Seaton Junction railway station
Encyclopedia
Seaton Junction is a closed railway station on the West of England Main Line
from London Waterloo to Exeter
. It was situated 3 miles west of Axminster
and 7 miles east of Honiton
.
from Yeovil Junction
to Exeter Queen Street
.
With the opening of the Seaton & Beer Railway on 16 March 1868 the name was changed to "Colyton Junction", before finally becoming "Seaton Junction" on 18 July 1869.
Originally trains arriving from the Seaton branch had to reverse into "down" (westbound) platform, however the station was reconstructed in 1927/8 with two through tracks on the main line and loops to the newly extended platforms. At the same time a new branch line platform was added, set at an angle of 45° to the main line.
The location of the station created a major problem for westbound trains stopping at Seaton Junction since it was situated at the start of a six miles climb at 1 in 80 to the summit of the line at Honiton tunnel.
The steady decline in holiday traffic resulting from increased car ownership in the 1960s led to a gradual run down of services and the branch line and junction station closed on 7 March 1966.
Trains still pass the site on the West of England Main Line
.
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...
from London Waterloo to Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. It was situated 3 miles west of Axminster
Axminster railway station
Axminster railway station serves the town of Axminster in Devon, England. Opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1860, it is now served by South West Trains’ London Waterloo to Exeter services. It is from Waterloo.-History:...
and 7 miles east of Honiton
Honiton railway station
Honiton railway station serves the town of Honiton in East Devon, England. It was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1860 but is now operated by South West Trains which provides services on the London Waterloo to Exeter route.-History:...
.
History
Originally named "Colyton for Seaton" the station opened on 19 July 1860 on completion of the Exeter Extension of the London and South Western RailwayLondon 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...
from Yeovil Junction
Yeovil Junction railway station
Yeovil Junction railway station is the busier of two railway stations serving the town of Yeovil in England. The station is outside the town in the village of Stoford; although Yeovil is in Somerset, the station was in Dorset until 1995. It was opened by the London and South Western Railway in...
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...
.
With the opening of the Seaton & Beer Railway on 16 March 1868 the name was changed to "Colyton Junction", before finally becoming "Seaton Junction" on 18 July 1869.
Originally trains arriving from the Seaton branch had to reverse into "down" (westbound) platform, however the station was reconstructed in 1927/8 with two through tracks on the main line and loops to the newly extended platforms. At the same time a new branch line platform was added, set at an angle of 45° to the main line.
The location of the station created a major problem for westbound trains stopping at Seaton Junction since it was situated at the start of a six miles climb at 1 in 80 to the summit of the line at Honiton tunnel.
The steady decline in holiday traffic resulting from increased car ownership in the 1960s led to a gradual run down of services and the branch line and junction station closed on 7 March 1966.
Present day
The station building is now a private residence. The platform is still visible (albeit overgrown). The footbridge from the island platform still survives today.Trains still pass the site on the West of England Main Line
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...
.