. The following year saw the withdrawal of local stopping trains on the main line, but Sidmouth Junction remained open until 6 March 1967 when passenger services were withdrawn from the branch lines.
The station was however reopened on 5 May 1971 as a result of local campaigning by the residents of the expanding village, assuming the original "Feniton" name. A ticket office was erected in 1974 as the original building had been demolished while the station was closed. The platform was rebuilt and lengthened in 1992 but is still shorter than many of the trains that call.
Signalling
The station was built next to the level crossingLevel 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...
of the Ottery Road which was operated by the station staff. A 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...
was provided in 1875 at the east end of the station on the north side of the line, opposite goods yard. Because it was too far from the level crossing a small signal box was provided at that end of the station to control the level crossing. The main signal box was closed on 21 May 1967 but the level crossing box was retained. The line through the station reduced to just a single track on 11 June 1967. In 1974 the level crossing gates were replaced by lifting barriers; the level crossing box was abolished at the same time and the barriers are operated from a panel within the station building.
Description
The platform is on the south side of the line, east of the level crossing of Ottery Road. It is only long enough for 3 car trains so only the doors on the front unit are opened if the train is longer. The disused eastbound platform still stands but the goods yard site is now occupied by houses.Services
South West TrainsSouth West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
operate daily between and London Waterloo station, generally calling at Feniton every two hours.