Exeter in 1844. A print by William Spreat showing St Davids in 1844.
The station was opened on 1 May 1844 by the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER).[2] The station was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and was one of his single-sided stations which meant that the two platforms were both on the eastern side of the line. This side is nearer the city and so very convenient for passengers travelling into Exeter,but did mean that many trains had to cross in front of others.
This was not a significant issue while the station was at the end of the line,but on 30 May 1846 the South Devon Railway (SDR) opened a line westwards towards Plymouth.[3] A carriage shed was built for the SDR at the south end of the B&ER platform but the goods sheds and locomotive sheds for both companies were to the west,between the station and the River Exe. The SDR was designed to be worked by atmospheric power and an engine house was built on the banks of the river near the locomotive shed.[4] This was only used for its original purpose for about a year but was not demolished until many years later.
The next railway to arrive at St Davids was the Exeter and Crediton Railway on 12 May 1851,the junction of which is to the north of the station at Cowley Bridge Junction. This line was worked by the B&ER and trains were accommodated at the existing platforms. All these railways were built to the 7ft (2,134mm)broad gauge,but on 1 February 1862,the 4ft8+1⁄2in (1,435mm) gauge London and South Western Railway (LSWR) brought a line into the station from their own central station in Queen Street. The LSWR owned the Exeter and Crediton Railway and started to work the line for itself, although the broad gauge was retained for the B&ER to work goods trains to Crediton.[2]
The transfer shed built in the 1860s
With two gauges and four companies using the single-sided station, it was in need of remodelling. A new double-sided platform opened on the western side of the line and the original up platform at the northern end was closed. The original platforms had all been constructed with individual train sheds covering the tracks, and the opportunity was taken to replace these with one large train shed across all the main tracks and platforms. North of the station was a level crossing and just beyond this an additional goods shed was constructed. Unlike the earlier ones, it was solely for transferring goods between the trains of the two different gauges. These buildings were all designed by Francis Fox, the B&ER engineer, and Henry Lloyd[5] and the work was completed in 1864.
The train shed was removed in 1912-13 and the platforms extended northwards towards the level crossing.[6] A second island platform was provided on the west side and this entailed the goods shed being narrowed from two tracks to one at their southern end. The middle island platform was mainly used for LSWR trains while "down" GWR services towards the West Country used the original main platform and the new island platforms. Before Southern Region services to Plymouth were abandoned, passengers could see Plymouth-bound services of the Western Region and Southern Region leaving St Davids in opposite directions. The station has remained largely in this form since, but resignalling works in 1985 saw the ex-LSWR services moved to the main platform so that down ex-GWR line services did not have to cross their path at the south end of the station. A through-line between platforms 1 and 3 was removed at the same time. The new signal box was built on the site of the old atmospheric engine house and replaced three older signal boxes.
Remains of the earlier stations can still be seen. The main façade dates from 1864 and the Great Western Hotel dates from the earliest days, as does the southern section of platform 1. The goods shed opposite platform 6 shows the angle where the southern end was cut back in 1912, and at the northern end, part of the original goods shed still stands beneath later extensions. The 1864 transfer shed can still be seen beside the line beyond Red Cow Crossing; it is now a Grade II listed building.[7]
The station entrance is on the east side of the line, facing the city centre which is about a 15 minutes walk along well-signposted routes. There are frequent bus services to the centre from the station approach road.
The main buffet and bookshop are both outside the ticket gates. There are also a number of local shops outside the station along with the Great Western Hotel and a Premier Inn hotel. There is a smaller buffet on platforms 5 & 6.[8]
The entrance is on platform 1, which is mainly used for trains to and from Exeter Central and Barnstaple. It is signalled so that two trains can be on the platform simultaneously, with the south end marked as platform 1A. At the north end is platform 2, a separate bay platform that is used from time to time for trains to and from the north – mainly Bristol and Barnstaple – that start or terminate at St Davids.
The main passenger footbridge has many paintings resembling frescoes and depicting romantic versions of rail travel. A second bridge fitted with lifts provides disabled access. When the lifts are out of use, a member of station staff escorts people across a foot crossing at track level towards the south of the station.
The middle pair of platforms is numbered 3 and 4. The former is used by similar trains to platform 1, but platforms 4-6 do not have access to the lines from Exeter Central. Instead platform 4 is the main platform for inter-city trains to Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance. Trains from both platforms 1 and 3 can also reach this route so trains from Exmouth that continue westwards will reverse in one of these platforms.
View from Red Cow level crossing with platforms 1 and 3 in centre.
The third platform block is mostly used by northbound trains to London Paddington and the North use platform 5. Various local services use platform 6 including many trains GWR and CrossCountry trains that terminate at Exeter.
Beyond platform 6 is the Exeter panel signal box that controls St Davids and the main line north through to Taunton and Cogload Junction, and south to Paignton and Totnes as well the branches out to Exmouth Junction and Crediton. Next to this is Exeter Traincare Depot where DMU sets used on local services are serviced.
A disused goods shed is situated beyond Red Cow Crossing at the north end of the platforms, and beyond that is the freight facility at Riverside Yard. Opposite these facilities is New Yard which is used by empty passenger trains, especially SWR services from London Waterloo. Cowley Bridge Junction is about a mile away at the far end of Riverside Yard.
The junction for the line to Exeter Central is at the south end of the platforms. This route can only be reached from platforms 1 and 3. It curves eastwards and climbs steeply to cross a small viaduct before entering a tunnel beneath the city. The main line to Newton Abbot can be reached from platforms 1, 3, 5 and 6. It stays on the level and crosses both the River Exe and the city's flood defence channel as it leaves the station.
Services
Great Western Railway services to and from London Paddington
There are two direct routes from St Davids to London. The main line is generally considered to be the Great Western Railway service to London Paddington via Reading, which includes the Night Riviera sleeping car service.[9] However, there is also a service operated by South Western Railway on the West of England Line to London Waterloo via Salisbury and Basingstoke.[10] Because of this, the station is one of the few that has trains to London departing in opposite directions at either end of the station – those to Paddington leave northwards while those to Waterloo head south but turn eastwards, and start the steep climb to Exeter Central just outside the station.
London services run hourly between Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo and at least hourly between Exeter St Davids and London Paddington (fast trains every hour, with additional semi-fast trains every other hour stopping at some intermediate stations). The fastest trains between Exeter St Davids and London Paddington take just over 2 hours.
Great Western Railway also runs services to Cardiff Central via Bristol Temple Meads, approximately hourly in the mornings and reducing in frequency throughout the day.
Bus services from the station, operated by Stagecoach South West, include destinations throughout the city, plus Okehampton, Tiverton, Crediton, Bideford and Barnstaple.
Accidents and incidents
An accident occurred on 4 January 2010, when Class 142 number 142029 collided with a train of two Class 159 units waiting at platform 1 to start for London Waterloo. Nine people were injured. The collision happened because the brakes did not slow the Barnstaple train sufficiently due to poor adhesion on the level crossing.[13]
Passenger volume
Exeter St Davids is the second busiest station in Devon, handling around 2,721,598 in 2022/2023.[14] This is behind nearby Exeter Central station (2,783,330).[14] Comparing from April 2007 to that which started in April 2002, passenger numbers increased by 30%.[15]
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2.676 million
0.728 million
