Totnes (Riverside) railway station
Totnes (Littlehempston) station, previously known as Totnes Riverside station and Littlehempston Riverside station, is a railway station situated in Totnes in the English county of Devon. It is the the southern terminus of the South Devon Railway, a steam operated heritage railway. Littlehempston station should not be confused with the Totnes main line station on the National Rail Reading to Plymouth Line, to which it is linked by a short footpath and a footbridge over the River Dart.
History
Prior to its preservation as a heritage railway, what is now the South Devon Railway was originally a branch line connecting Totnes to Buckfastleigh and Ashburton. Branch line trains joined the main line at a junction adjacent to the current site of Littlehempston station, crossed the railway bridge over the River Dart and terminated in the main line railway station.[1]
When the line was first re-opened as a heritage line in 1969, the owners were unable to reach an agreement with British Rail for their trains to run into the main line railway station. Initally push-pull trains were used, controlled from an autocoach at one or both ends, and reversing just short of the junction.[2]
However eventually land adjacent to the junction was aquired, and Totnes Riverside station and locomotive run round loop were built. However as there was no public access to the site of the station, visitors to the railway arriving by main line train had to catch a bus from Totnes to Buckfastleigh. To avoid confusion to passengers expecting to be able to board heritage trains at Totnes, the station was renamed Littlehempston Riverside in the 1980s. At the same time a station building was located at Toller station on the Bridport branch, and re-erected at Littlehempston.[2]
In 1989, British Rail offered to allow heritage line trains back into the main line station, and for three years regular services were run to there there. However the charges levied for use of the station proved not to be cost effective and so the trains eventually returned to using Littlehempston. In 1993 a new footbridge was built alongside the existing railway bridge, thus providing public access to the station from the town of Totnes and the main line railway station. With this the station was renamed again, to its current name of Totnes (Littlehempston).[2]
Services
The station is served by trains on all operating days of the South Devon Railway. Trains operate daily from late March to the end of October. On most days a single train set operates, providing four journeys a day in each direction. On busy days two train sets may operate, providing more journeys.[3]
| Preceding station |  Heritage railways
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | South Devon Railway | Staverton | ||
References
- ^ Taylor, Alan (May 1999). South Devon Railway - A Visitors Guide. South Devon Railway Trust. p. 20.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Taylor, Alan (May 1999). South Devon Railway - A Visitors Guide. South Devon Railway Trust. pp. 23–28.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Timetables 2007". South Devon Railway Trust. Retrieved 12 July.
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External links
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