Digby and Sowton railway station
Encyclopedia
Digby and Sowton railway station is the most recently opened railway station on the Avocet Line
in Devon
, opening 23 May 1995. The station is unstaffed, however a computer ticket machine is installed selling 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.
on 1 June 1908 to serve Clyst St Mary
and Digby Psychiatric Hospital. The 120 feet (37m) long platforms were built from old railway sleepers. It closed by the new British Railways on 27 September 1948.
The present Digby and Sowton station was funded by Devon County Council
and Tesco Stores Limited; construction began on 9 November 1994 and it opened on 23 May 1995. It is situated about 380 yards (347.5 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
took over the franchise.
The station has been criticised for its location being a compromise between serving the industrial estate of Sowton and the retail development at Digby. By doing so, it has ended up as not being particularly close to either, resulting in a substantial walk to either location, which lie in opposite directions. It is also on a regular basis a victim of vandalism because it is not visible from nearby roads. Extensive CCTV has been installed in an attempt to tackle this problem.
The station is also a short walk to/from the Sandy Park rugby ground, the home of the Exeter Chiefs
and the closest station to Exeter International Airport
, but there is no suitable public transport access to it.
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
from Exmouth
to Exeter St Davids call at Digby and Sowton. Beyond St Davids they generally continue to either Paignton
or Barnstaple
. Connections are available at Exeter Central
for Pinhoe
and stations to Waterloo; passengers for other main line stations change at Exeter St Davids.
Avocet Line
The Avocet Line is the railway line in England connecting Exeter with Exmouth. It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway. The line follows the Exe Estuary for most of its route, giving views of the estuary...
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...
, opening 23 May 1995. The station is unstaffed, however a computer ticket machine is installed selling 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.
History
A small station known as Clyst St Mary and Digby Halt was opened by the London and South Western RailwayLondon 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...
on 1 June 1908 to serve Clyst St Mary
Clyst St Mary
Clyst St Mary is a small village and civil parish 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'.-Description:...
and Digby Psychiatric Hospital. The 120 feet (37m) long platforms were built from old railway sleepers. It closed by the new British Railways on 27 September 1948.
The present Digby and Sowton station was funded by Devon County Council
Devon County Council
Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. Based in the city of Exeter, the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon...
and Tesco Stores Limited; construction began on 9 November 1994 and it opened on 23 May 1995. It is situated about 380 yards (347.5 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
Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. The company operated trains in the region bounded by Penzance, Cardiff, Gloucester, Worcester and Brighton...
, until 31 March 2006 when 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....
took over the franchise.
The station has been criticised for its location being a compromise between serving the industrial estate of Sowton and the retail development at Digby. By doing so, it has ended up as not being particularly close to either, resulting in a substantial walk to either location, which lie in opposite directions. It is also on a regular basis a victim of vandalism because it is not visible from nearby roads. Extensive CCTV has been installed in an attempt to tackle this problem.
Description
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
Exeter Chiefs
Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White ....
and the closest station to Exeter International Airport
Exeter International Airport
Exeter International Airport is an airport located at Clyst Honiton in the District of East Devon close to the city of Exeter and within the county of Devon, South West England....
, but there is no suitable public transport access to it.
Passenger volume
There has been considerable growth in passenger usage of Digby & Sowton. During the twelve months ended March 2003 120,000 people used the station, but this had doubled within five years .| 2002-03 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entries | 60,818 | 68,208 | 78,811 | 101,063 | 125,299 |
| Exits | 59,687 | 66,596 | 77,011 | 100,891 | 122,153 |
| Total | |134,804 | |201,954 | 247,452 |
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services
All trains on the Avocet LineAvocet Line
The Avocet Line is the railway line in England connecting Exeter with Exmouth. It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway. The line follows the Exe Estuary for most of its route, giving views of the estuary...
from Exmouth
Exmouth railway station
Exmouth station serves the town of Exmouth in Devon, England and is south east of -History:The railway to Exmouth was opened on 1 May 1861. New docks designed by Eugenius Birch were opened in 1868 and a short branch was laid to connect them to the goods yard.A branch line with a junction...
to Exeter St Davids call at Digby and Sowton. Beyond St Davids they generally continue to either Paignton
Paignton railway station
Paignton railway station is the railway station serving Paignton in Devon, England. It is the terminus of the Riviera Line from Exeter and is also an interchange between National Rail services and the preserved Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway.-History:...
or Barnstaple
Barnstaple railway station
Barnstaple railway station is the terminus of a long branch line, known as the Tarka Line, north west of Exeter St Davids, in Devon.It was known as Barnstaple Junction from 1874 to 1970 as it was the junction between lines to , , and Exeter-History:...
. Connections are available at Exeter Central
Exeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station is the most centrally located of the railway stations in Exeter, Devon, England. It is smaller than St Davids which is on the west side of the city but it is served by trains on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line, and is also by local services to , and . From...
for Pinhoe
Pinhoe railway station
Pinhoe railway station is a railway station on the eastern edge the city of Exeter, Devon, England, that serves the village of Pinhoe. It was opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1871 but is now operated by South West Trains which provides services on the London Waterloo to Exeter...
and stations to Waterloo; passengers for other main line stations change at Exeter St Davids.