North Tawton railway station
Encyclopedia
North Tawton railway station was a railway station serving the town of North Tawton
in Devon
, England. North Tawton lies on the river Taw
.
The station was originally opened by the London and South Western Railway
(LSWR) in 1865. Services on the line were extended further west to Okehampton by 1867 and then on to Lydford railway station
with the inauguration of Meldon Viaduct in 1874. Constructed to rival the South Devon Railway
route to Plymouth
, the completion of the LSWR's own route to Plymouth
saw this line become an important route with lines to Padstow
and Bude
as well as Plymouth
. Boat trains carrying passengers from ocean liners calling at Stonehouse Pool, Plymouth
and prestige services such as the Atlantic Coast Express
and Devon Belle
all used the route.
With the publication of the Beeching Report in 1963, the Exeter to Plymouth Line was cut back to Okehampton
.
North Tawton, Bow
, Sampford Courtenay
and Okehampton
lost their regular passenger services from 1972. The line survived, however, for the purposes of freight thanks to the activities of the British Rail
ballast
quarry
at Meldon
, three miles from Okehampton, which had an output of 300,000 tons per year. The quarry survives to this day, although it is now operated by Aggregate Industries
.
is proposing to restore the interchange at Yeoford
, running passenger trains past North Tawton
, where its line meets First Great Western
's Tarka Line
.
British American Railway Services
, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings
of Chicago
, became the new owner of the Dartmoor line on 4 September 2008. The company will develop freight, passenger and tourist services on the railway.
North Tawton
North Tawton is a small town in Devon, England, situated on the river Taw.-History:The Romans crossed the River Taw at what is now Newland Mill, a little outside the present town, and established a succession of military camps there over the years...
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. North Tawton lies on the river Taw
River Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
.
History
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...
(LSWR) in 1865. Services on the line were extended further west to Okehampton by 1867 and then on to Lydford railway station
Lydford railway station
Lydford railway station was a junction at Lydford between the Great Western Railway and London and South Western Railway situated in a remote part of north-west Dartmoor in Devon, England.-History:...
with the inauguration of Meldon Viaduct in 1874. Constructed to rival the South Devon Railway
South Devon Railway Company
The South Devon Railway Company built and operated the railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England. It was a broad gauge railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel-Chronology:* 1844 South Devon Railway Act passed by parliament...
route to Plymouth
Exeter to Plymouth Line
The Exeter to Plymouth line is a central part of the trunk railway line between London Paddington and Penzance railway stations in the southern United Kingdom. It is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line and runs from Exeter, to Plymouth, from where it continues as the Cornish Main Line...
, the completion of the LSWR's own route to Plymouth
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
saw this line become an important route with lines to Padstow
Padstow railway station
Padstow railway station was the western terminus of the North Cornwall Railway. It was opened in 1899 by the London and South Western Railway to serve the port of Padstow...
and Bude
Bude railway station
Bude railway station was the western terminus of the Bude Branch. It was opened in 1898 by the London and South Western Railway to serve the coastal town of Bude and closed in 1966 after having been proposed for closure in the Beeching Report....
as well as Plymouth
Plymouth railway station
Plymouth railway station serves the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. It is situated on the northern edge of the city centre close to the North Cross roundabout...
. Boat trains carrying passengers from ocean liners calling at Stonehouse Pool, Plymouth
Devonport Kings Road railway station
Devonport Kings Road railway station was the London and South Western Railway station in Devonport, Devon, England. It opened in 1876 and closed in 1964...
and prestige services such as the Atlantic Coast Express
Atlantic Coast Express
The Atlantic Coast Express was an express passenger train in England between Waterloo station, London and seaside resorts in the south-west...
and Devon Belle
Devon Belle
The Devon Belle was a luxury express passenger train in England which ran between London Waterloo station and Ilfracombe and Plymouth in Devon in the years from 1947 to 1954.-The train:...
all used the route.
With the publication of the Beeching Report in 1963, the Exeter to Plymouth Line was cut back to Okehampton
Okehampton
Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and has an estimated population of 7,155.-History:...
.
North Tawton, Bow
Bow railway station, Devon
Bow railway station was a railway station serving the town of Bow and the hamlet of Nymet Tracy in Devon. Bow lies about 8 miles west of Crediton.- History :...
, Sampford Courtenay
Sampford Courtenay railway station
Sampford Courtenay railway station is a railway station at Belstone Corner serving the nearby village of Sampford Courtenay in Devon.- History :...
and Okehampton
Okehampton railway station
Okehampton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Okehampton in Devon, England. Heritage train services currently operate on certain weekdays, weekends and bank holidays...
lost their regular passenger services from 1972. The line survived, however, for the purposes of freight thanks to the activities of the British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
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...
, three miles from Okehampton, which had an output of 300,000 tons per year. The quarry survives to this day, although it is now operated by 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:...
.
Future options
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...
is proposing to restore the interchange at 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:...
, running passenger trains past North Tawton
North Tawton
North Tawton is a small town in Devon, England, situated on the river Taw.-History:The Romans crossed the River Taw at what is now Newland Mill, a little outside the present town, and established a succession of military camps there over the years...
, where its line meets 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....
's 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...
.
British American Railway Services
British American Railway Services
British American Railway Services is a British train operating company, specialising in locomotive and rolling stock hire and maintenance...
, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings
Iowa Pacific Holdings
Iowa Pacific Holdings is a holding company that owns railroad properties across North America and the United Kingdom, as well as providing services such as railcar repairs and leasing and management and consulting services to other operators...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, became the new owner of the Dartmoor line on 4 September 2008. The company will develop freight, passenger and tourist services on the railway.