Digby and Sowton railway station

Last updated

Digby and Sowton
National Rail logo.svg
Digby and Sowton - fGWR 143619 arriving from Exmouth.JPG
General information
Location Digby, Exeter
England
Coordinates 50°42′50″N3°28′26″W / 50.714°N 3.474°W / 50.714; -3.474
Grid reference SX960914
Managed by Great Western Railway
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeDIG
Classification DfT category F1
History
Original company Railtrack
Key dates
23 May 1995Opened
Passengers
2018/19Increase2.svg 0.666 million

Digby and Sowton railway station is on the Avocet Line in Devon, England.

Contents

History

A small station known as Clyst St Mary and Digby Halt was opened by the London and South Western Railway on 1 June 1908 to serve Clyst St Mary and Digby Hospital. The 120 foot (37 m) long platforms were built from old railway sleepers. It was closed by the new British Railways on 27 September 1948. [1]

The present Digby and Sowton station, which was constructed at a cost of £700,000, was funded by Devon County Council and Tesco Stores Limited as part of an initiative to reduce traffic congestion in Exeter. [2] Construction began on 9 November 1994 and it opened on 23 May 1995. [3] It is situated about 380 yards (350 m) south of the site of the old station to serve new housing on the site of the now closed psychiatric hospital, and also a light industrial estate at nearby Sowton.

The station was operated by Wessex Trains, until 31 March 2006 when First Great Western (renamed Great Western Railway in 2015) took over the franchise.

Facilities

In 2009, it was included in a two-year scheme to improve local railway stations. Shelter space for passengers was doubled, better surface and lighting was installed, and a new footpath was created. [4] The cycle network connecting stations along the Avocet Line from Exmouth to Exeter, including the Digby and Sowton station, was improved. [4] The station is unstaffed [4] and an automated ticket machine sells tickets for immediate travel. As a result of this, the station is part of a new Penalty Fare Zone, where passengers could be charged a £20 penalty fare if a ticket is not purchased, prior to joining the train.

Location

The station serves the Sowton Industrial Estate via a long foot/cycle path that runs along the railway line and the housing estates around the former Digby Hospital through a step free access bridge, with divided sections for cycles and pedestrians. The station is also a short walk to/from the Sandy Park rugby ground, the home of the Exeter Chiefs.

Passenger volume

There has been considerable growth in passenger usage of Digby & Sowton. During the twelve months ended March 2003, over 120,000 people used the station, and this doubled within five years. [5] In 2009, over 275,000 passengers used the rail station, making it one of the busiest unstaffed railway stations in the area. [4] [ needs update ]

 2002-032004-052005-062006-072007-08
Entries60,81868,20878,811101,063125,299
Exits59,68766,59677,011100,891122,153
Total120,505134,804155,822201,954247,452

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

The station is served by all trains on the Avocet Line between Exmouth, Exeter St Davids and Paignton.

Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Polsloe Bridge   Great Western Railway
Avocet Line 		  Newcourt

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lympstone Commando railway station</span> Railway station in the Devon, England

Lympstone Commando railway station is a railway station situated on the Avocet Line, a branch line from Exeter to Exmouth in Devon, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avocet Line</span>

The Avocet Line is the railway line in Devon, England connecting Exeter with Exmouth. It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway, and was historically known as the Exmouth branch railway. The line follows the Exe Estuary for about half of its route, from just outside Topsham to Exmouth, giving views of the estuary. The line is named after the pied avocet, which lives in the estuary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riviera Line</span> Railway line in Devon, England

The Riviera Line is the railway between the city of Exeter, towns Dawlish and Teignmouth, and the English Riviera resorts of Torbay in Devon, England. Its tracks are shared with the Exeter to Plymouth Line along the South Devon sea wall. It is part of the Network Rail Route 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter St Davids railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Exeter St Davids is the principal railway station serving the city of Exeter in Devon, England. It is 193 miles 72 chains from the zero point at London Paddington on the line through Bristol which continues to Plymouth and Penzance. It is also served by an alternative route to London Waterloo via Salisbury and branch lines to Exmouth, Barnstaple, and Okehampton. It is currently managed by Great Western Railway and is served by trains operated by Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and CrossCountry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter Central railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Exeter Central railway station is the most central of the stations in the city of Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom. It is 171 miles 30 chains (275.8 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station is smaller than Exeter St Davids on the west side of the city. Great Western Railway manages the station and operates most services, with South Western Railway providing the rest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James Park railway station</span> Railway station in Exeter, Devon, England

St James Park railway station is a suburban railway station in Exeter, Devon, England. It is 170 miles 72 chains (275.0 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station is adjacent to the Exeter City football ground. Great Western Railway manage the station and operate the train services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polsloe Bridge railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Polsloe Bridge railway station is a suburban railway station in Exeter, Devon, England. The station serves the Polsloe, Mount Pleasant, Hamlin and Whipton areas of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinhoe railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Pinhoe railway station is on the eastern edge of the city of Exeter in Devon, England, that serves the village of Pinhoe. It was opened by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1871 but is now operated by South Western Railway which provides services on the West of England Main Line. It is 168 miles 44 chains (271.3 km) down the line from London Waterloo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter St Thomas railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Exeter St Thomas railway station is a suburban railway station in Exeter, England, serving the suburb of St Thomas and the riverside area. The station is elevated on a low viaduct with entrances on Cowick Street. It is 74 chains down the line from Exeter St Davids and 194 miles 66 chains measured from the zero point at London Paddington via Box Tunnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Topsham railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Topsham railway station is the railway station serving the town of Topsham in the English county of Devon. It is the passing place for the otherwise single-track branch line from Exmouth Junction to Exmouth. Both the loop and adjacent level crossing are remotely worked from the signal box at Exmouth Junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exton railway station</span> Railway station in the Devon, England

Exton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Exton in Devon, England. It is situated on the Avocet Line which runs between Exeter St Davids and Exmouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lympstone Village railway station</span> Railway station in the Devon, England

Lympstone Village railway station serves the village of Lympstone in Devon, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starcross railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Starcross 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) from London Paddington, via Box. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, which operates 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exmouth railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Exmouth railway station serves the town of Exmouth in Devon, England and is 11.25 miles (18 km) south of Exeter St Davids, the terminus of the Avocet Line. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who operate all trains serving it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digby, Devon</span> Village in Devon, England

Digby was a hamlet on the eastern edge of the city of Exeter in Devon, England, located by Clyst Heath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sowton</span> Village and civil parish in Devon, England

Sowton is a village and civil parish east of Exeter in East Devon, England. It has a population of 639.

Clyst St Mary is a small village and civil parish 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Exeter on the main roads to Exmouth and Sidmouth in East Devon. The name comes from the Celtic word clyst meaning 'clear stream'. The village is a major part of the electoral ward of Clyst Valley. At the 2011 Census this ward population was 2,326.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcourt railway station (England)</span> Railway station in Exeter, England

Newcourt railway station is the newest railway station on the Avocet Line, serving the Newcourt area of Exeter, United Kingdom. The station is sited between Digby and Sowton and Topsham and was opened to passenger traffic on 4 June 2015. The station is managed and operated by Great Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon Metro</span> Project to improve the rail services in and around Exeter

The Devon Metro is a proposed rapid transit–style service on the regional rail network in Exeter and its environs, which Devon County Council has been working to establish since 2011. The intention is to move towards a Devon Metro service through a series of improvements to the current network, including opening new stations at Cranbrook, Newcourt, and Marsh Barton.

References

  1. ↑ Oakley, Mike (2007). Devon Railway Stations. Wimbourne: The Dovecote Press. ISBN   978-1-904349-55-6.
  2. ↑ Abbott, James, ed. (July 1995). "Three new stations in summer timetable". Modern Railways . 52 (562): 388.
  3. ↑ Maggs, Colin G. (1997) [1980]. The Exeter and Exmouth Railway. Locomotion Papers. Usk: Oakwood Press. p. 41. ISBN   0-85361-430-X. LP203.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Exeter rail station wins revamp cash". Express & Echo . 20 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  5. ↑ "Station Usage". Rail Statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.