St Austell railway station
Encyclopedia
St Austell Station serves the town of St Austell
, Cornwall
, United Kingdom. The station is operated by First Great Western
, as is every other station in Cornwall.
The station is situated on the hillside just above the town. The main buildings were rebuilt in 2000 and face the town's bus station. A dedicated bus service, the Eden Branchline, runs from here to The Eden Project.
The station is served by both local and long-distance trains, including the Night Riviera
sleeper service.
on 4 May 1859. A report when the station opened stated that
The goods shed
was adjacent to the road which passed over the line on a level crossing
. This was not authorised by the original Act of Parliament
but was deemed unavoidable unless the road was given a very steep bridge to climb over the line. Palace Road was built along the back of the station in 1862 to make it possible for traffic from the east of the town to avoid the level crossing. The level crossing was finally closed on 21 September 1931. Road traffic now needs to cross the line on the bridge at the other end of the station, but a footbridge allows foot traffic to still cross the line at the old place.
A large warehouse was added on the town side of the line in 1862 (where St Austell Bus Station
now stands), financed by selling the land to a third party who then leased it back to the company. It was replaced by a large new goods depot (200 feet long by 40 feet wide) a short distance east of the station on 2 November 1931. For many years the original goods yard was used by Motorail trains which carried cars to Cornwall from London
and many other places in England.
As well as the general traffic for a busy town, the station handled large volumes of china clay
from the surrounding district, and of fish from Mevagissey
. The steep hill from the town to the station caused problems for the horses hauling heavy wagons.
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 privatised in the 1990s.
was eventually provided at the west end of the station on the south side of the line.
The line was doubled towards Par
on 15 October 1893 and towards Burngullow on 26 March 1899. Around 1905 a new Great Western Railway Type 7C signal box was built on the opposite side of the line. A new goods yard was opened east of the station and the level crossing was closed on 2 November 1931 when a new 43-lever frame was provided in the signal box.
The signal box closed on 22 March 1980 when control of trains through the station was transferred to the signal box at Par.
and departure platform for Truro
and Penzance
.
Platform 2 is used by trains running from west to east. An historic footbridge links the two platforms, but step-free entry can be had on either. The wooden building on this platform dates from Great Western Railway days. The station car park is situated behind this platform, as is a passenger-operated self-service ticket machine installed in 2007.
To reach the town from the main entrance, turn right alongside the railway line and turn left down the hill by the footbridge.
At the east end of the platform is a road bridge carrying Carlyon Road over the line and beyond this is a small cutting which is spanned by a footbridge. The original bridge survived for almost 150 years; it was extended when the extra line was laid in 1931 to the new goods yard, but both sections have now been replaced by Network Rail
's prototype modular fibre reinforced polymer
footbridge.
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
, 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. The station is 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....
, as is every other station in Cornwall.
The station is situated on the hillside just above the town. The main buildings were rebuilt in 2000 and face the town's bus station. A dedicated bus service, the Eden Branchline, runs from here to The Eden Project.
The station is served by 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.
History
St Austell opened with 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...
on 4 May 1859. A report when the station opened stated that
- the departure station is an ornamental wooden structure, having projecting verandahs at each side, waiting room, ticket office, &c., similar to the corresponding building at LostwithielLostwithiel railway stationLostwithiel railway station serves the town of Lostwithiel in Cornwall. First Great Western operate the station along with every other station in Cornwall.The station is on the banks of the River Fowey in Cornwall...
. Nearly opposite is the arrival station, which is built of stone, with projecting verandah over the platform and having convenient waiting, porters', and lamp rooms. To the south of this is the goods shed, a stone building of the same dimensions as the goods shed at Lostwithiel, and the provision has been made here, for the accommodation of the heavy goods traffic that is anticipated from the district. Amongst other arrangements adopted, with the view of preventing collisions and inconvenience, it has been determined that the passenger traffic shall pass to the station through a street in front of the post office, and the goods traffic by Menacuddle Hill, in front of the Town Hall.
The 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 adjacent to the road which passed over the line on a 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...
. This was not authorised by the original 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...
but was deemed unavoidable unless the road was given a very steep bridge to climb over the line. Palace Road was built along the back of the station in 1862 to make it possible for traffic from the east of the town to avoid the level crossing. The level crossing was finally closed on 21 September 1931. Road traffic now needs to cross the line on the bridge at the other end of the station, but a footbridge allows foot traffic to still cross the line at the old place.
A large warehouse was added on the town side of the line in 1862 (where St Austell Bus Station
St Austell Bus Station
St Austell bus station is the main bus and coach terminus for the town of St Austell, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The bus station is located in the forecourt of the railway station, formerly a railway goods yard.-History:...
now stands), financed by selling the land to a third party who then leased it back to the company. It was replaced by a large new goods depot (200 feet long by 40 feet wide) a short distance east of the station on 2 November 1931. For many years the original goods yard was used by Motorail trains which carried cars to Cornwall from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and many other places in England.
As well as the general traffic for a busy town, the station handled large volumes of china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
from the surrounding district, and of fish from Mevagissey
Mevagissey
Mevagissey is a village, fishing port and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately five miles south of St Austell....
. The steep hill from the town to the station caused problems for the horses hauling heavy wagons.
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 privatised in the 1990s.
Signalling
St Austell was a passing place from the opening of the Cornwall Railway and rudimentary signalling was provided operated, as was usual at the time, by men who had to walk between the different signals and points, and the level crossing at the west end of the platform. A 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...
was eventually provided at the west end of the station on the south side of the line.
The line was doubled towards Par
Par railway station
Par Station is a railway station serving the village and port of Par, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is the junction for the Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay. The station is operated by First Great Western, and served by trains operated by both First Great Western and...
on 15 October 1893 and towards Burngullow on 26 March 1899. Around 1905 a new Great Western Railway Type 7C signal box was built on the opposite side of the line. A new goods yard was opened east of the station and the level crossing was closed on 2 November 1931 when a new 43-lever frame was provided in the signal box.
The signal box closed on 22 March 1980 when control of trains through the station was transferred to the signal box at Par.
Description
The main building is on the south side of the line, nearest the town centre and facing the bus station; it dates from 2000. It contains a booking office and shop. This is Platform 1 and is used by trains running from east to west so is the arrival platform for services from London Paddington and PlymouthPlymouth railway station
Plymouth railway station serves the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. It is situated on the northern edge of the city centre close to the North Cross roundabout...
and departure platform for 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....
and Penzance
Penzance railway station
Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The station is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line from London Paddington station. The current journey time to or from London is about five hours....
.
Platform 2 is used by trains running from west to east. An historic footbridge links the two platforms, but step-free entry can be had on either. The wooden building on this platform dates from Great Western Railway days. The station car park is situated behind this platform, as is a passenger-operated self-service ticket machine installed in 2007.
To reach the town from the main entrance, turn right alongside the railway line and turn left down the hill by the footbridge.
At the east end of the platform is a road bridge carrying Carlyon Road over the line and beyond this is a small cutting which is spanned by a footbridge. The original bridge survived for almost 150 years; it was extended when the extra line was laid in 1931 to the new goods yard, but both sections have now been replaced by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
's prototype modular fibre reinforced polymer
Fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually fibreglass, carbon, or aramid, while the polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic...
footbridge.
Passenger volume
St Austell is the third busiest station in Cornwall after Truro and Penzance. Comparing the year from April 2008 to that which started in April 2002, passenger numbers increased by 60%.| 2002-03 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entries | 132,408 | 136,333 | 138,787 | 156,885 | 181,063 | 220,504 | 197,611 |
| Exits | 134,268 | 138,724 | 142,758 | 157,728 | 179,421 | 220,504 | 197,611 |
| Total | |275,056 | |314,613 | |441,008 | 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.... 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. 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 North England and 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. Viaducts Just to the west of St Austell are two viaducts, both originally built on stone piers with timber tops, they were rebuilt in stone in 1898 - 1899. The first is known as St Austell Viaduct. It is 720 feet long and crosses 115 feet above the Trenance valley. The second is Gover Viaduct, 95 feet high and 690 feet long on 10 piers. External linksThe source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
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