Paignton railway station
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Paignton railway station is the railway station serving Paignton in Devon. 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.
The main platform is on the side furthest from the beach; the main entrance being opposite the bus station. At busy times trains may arrive or depart from the second platform. Both platforms have step-free access; passengers unable to use the footbridge are able to pass from one platform to the other over the level crossing.
The station is sandwiched between two level crossings. At the Torquay end of the station is the busy crossing over Torbay Road, while at the opposite end is the quieter Sands Road crossing. Torquay Road has a footbridge to allow people to cross the line on foot when the crossing is closed for a train to pass.
History
The railway to Paignton was built by the Torbay and Dartmouth Railway, opening to passengers on 2 August 1859. Goods facilities were added on 1 April 1861. The original goods shed now serves as the station's ticket office.The Torbay and Dartmouth Railway was always operated by the South Devon Railway and was amalgamated with it on 1 January 1872. This was only short lived as the South Devon Railway was in turn amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 February 1876.
The line from Paignton to Kingswear was sold to the Dart Valley Railway on 30 December 1972 which operated another nearby heritage railway at Buckfastleigh. An independent station alongside the main platform, known as Queens Park, was opened to serve the Kingswear trains. This included a shed for the railway's engines and carriages.
Further reading
Potts, C.R., The Newton Abbot to Kingswear Railway (1844-1988), Oakwood Press 1988, ISBN 0583613877External links
- [Train times] and [station information] for Paignton railway station from National Rail
- [Map] and [aerial photo] of Paignton railway station from Multimap.com
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0.5em auto; text-align: center;" |- ! Preceding station ! colspan="3" | National Rail ! Following station
|- |- style="background:#F0F0F0;" | style="border-right: none;" | | colspan="3" style="border-left: none; border-right: none;" | Heritage railways | style="border-left: none;" |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
| This station offers access to the South West Coast Path. | |
|---|---|
| Distance to Coast Path | ΒΌ mile |
| Next station anticlockwise | Torquay 3 miles |
| Next station clockwise | Goodrington Sands 1 mile |
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