Starcross railway station

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Starcross
National Rail
2013 at Starcross station - view southwards.jpg
View from the north
General information
LocationStarcross, Devon, Teignbridge
England
Coordinates50°37′41″N 3°26′53″W / 50.628°N 3.448°W / 50.628; -3.448Coordinates: 50°37′41″N 3°26′53″W / 50.628°N 3.448°W / 50.628; -3.448
Grid referenceSX976819
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeSCS
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companySouth Devon Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
Opened1846
Passengers
2016/17Increase 142,850
2017/18Decrease 125,898
2018/19Decrease 116,170
2019/20Decrease 111,744
2020/21Decrease 38,644
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Starcross railway station is a small station on the Exeter to Plymouth line in the village of Starcross, Devon, England. It is 8 miles 44 chains (13.8 km) down the line from Exeter St Davids and 202 miles 36 chains (325.8 km) measured from London Paddington via Bristol Temple Meads. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who operate all trains serving it.

One of the South Devon Railway engine houses, which formerly powered the trains on this line, is situated alongside the station.

History

The station was opened by the South Devon Railway on 30 May 1846.[1] It only had a single platform at this time, the second one being added in November 1848. It was provided with a train shed until 1906 when the station was rebuilt.[2]

Trains were worked by atmospheric power from 13 September 1847 until 9 September 1848. The engine house was subsequently used as a Methodist chapel; a youth club; a coal store; a museum of the atmospheric railway; and is currently the home of the Starcross Fishing and Cruising Club.

The South Devon Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 February 1876, which in turn was nationalised into British Railways on 1 January 1948.

Public goods traffic was withdrawn from 6 September 1965 and coal traffic ceased on 4 December 1967. The station became unstaffed on 3 May 1971 and the old station building was finally demolished in 1981.[3] The footbridge, which had been erected in 1895, was replaced by the present structure in 1999.

Stationmasters

  • William T. Murch ca. 1858
  • Benjamin Popplestone 1863[4] - 1894[5]
  • Albert William Lofting 1894 - 1901[6] (formerly station master at Blenheim and Woodstock, afterwards station master at Lostwithiel)
  • Albert G. Hitchcock 1901 - 1904[7] (afterwards station master at Ilfracombe)
  • Arthur H. Lovelock 1905 - 1912
  • Ernest Willcocks 1912 - 1919
  • A.H. Savage 1919 - 1923[8] (afterwards station master at Cullompton)
  • Henry James Shattock 1923 - 1928
  • Arthur Fellender 1929 - 1937[9] (formerly station master at Athelney)
  • E.B. Davey from 1937
  • Maldwyn V. Southerton ca. 1943
  • D.J. Wheeler ca. 1947 ca. 1950

Platform layout and facilities

Access to the platform for trains towards Exeter is up a few steps from the main A379 road through the village; the platform for trains towards Dawlish is reached by a footbridge.

There is a waiting shelter on the platform for trains to Exeter but the other side is open to the elements.

Services

Great Western Railway Class 153s arriving from Exeter

Starcross is served by Great Western Railway trains in both directions on an approximately hourly basis during the day (with extras at peak periods).[10] Most trains run between Exmouth and Paignton; on Sundays the service is less frequent and most trains only run between Exeter St Davids and Paignton. The route from Exeter St Davids through Starcross to Paignton is marketed as the "Riviera Line".

A few trains run from Bristol to Plymouth and beyond, otherwise passengers travelling east or north change into main line trains at St Davids or at Newton Abbot if travelling westwards.

There is one direct service in the morning to London Paddington with a return service in the evening. These services operate Mondays to Fridays only. The morning service to London runs via Bristol and the evening return runs via the Reading to Taunton line.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Exeter St Thomas   Great Western Railway
Riviera Line 		  Dawlish Warren
"boat icon" Ferry services
Terminus   Exmouth to Starcross
ferry(seasonal) 		  Exmouth Marina

The second platform (for trains to Paignton) also serves as the access to the pier used by the Starcross to Exmouth Ferry, which forms a link in the South West Coast Path. It operates on an hourly basis during the day, from Easter to October.[11]

References

  1. ^ Gregory, R H (1982). The South Devon Railway. Salisbury: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-286-2.
  2. ^ Kay, Peter (1991). Exeter - Newton Abbot: A Railway History. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. ISBN 1-872524-42-7.
  3. ^ Oakley, Mike (2007). Devon Railway Stations. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press. ISBN 978-1-904349-55-6.
  4. ^ "Newton Abbot". Sherborne Mercury. England. 5 May 1863. Retrieved 4 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Starcross". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. England. 4 December 1894. Retrieved 4 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.6". Great Western Railway: 147. 1835. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  7. ^ "It is reported that Mr. Hitchcock…". Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. England. 31 December 1904. Retrieved 4 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Starcross Stationmaster". Western Times. England. 14 December 1923. Retrieved 4 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Tributes to Popular Stationmaster". Western Times. England. 17 December 1937. Retrieved 4 July 2021 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ Table 135 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  11. ^ "Exmouth to Starcross Ferry". Exe to Sea Cruises. Retrieved 7 June 2007.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Starcross railway station.
  • Beck, Keith; Copsey, John (1990). The Great Western in South Devon. Didcot: Wild Swan Publication. ISBN 0-906867-90-8.
  • Cooke, RA (1984). Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR, Section 14: South Devon. Harwell: RA Cooke.
This station offers access to the South West Coast Path
Distance to path 0 yards
Next station anticlockwise Exmouth 0.5 miles (0.80 km) (plus ferry)
Next station clockwise Dawlish Warren 2 miles (3.2 km)


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