St Erth railway station
Encyclopedia
St Erth railway station is situated at Rose-an-Grouse in Cornwall
, United Kingdom. It serves the nearby village of St Erth
, which is about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) away, and is the junction for the St Ives Bay Line
to St Ives
.
on 11 March 1852. At this time it was known as St Ives Road and was the railhead for that town, which lies about 4 miles (6.4 km) to the north. This was an important harbour with a busy fishing trade and tin and copper mines; the new railway brought it artists and then tourists. The station was a simple single platform
situated on the north side of the line
On 1 June 1877 a branch line was opened from here to St Ives, which was when the station was renamed 'St Erth'; a few years later the station building was reconstructed in granite A second track was laid on the north side of the platform for the opening of the branch, but the main line still had only the one track. This was partly rectified in about 1894 when a loop line with its own platform was opened, but the line was only doubled eastwards to on 10 September 1899, and westwards to on 16 June 1929. Beyond the St Ives branch platform was the station goods yard and sidings which served a china clay dry for a few years and then a milk processing plant, although these were taken out of use in 1982.
in 2009. It is also hoped to place a dining car in the sidings here, operated by Sterling Rail who are promoting the return of steam to the St Ives branch.
Alongside this is a short siding with a loading platform, and the terminal track of the St Erth/St Ives branch line; the platform for this is number 3 and is long enough for a five-coach train. The opposite side of this is platform 2. Mainly used by trains towards and beyond, it is also used by through trains for moving on or off the St Ives branch. Because the main line is on a falling gradient towards Hayle, at the buffer stop
end a few steps are needed to connect platforms 2 and 3 but at the east end they are nearly level. Standing at this end of the station the line to St Ives curves away to the left over Western Growers Crossing
towards the covered way beneath the A30 road
. The Cornish Main Line
towards Hayle drops gently to the right with the signal box
situated between the two. The Down Sidings on the right of the main line are level and so are higher than the main line at the far end.
Platforms 2 and 3 have a long canopy above them to protect passengers waiting for their train. At the west end of this is a covered footbridge which links with the main westbound platform for trains to Penzance, and a large wooden shelter is provided here. A small granite building further up the platform is for staff use. As with several other stations in Cornwall, small palm trees grow on the main platforms, both of which can accommodate eight-coach trains.
The signal box
is situated at the east end of the station between the main line and the St Ives branch. It was opened on 10 September 1899 when the main line was doubled to Hayle and replaced an earlier box that dated from around the time of the opening of the St Ives branch. Semaphore signals still control movements around the station. The signal box also controls trains on the St Ives branch.
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
trains on the Cornish Main Line
between and with one train per hour in each direction. Some trains run through to or from London Paddington station, including the Night Riviera
overnight sleeping car service and the Golden Hind which offers an early morning service to London and an evening return. Other fast trains are the mid-morning Cornish Riviera
and the afternoon Royal Duchy. There are a limited number of CrossCountry
trains providing a service to Scotland
in the morning and returning in the evening.
On the St Ives Bay Line
all services are operated by First Great Western. A small number of branch line trains are extended from or to Penzance.
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. It serves the nearby village of St Erth
St Erth
St Erth is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The village is situated four miles southeast of St Ives and six miles northeast of Penzance....
, which is about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) away, and is the junction for the St Ives Bay Line
St Ives Bay Line
The St Ives Bay Line is a railway line from to in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877, the last new broad gauge passenger railway to be constructed in the country...
to St Ives
St Ives, Cornwall
St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
.
History
The station was opened by the West Cornwall RailwayWest Cornwall Railway
The West Cornwall Railway was a railway company in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, formed in 1846 to operate the existing Hayle Railway between Hayle and Redruth and extend the railway to Penzance and Truro....
on 11 March 1852. At this time it was known as St Ives Road and was the railhead for that town, which lies about 4 miles (6.4 km) to the north. This was an important harbour with a busy fishing trade and tin and copper mines; the new railway brought it artists and then tourists. The station was a simple single 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...
situated on the north side of the line
On 1 June 1877 a branch line was opened from here to St Ives, which was when the station was renamed 'St Erth'; a few years later the station building was reconstructed in granite A second track was laid on the north side of the platform for the opening of the branch, but the main line still had only the one track. This was partly rectified in about 1894 when a loop line with its own platform was opened, but the line was only doubled eastwards to on 10 September 1899, and westwards to on 16 June 1929. Beyond the St Ives branch platform was the station goods yard and sidings which served a china clay dry for a few years and then a milk processing plant, although these were taken out of use in 1982.
Description
The station buildings are constructed of granite in an 'L' shape west and north of the St Ives bay platform. The booking office is staffed for part of the day and is located in the west-facing section which faces the station car park. The northern range incorporates staff accommodation as well as refreshment facilities which appeared in a list of the ten best station cafes published in The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2009. It is also hoped to place a dining car in the sidings here, operated by Sterling Rail who are promoting the return of steam to the St Ives branch.
Alongside this is a short siding with a loading platform, and the terminal track of the St Erth/St Ives branch line; the platform for this is number 3 and is long enough for a five-coach train. The opposite side of this is platform 2. Mainly used by trains towards and beyond, it is also used by through trains for moving on or off the St Ives branch. Because the main line is on a falling gradient towards Hayle, at the buffer stop
Buffer stop
A buffer stop or bumper is a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of track.The design of the buffer stop is dependent in part upon the kind of couplings that the railway uses, since the coupling gear is the first part of the vehicle that the buffer stop...
end a few steps are needed to connect platforms 2 and 3 but at the east end they are nearly level. Standing at this end of the station the line to St Ives curves away to the left over Western Growers 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...
towards the covered way beneath the A30 road
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
. 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 :...
towards Hayle drops gently to the right with 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...
situated between the two. The Down Sidings on the right of the main line are level and so are higher than the main line at the far end.
Platforms 2 and 3 have a long canopy above them to protect passengers waiting for their train. At the west end of this is a covered footbridge which links with the main westbound platform for trains to Penzance, and a large wooden shelter is provided here. A small granite building further up the platform is for staff use. As with several other stations in Cornwall, small palm trees grow on the main platforms, both of which can accommodate eight-coach trains.
Signalling
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...
is situated at the east end of the station between the main line and the St Ives branch. It was opened on 10 September 1899 when the main line was doubled to Hayle and replaced an earlier box that dated from around the time of the opening of the St Ives branch. Semaphore signals still control movements around the station. The signal box also controls trains on the St Ives branch.
Passenger volume
St Erth sees more passengers change train than any other station in Cornwall. However, unlike most others, passenger numbers at St Erth and on the St Ives branch line have been declining since 2005. One of the reasons for this is because most passengers now buy a Day Ranger or One Stop Hop ticket ,as this is the only ticket available when travelling between stations on the branch and these are not recorded in individual station usage statistics.| 2002-03 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entries | 35,664 | 45,570 | 44,280 | 33,472 | 33,844 | 46,719 | 37,624 |
| Exits | 35,742 | 44,971 | 44,061 | 33,532 | 34,386 | 46,719 | 37,624 |
| Interchanges | unknown | 85,652 | 87,676 | 102,930 | 115,100 | 119,106 | 130,517 |
| Total | |176,193 | |169,934 | |212,544 | 205,765 |
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services
St Erth is served by most 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....
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 and the Golden Hind which offers an early morning service to London and an evening return. Other fast trains are the mid-morning Cornish Riviera
Cornish Riviera Express
The Cornish Riviera Express is a British express passenger train that has run between London and Penzance in Cornwall since 1904. Introduced by the Great Western Railway, the name Cornish Riviera Express has been applied to the late morning express train from London Paddington station to Penzance...
and the afternoon Royal Duchy. 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 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.
On the St Ives Bay Line
St Ives Bay Line
The St Ives Bay Line is a railway line from to in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877, the last new broad gauge passenger railway to be constructed in the country...
all services are operated by First Great Western. A small number of branch line trains are extended from or to Penzance.
External links
- Panoramic photograph of platforms at night
- Panoramic photograph of platforms in day
- Nick Stanton's Flickr Images of St Erth Station 2007