Bow railway station, Devon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bow
Bow railway station in 1970
Location
Location	Bow
Area	West Devon, Devon
Operations
Original company	London and South Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Southern Railway
Platforms	2
History
1865	Opened
5 June 1972	Closed to passengers
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D-F G H-J K-L M-O P-R S T-V W-Z
UK Railways Portal

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.

Contents 1 History 2 Future options 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

The station was originally opened by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1865.^[1] Services on the line were extended further west 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.

Bow, North Tawton, 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.

[edit] Future options

The Dartmoor Railway was proposing to restore the interchange at Yeoford Junction, running passenger trains past Bow, where its line meets First Great Western's Tarka Line. The company was also looking to create a railhead at Okehampton which would serve the timber industry and thereby save 50,000 lorry journeys per year.^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

v • d • e Railway stations in Devon Reading to Plymouth Line: Plymouth • Ivybridge • Totnes • Newton Abbot • Teignmouth • Dawlish • Dawlish Warren • Starcross • Exeter St Thomas • Exeter St Davids • Tiverton Parkway Tamar Valley Line: Plymouth • Devonport • Dockyard • Keyham • St Budeaux Victoria Road • Bere Ferrers • Bere Alston • Calstock • Gunnislake Riviera Line: Paignton • Torquay • Torre • Newton Abbot • Teignmouth • Dawlish • Dawlish Warren • Starcross • Exeter St Thomas • Exeter St Davids Tarka Line: Exeter St Davids • Newton St Cyres • Credition • Yeoford • Copplestone • Morchard Road • Lapford • Eggesford • Kings Nympton • Portsmouth Arms • Umberleigh • Chapelton • Barnstaple Avocet Line: Exeter St Davids • Exeter Central • St James Park • Polsloe Bridge • Digby & Sowton • Topsham • Exton • Lympstone Commando • Lympstone Village • Exmouth Exeter - Waterloo: Exeter St Davids • Exeter Central • St James Park • Pinhoe • Whimple • Feniton • Honiton • Axminster Heritage Railways South Devon Railway: Totnes (Littlehempston) * • Staverton • Buckfastleigh * Adjacent to Totnes railway station Paignton & Dartmouth: Paignton • Goodrington Sands • Churston • Kingswear Dartmoor Railway: Crediton * • Sampford Courtenay • Okehampton • Meldon Quarry * Through services from Exeter on Summer Sundays