St Ives (Cornwall) railway station
Encyclopedia
St Ives railway station serves the coastal town of St. Ives, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877 as the terminus of the last new broad gauge
passenger railway to be constructed in the country. Converted to standard gauge
in 1892, it is today served by First Great Western
services on the St Ives Bay Line
from . The station has only one platform
.
The station was opened by the Great Western Railway
on 1 June 1877 as the terminus of a 4.25 miles (6.8 km) gauge branch line from which until then had been known as St Ives Road to indicate its position as the railhead for the town. The platform was on a sharp curve with a goods shed
behind it. The town end of the platform was used to load railway trucks with fish that was caught by the many local boats, many of which were drawn up on Porthminster beach, just below the station. Immediately outside the station was the 106 yards (96.9 m) long St Ives Viaduct
. A small engine shed
was situated on the far side of the viaduct.
The Great Western Railway purchased the Tregenna Castle
which was situated on the hill above the station and opened it as an hotel to coincide with the opening of the railway and the railway has played an important part in developing the tourist business in the area.
The line was converted from broad gauge after the last train ran on Friday 20 May 1892; services from the following Monday running as standard gauge. On 12 November 1894 heavy rain caused flood water to run down Tregenna Hill. It broke through a wall, flooding down onto the station below from where it cascaded off the other side down on to the beach. The heavy fish traffic of the nineteenth century largely disappeared during the first half of the twentieth century and all goods traffic was withdrawn from the station on 9 September 1963. The signal box
was no longer staffed and all the sidings were taken out of use by 1966.
The line was proposed for closure following the Beeching Report and, because of this, was mentioned in the song "Slow Train
" by Flanders and Swann
. The line however was reprived, but the original curved station was closed on 23 May 1971 and a new, straight, platform opened on the site of the goods shed to replace it. The site of the original station is now a car park, but the railway also brings people from the Park and Ride
car park at which opened in 1978.
A travel agency immediately adjacent to the station platform contains a rail ticket booking office. Tickets issued to/from the station describe it as "St Ives Cornwall"..
is situated the car park entrance.
A path leads from the car park down to Porthminster beach, from where the South West Coast Path
can be followed back to Carbis Bay or through the town towards Lands End.
. Most operate to and from where connections can be had into trains on the Cornish Main Line
, but a few are extended to to facilitate crew changes.
Apart from end-to-end journeys, the main passenger use of the railway is as a park and ride
link between Lelant Saltings Station and St Ives.
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
passenger railway to be constructed in the country. Converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in 1892, it is today served by 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....
services on the St Ives Bay Line
St Ives Bay Line
The St Ives Bay Line is a railway line from to in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877, the last new broad gauge passenger railway to be constructed in the country...
from . The station has only one platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
.
History
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
on 1 June 1877 as the terminus of a 4.25 miles (6.8 km) gauge branch line from which until then had been known as St Ives Road to indicate its position as the railhead for the town. The platform was on a sharp curve with a goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
behind it. The town end of the platform was used to load railway trucks with fish that was caught by the many local boats, many of which were drawn up on Porthminster beach, just below the station. Immediately outside the station was the 106 yards (96.9 m) long St Ives Viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
. A small engine shed
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
was situated on the far side of the viaduct.
The Great Western Railway purchased the Tregenna Castle
Tregenna Castle
Tregenna Castle, in St Ives, Cornwall, was built by John Stephens in the 18th century. The estate was sold in 1871 and became an hotel, a purpose for which it is still used today.The castle is a Grade II Listed building...
which was situated on the hill above the station and opened it as an hotel to coincide with the opening of the railway and the railway has played an important part in developing the tourist business in the area.
The line was converted from broad gauge after the last train ran on Friday 20 May 1892; services from the following Monday running as standard gauge. On 12 November 1894 heavy rain caused flood water to run down Tregenna Hill. It broke through a wall, flooding down onto the station below from where it cascaded off the other side down on to the beach. The heavy fish traffic of the nineteenth century largely disappeared during the first half of the twentieth century and all goods traffic was withdrawn from the station on 9 September 1963. The signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was no longer staffed and all the sidings were taken out of use by 1966.
The line was proposed for closure following the Beeching Report and, because of this, was mentioned in the song "Slow Train
Slow Train
"Slow Train" is a song by the British duo Flanders and Swann, written in 1963.It laments the loss of British stations and railway lines in that era, due to the Beeching cuts, and also the passing of a way of life, with the advent of motorways etc....
" by Flanders and Swann
Flanders and Swann
The British duo Flanders and Swann were the actor and singer Michael Flanders and the composer, pianist and linguist Donald Swann , who collaborated in writing and performing comic songs....
. The line however was reprived, but the original curved station was closed on 23 May 1971 and a new, straight, platform opened on the site of the goods shed to replace it. The site of the original station is now a car park, but the railway also brings people from the Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
car park at which opened in 1978.
A travel agency immediately adjacent to the station platform contains a rail ticket booking office. Tickets issued to/from the station describe it as "St Ives Cornwall"..
Description
The station is situated on the hill above Porthminster beach on the south side of the town. It comprises a single platform which is on the left of trains arriving from St Erth, which is 4.25 miles (6.8 km) to the south. A large car park is situated adjacent to the platform and the town centre is a short walk down the hill from the car park entrance. The town’s small bus stationBus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
is situated the car park entrance.
A path leads from the car park down to Porthminster beach, from where the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
can be followed back to Carbis Bay or through the town towards Lands End.
Services
All trains are operated by First Great WesternFirst 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....
. Most operate to and from where connections can be had into trains on the Cornish Main Line
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
, but a few are extended to to facilitate crew changes.
Apart from end-to-end journeys, the main passenger use of the railway is as a park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
link between Lelant Saltings Station and St Ives.