Yeoford railway station
Encyclopedia
Yeoford railway station is a rural station on the Tarka Line
serving the village of Yeoford
in Devon
, England. It is served by trains between and Exeter
.
The station was opened by the North Devon Railway
on 1 August 1854. On 1 November 1865 the first section of the Okehampton Railway opened, joining the main line at Coleford Junction, a short distance north of Yeoford. This route was part of the London and South Western Railway
main line between Exeter and , and was the main junction of the LSWR's Plymouth and Barnstaple routes (being called Yeoford Junction for some time), but this lost its through trains beyond in May 1968 and closed to passengers in 1972.
Passenger trains have since been restored to the Okehampton line, but they only operate on summer Sundays and do not call at Yeoford. The two tracks passing through the station are actually independent single lines
, with the one running through the disused (former northbound) platform used for Okehampton line trains, including stone traffic from the Aggregate Industries
quarry at Meldon
. The Tarka Line trains utilise what used to be the Exeter (southbound) platform in both directions, with the two lines connecting further south at .
The station has been used by many operators, but recently, over the last decade by Wales & West, a regional West Country
and south Wales
train operator, which in 2001 divided into Wessex Trains
and Wales & Borders. Since then, Yeoford has been served by Wessex Trains and more recently by the Greater Western franchise, owned and operated by First Group and now known as First Great Western
.
. The line is promoted under the Tarka Line
name.
The Mare and Foal pub at Yeoford is included in the Tarka Line rail ale trail
.
plan to reopen the disused platform at the station in order to create an interchange with the Tarka Line (and thus the national network). Through running from Yeoford to Okehampton was intended to commence in 2009 but this been delayed pending the finalising of transfer arrangements with Network Rail. Accordingly the "Sunday Rover" service run by First Great Western again operated on Sundays throughout the summer of 2009, although not calling here.
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
serving the village of Yeoford
Yeoford
Yeoford is a village near the town of Crediton in Devon, England. It is served by Yeoford railway station on the Exeter to Barnstaple railway line, otherwise known as the Tarka Line.-Primary School:...
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 is served by trains between and Exeter
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
.
History
North Devon Railway
The North Devon Railway was a British railway company which operated a line from Cowley Bridge Junction, near Exeter, to Bideford in Devon, later becoming part of the London and South Western Railway's system...
on 1 August 1854. On 1 November 1865 the first section of the Okehampton Railway opened, joining the main line at Coleford Junction, a short distance north of Yeoford. This route was part of 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...
main line between Exeter and , and was the main junction of the LSWR's Plymouth and Barnstaple routes (being called Yeoford Junction for some time), but this lost its through trains beyond in May 1968 and closed to passengers in 1972.
Passenger trains have since been restored to the Okehampton line, but they only operate on summer Sundays and do not call at Yeoford. The two tracks passing through the station are actually independent single lines
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
, with the one running through the disused (former northbound) platform used for Okehampton line trains, including stone traffic from the Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries, a member of the Holcim Group, is an aggregates, construction and building materials group, with its base in the United Kingdom. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Holcim in 2005.-History:...
quarry at Meldon
Meldon, Devon
Meldon is a village in West Devon in the English county of Devon. Situated close to Okehampton, its best known feature is the Meldon Quarry, from which granite is still extracted...
. The Tarka Line trains utilise what used to be the Exeter (southbound) platform in both directions, with the two lines connecting further south at .
The station has been used by many operators, but recently, over the last decade by Wales & West, a regional West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
and south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
train operator, which in 2001 divided into Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. The company operated trains in the region bounded by Penzance, Cardiff, Gloucester, Worcester and Brighton...
and Wales & Borders. Since then, Yeoford has been served by Wessex Trains and more recently by the Greater Western franchise, owned and operated by First Group and now known as 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....
.
Services
All trains on the to service are scheduled to stop at Yeoford, but as a request stop. Trains connect with main line services at .Community railway
The railway between Exeter and Barnstaple is designated as a community railway and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail PartnershipDevon 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 Tarka Line
Tarka Line
The Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
name.
The Mare and Foal pub at Yeoford is included in the Tarka Line rail ale trail
Rail ale trail
A rail ale trail is a marketing exercise in the United Kingdom that is designed to promote tourism to a rural area, by encouraging people to visit a series of pubs that are close to railway stations along a railway line. Participants are rewarded for visiting the pubs by train. In doing this they...
.
Future
The Dartmoor RailwayDartmoor Railway
The Dartmoor Railway is a long railway line in Devon, England. From Crediton the line parallels the Tarka Line to the site of the former Coleford Junction. Heading west it then serves Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton and Meldon Quarry. The route is owned from Coleford to Meldon by Aggregate...
plan to reopen the disused platform at the station in order to create an interchange with the Tarka Line (and thus the national network). Through running from Yeoford to Okehampton was intended to commence in 2009 but this been delayed pending the finalising of transfer arrangements with Network Rail. Accordingly the "Sunday Rover" service run by First Great Western again operated on Sundays throughout the summer of 2009, although not calling here.