Tiverton Parkway railway station
Encyclopedia
Tiverton Parkway railway station is on the London to Penzance Line, 157.75 miles (253.9 km) from London Paddington station; it is operated by First Great Western
. The "Parkway" name signifies that the station is a distance from Tiverton town itself: it is actually located in the civil parish
of Burlescombe
, near Sampford Peverell
in Devon
, England, 7 miles (11.3 km) to the east of Tiverton itself, and close to the junction of the M5 motorway
with the A361 North Devon link road
.
opened on 1 May 1844 but it ran south of Tiverton, so a station known as "Tiverton Road" was opened to serve the town. This station was renamed "Tiverton Junction" on 12 June 1848 when the Tiverton branch line
was opened to a station in the town itself. By the 1980s the branch had closed and the Junction station only saw a couple of trains in each direction each day, while cars on the M5 sped past just a few yards from the platforms
, so a decision was taken to relocate the station a short distance to the east, close to the motorway junction where traffic from Barnstaple
and Ilfracombe
from the A361
joined.
Tiverton Junction closed on 11 May 1986 and the new station was opened the following day by David Mitchell
MP
, the Minister of Transport
at the time. It was built on the site of the former Sampford Peverell railway station that had closed on 5 October 1964.
An additional car park for the station was opened in late 2007 as the original car park was too small when FGW increased the services to the station. The additional car park is situated alongside (but not accessed by) the A361 road and requires a short walk to the station, while the original is alongside the platform.
level incorporates a ticket office and a shop selling newspapers, drinks and snacks. This is the platform for trains towards London Paddington, Bristol and the north.
Access to the platform for trains towards Exeter, Plymouth
and Penzance
is over a ramped footbridge. The buildings on this platform are two large metal and glass waiting shelters. The cycleway
crosses the line on this footbridge and allows access on foot or cycle from the east side.
The main line services through Tiverton are provided by two operators, First Great Western
and CrossCountry
. The former operates inter-city services from via the Reading to Taunton Line
, and the latter from Scotland
and the north of England via Birmingham New Street and Bristol Temple Meads
. First Great Western also operate a few services to and from London via Bristol.
by hourly bus services that call at a bus stop in the station car park.
In addition to being situated close to the junction of the M5 motorway
and the A361 North Devon link road
, the National Cycle Network
Route 3
(Bristol
to Land’s End) passes through the station and provides a safe and quiet route to local towns.
The proximity of the station to the motorway - and the relative inaccessibility of Exeter St Davids railway station in the city of Exeter - means that it is often used as the 'coach exchange' when the line between Exeter and Plymouth is closed and rail passengers are detrained onto coaches for the remainder of the journey.
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....
. The "Parkway" name signifies that the station is a distance from Tiverton town itself: it is actually located in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Burlescombe
Burlescombe
Burlescombe is a village and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 911. The village is about south west of Wellington in Somerset....
, near Sampford Peverell
Sampford Peverell
Sampford Peverell is a village in Mid-Devon, England. Its name reflects its inclusion in the Honour of Peverel, the lands of William Peverel and his family...
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, 7 miles (11.3 km) to the east of Tiverton itself, and close to the junction of the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
with the A361 North Devon link road
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
.
History
The Bristol and Exeter RailwayBristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
opened on 1 May 1844 but it ran south of Tiverton, so a station known as "Tiverton Road" was opened to serve the town. This station was renamed "Tiverton Junction" on 12 June 1848 when the Tiverton branch line
Tiverton railway station
Tiverton railway station served the town of Tiverton, Devon, England. It opened in 1848 as the terminus station of a broad gauge branch line from the Bristol and Exeter Railway main line: the main line junction station four miles away had originally been called Tiverton Road but was renamed as ...
was opened to a station in the town itself. By the 1980s the branch had closed and the Junction station only saw a couple of trains in each direction each day, while cars on the M5 sped past just a few yards from the platforms
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...
, so a decision was taken to relocate the station a short distance to the east, close to the motorway junction where traffic from Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
and Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England with a small harbour, surrounded by cliffs.The parish stretches along the coast from 'The Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and 4 miles along The Torrs to Lee Bay toward the west...
from the A361
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
joined.
Tiverton Junction closed on 11 May 1986 and the new station was opened the following day by David Mitchell
David Mitchell (politician)
Sir David Bower Mitchell is a British Conservative politician who served as a Member of Parliament for over 30 years.-Education:...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, the Minister of Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
at the time. It was built on the site of the former Sampford Peverell railway station that had closed on 5 October 1964.
An additional car park for the station was opened in late 2007 as the original car park was too small when FGW increased the services to the station. The additional car park is situated alongside (but not accessed by) the A361 road and requires a short walk to the station, while the original is alongside the platform.
Description
The main entrance and a large car park are on the west side of the station, where a single-storey brick building at platformRailway 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...
level incorporates a ticket office and a shop selling newspapers, drinks and snacks. This is the platform for trains towards London Paddington, Bristol and the north.
Access to the platform for trains towards Exeter, 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...
and Penzance
Penzance railway station
Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The station is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line from London Paddington station. The current journey time to or from London is about five hours....
is over a ramped footbridge. The buildings on this platform are two large metal and glass waiting shelters. The cycleway
NCR 3
-Bristol to Bridgwater:West Harptree | Charterhouse | Wookey Hole | GlastonburyThe route goes south from Bristol into Somerset and around Chew Valley Lake-See also:* The Cornish Way Bude to Bodmin section...
crosses the line on this footbridge and allows access on foot or cycle from the east side.
Services
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....
and CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
. The former operates inter-city services from via the Reading to Taunton Line
Reading to Taunton line
The Reading to Taunton line also known as the Berks and Hants is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line that diverges at Reading, running to Cogload Junction near Taunton, where it joins the Bristol to Exeter line....
, and the latter from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the north of England via Birmingham New Street and Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
. First Great Western also operate a few services to and from London via Bristol.
Transport connections
The station is linked to both Tiverton and to CullomptonCullompton
Cullompton is a civil parish and town in Devon, England, locally known as Cully. It is miles north-north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2010 it had a population of 8,639 and is growing rapidly....
by hourly bus services that call at a bus stop in the station car park.
In addition to being situated close to the junction of the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
and the A361 North Devon link road
A361 road
The A361 is a major road in England and at is the longest 3 digit A road in the UK. It runs south from Ilfracombe on the north Devon coast to Barnstaple, turning south-east to Tiverton then, after a break , north east from Taunton in Somerset through Street and Glastonbury, past Frome and then...
, the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
Route 3
NCR 3
-Bristol to Bridgwater:West Harptree | Charterhouse | Wookey Hole | GlastonburyThe route goes south from Bristol into Somerset and around Chew Valley Lake-See also:* The Cornish Way Bude to Bodmin section...
(Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to Land’s End) passes through the station and provides a safe and quiet route to local towns.
The proximity of the station to the motorway - and the relative inaccessibility of Exeter St Davids railway station in the city of Exeter - means that it is often used as the 'coach exchange' when the line between Exeter and Plymouth is closed and rail passengers are detrained onto coaches for the remainder of the journey.