Longdown railway station

Longdown was a railway station serving Longdown, a small village in Devon, England located on the Teign Valley Line between the towns of Newton Abbot and Exeter. Longdown is in the parish of Holcombe Burnell, south of the A30 road, about four miles (6.4 km) west of Exeter.

Longdown
General information
Location	Longdown, Teignbridge England
Coordinates	50.7010°N 3.6223°W / 50.7010; -3.6223
Grid reference	SX855903
Platforms	1
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
1 July 1903	Opened[1]
1 October 1923	Downgraded to a halt
9 June 1958	Closed to passengers[1]
Location

v t e Teign Valley Line
Legend
GWML to London Exeter St Thomas GWML to Penzance Alphington Halt Ide Halt Perridge tunnel Longdown Culver tunnel Dunsford Halt Christow Ashton Trusham Chudleigh Flood Platform Chudleigh Chudleigh Knighton Halt to Moretonhampstead Heathfield (Devon) to Newton Abbot

History

Longdown station was situated around 1 mile (1.6 km) from the village and was located in an extensive woodland setting, situated between the 836-yard Perridge and the 248 yards (227 m) Culver Tunnels. in 1916 a five-lever signal box was built here. A looped siding which was used almost entirely for coal and timber for the Culver Estate until November 1956. Between 19 September 1943 and July 1954 an 1,100 feet (340 m) running loop was present, built to allow trains to pass when the main line from Newton Abbot to Exeter was blocked. The up line was signaled for reversible running.^[2]

Passenger numbers reached their peak in the 1930s with seven daily services provided each way between Exeter and Heathfield. During World War 2 this was reduced to four trains in each direction, still with no trains on a Sunday. This was increased to five daily trains after the war. As stated, the line was sometimes used as a diversionary route if the South Devon main line was unavailable.^[3]

When the station closed it was offered up for sale to the descendants of the original landowners as per the conditions of the original sale.^[4]

The present day

The Teign Valley line may have a role to play in the future, as an alternative to the Devon's main line route along the Dawlish coastline which is vulnerable to stormy seas. The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) put together a feasibility study. Some of the old infrastructure is still in place – 6 miles (9.7 km) of the 21 miles (34 km) of track remained in 2009.^[5]

The Exeter and Teign Valley Railway has established a base in the old Christow railway station goods yard and plan to re-open the Teign Valley Line.^[6]

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Dunsford Halt		Heathfield to Exeter St Davids Great Western Railway		Ide Halt