Plymouth railway station
Plymouth SR Joint | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key dates | |||||
1877 | Opened | ||||
1938 | Rebuilding started | ||||
1958 | North Road name dropped | ||||
1962 | Rebuilding completed | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2018/19 | 2.416 million | ||||
Interchange | 79,912 | ||||
2019/20 | 2.372 million | ||||
Interchange | 86,443 | ||||
2020/21 | 0.678 million | ||||
Interchange | 21,268 | ||||
2021/22 | 1.992 million | ||||
Interchange | 75,788 | ||||
2022/23 | 2.313 million | ||||
Interchange | 90,291 | ||||
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Plymouth railway station serves the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. It is on the northern edge of the city centre, close to the North Cross roundabout. It is the second busiest station in the county of Devon and the largest of the six surviving stations in Plymouth.
Plymouth is a principal stop on the
History
Originally named Plymouth North Road, it was opened in 1877 as a joint station for the
The first
The station was built of wood and the platforms were fully covered by
Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mutley
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Great Western Railway | Plymouth Millbay | ||
Great Western Railway | Wingfield Villas
| |||
Mutley
|
London and South Western Railway | Devonport Kings Road |
The old LSWR Friary station was closed from 15 September 1958, following which North Road was renamed as just 'Plymouth'.[7] Further closures during the next few years of former LSWR stations and GWR branch lines has left just six stations in the city (Devonport, Dockyard, Keyham and two in St Budeaux – Victoria Road and Ferry Road)[8] – although local passengers also come from stations a little further afield such as Saltash, St Germans, Menheniot and Ivybridge.[2]
The rebuilding work was resumed in 1956 to the designs of architect
South West Trains operated two trains per day to and from London Waterloo, one weekend service would continue to Penzance, but South West Trains services were withdrawn beyond Exeter St Davids in December 2009.[13]
Accidents and incidents
On 3 April 2016, Class 150 diesel multiple unit 150219 collided with a stationary InterCity 125 High Speed Train at platform 6. Class 43 power car 43160 and the DMU were damaged.[14][15][16] Forty-six people were injured; one seriously.[17]
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Platform layout
The station has its entrance on the south side which gives access to the city centre. The west side of the station concourse is the ticket office, while on the north and east sides are various retail outlets selling food and newspapers.[18] The buffet on Platforms 7 and 8 is no longer in operation however there is a small café just beyond the ticket barriers serving hot drinks and hot food. The platform area is separated from the concourse by the ticket gates.
The platforms that can be reached on the level from the concourse are numbered 1 to 4. Platforms 1 and 2 are east-facing bay platforms, not used by passenger trains. Platform 3 is a west-facing bay platform that is mainly used by local services to Gunnislake and sometimes Penzance.[11][19]
The remaining platforms are reached by a subway immediately inside the ticket gates; there are
Beyond Platform 8 are two tracks, known as Park Sidings, which are used for stabling trains between services, but most trains are nowadays kept on the platform tracks between arrival and departure. There are some more sidings adjacent to platform 1. There is an extra track between platforms 4 and 5 for through goods trains and shunting manoeuvres.[19]
Brunel Plaza
The railway station and surrounding area is undergoing a redevelopment in 2020-2024.
Services
Plymouth is served by
Most CrossCountry trains from Scotland and the North of England via Bristol terminate at Plymouth, although 2 continue to Penzance, and, on summer weekends, Newquay.[24] From Plymouth, most services terminate at Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street, however, 1 train per day operates towards both Glasgow Central and Aberdeen respectively.[25]
Local services are provided by Great Western Railway along the Cornish Main Line, often extended eastwards to and from Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids and beyond. Services are also provided on the Tamar Valley Line to Gunnislake.[8]
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Devonport | Great Western Railway Tamar Valley Line |
Terminus | ||
Exeter to Plymouth Line
|
Ivybridge | |||
Liskeard | CrossCountry Cornwall and Plymouth to the North |
Totnes |
Passenger volume
Plymouth has the third largest number of passengers starting or finishing their journey in Devon, after Exeter Central and Exeter St Davids. Comparing the year from April 2008 to that which started in April 2002, passenger numbers increased by 97%.[26] However, recent years have seen little further growth.
2002–03 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Entries | 721,187 | 767,066 | 822,804 | 929,105 | 1,018,941 | 1,344,641 | 1,139,359 | 1,200,541 | 1,298,373 | 1,289,658 | 1,222,732 | 1,247,624 | 1,243,781 | 1,254,726 | 1,224,547 | 1,208,188 |
Exits | 710,487 | 751,945 | 806,207 | 916,808 | 1,007,910 | 1,344,640 | 1,139,359 | 1,200,541 | 1,298,373 | 1,289,658 | 1,222,732 | 1,247,624 | 1,243,781 | 1,254,726 | 1,224,547 | 1,208,188 |
Interchanges | unknown | 55,154 | 68,832 | 77,728 | 61,934 | 133,496 | 67,194 | 73,574 | 104,598 | unknown | 88,488 | 93,423 | 95,082 | 100,531 | 90,299 | 79,912 |
Total | 1,431,674 | 1,585,165 | 1,697,843 | 1,923,686 | 2,088,785 | 2,822,777 | 2,345,912 | 2,474,656 | 2,701,344 | 2,579,316 | 2,533,952 | 2,588,671 | 2,582,644 | 2,609,983 | 2,539,393 | 2,496,288 |
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.[26]
Signalling
Both of the North Road signal boxes were closed in November 1908 and replaced by new ones with the same names. The West box was now on the north side of the line and had 59 levers, while the East box needed just 48. They were each 38 feet (11.6 m) long. Mutley box closed at the same time, the next box now being at Mannamead on the other side of Mutley Tunnel, which had opened about three years earlier.[27]
The rebuilding work of 1938 meant more signalling alterations. On 22 January 1938, the timber West box was lifted up and moved to a new position clear of the proposed works, being brought back into use on 27 January 1938. At the other end of the station the East box was closed and a new 79 feet (24.1 m) structure built, again on the north side of the line, which was brought into use on 25 June 1939.[27]
Both signal boxes were closed on 26 November 1960 when a new "Plymouth Panel Signal Box" was opened on the west end of the new Platform 1; the West box was subsequently demolished.
See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-9996271-0-2.
- ^ a b "National Rail Timetable 135 (Summer 2014)" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ISBN 0-7230-0018-2.
- ISBN 0-85361-286-2.
- ^ MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway.
- ^ ISBN 1-871608-41-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-904349-55-6.
- ^ a b "National Rail Timetable 139 (Summer 2014)" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ISBN 9780860936855.
- ^ Mosley, Brian. "A Plan for Plymouth". Encyclopedia of Plymouth History. Plymouth Data. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
- ^ a b c "Plymouth". Live Departures and Arrivals. National Rail. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ Eve, Carl (10 April 2014). "Ten-year plan for redevelopment of Plymouth Rail Station is now underway, says council". Evening Herald. Plymouth. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
- ^ "Network Rail Report 2009 (Report from Network Rail, 2009)" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 5 August 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "18 injured in 'low impact' Plymouth train crash". BBC News. 3 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ Lewis-Herald, J (3 April 2016). "Plymouth train crash: Investigation launched after 18 left injured by 'low-speed' collision". The Herald. Local World. Retrieved 4 April 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Collision at Plymouth station". Rail Accidents Investigation Branch. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ^ "Report 02/2017 Collision at Plymouth station 3 April 2016" (PDF). Rail Accidents Investigation Branch. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
- ^ "Plymouth". Station Facilities. National Rail. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ ISBN 0-9549866-1-X.
- ^ "TCF Outline Business Case Plymouth Station: Station Forecourt Interchange" (PDF). Plymouth City Council. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ Clark, Daniel (16 June 2022). "Plymouth railway station is set to get a new approach". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ Oldfield, Ed; Telford, William (11 August 2020). "Work begins on £80m Plymouth railway station redevelopment". Business Live. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ Telford, William (14 July 2021). "Timeline revealed for £80m Plymouth Railway Station redevelopment". Business Live. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "National Rail Timetable 51 (Summer 2014)" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ "CrossCountry Timetable December 2023-June 2024" (PDF). Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Station Usage". Rail Statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
- ^ ISBN 1-873228-18-X.
- ISBN 0-9532460-5-1.
Further reading
- Beck, Keith; Copsey, John (1990). The Great Western in South Devon. Didcot: Wild Swan Publication. ISBN 0-906867-90-8.
- Cooke, R A (1979). Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR: Section 12, Plymouth. Harwell: R A Cooke.
- Leitch, Russell (2002). Plymouth's Railways in the 1930s. Peterborough: Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. ISBN 0-901115-91-6.
- Mosley, Brian. "Plymouth Station". Encyclopedia of Plymouth History. Plymouth Data. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
External links
This station offers access to the South West Coast Path | |
---|---|
Distance to path | 1 mile (1.6 km) |
Next station anticlockwise | Kingswear 65 miles (105 km) |
Next station clockwise | Looe 21 miles (34 km) |