This company also owns Dart Pleasure Craft Limited, which operates the Dartmouth Passenger Ferry as well as river and coastal cruises.

The line was built by the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway, opening to Brixham Road station on 14 March 1861 and on to Kingswear on 10 August 1864.

A goods depot opened south of the station the following year, and the running line was doubled as far as Goodrington Sands.

It included the results of a survey which listed stations in three categories by annual income: Red (up to £5000); Blue (£5000 to £25000); and Green: (over £25000).

However, a letter from the Divisional Manager at Bristol to the Regional Headquarters at Paddington on 11 December 1968 gave the contributory revenue as £54,000, so showing a profit of £16,600.

During 1971/2, talks were conducted between British Rail Western Region and Dart Valley Light Railway Ltd. about the possibility of a sale from the former to the latter.

The line was officially closed on 28 October 1972, but BR ran a diesel multiple unit service on behalf of DVLR, subsidised by Devon County Council.

These were soon supplemented by a midday service each way, as the locomotive and stock were otherwise unemployed, but from the end of that summer it became a purely seasonal operation.

Most of this was recouped from the sale of surplus land, mainly at Goodrington, which was subsequently developed as flats, and at Kingswear, which became a marina.

[11] A short section at and just south of the Sands Road level crossing at Paignton remains the property of Network Rail.

[citation needed] The summer service in 1973 featured the locomotive LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman on four days per week, newly returned from its financially disastrous sojourn in the United States.

In 1981 the turntable from the British Rail sidings at Goodrington was moved to Churston, to the north of the station, aligned on the old Brixham branch.

A new level crossing just to the north of Kingswear to serve the Darthaven Marina, controlled from the Britannia signal box with the aid of closed-circuit television, was opened on 24 January 1993.

[12] In 2007 the passing loop at Goodrington Sands was reinstated, along with the carriage sidings to give more space for storing rolling stock.

On 30 December 1972, the Paignton to Dartmouth line was also sold to the Dart Valley Railway Company Ltd by the Ministry of Transport.

[16] Download coordinates as: The route is described facing forwards from Paignton to Kingswear, which puts the sea on the left and the River Dart on the right.

As the train passes Goodrington Sands, Saltern Cove and Broadsands, panoramic views of the UNESCO Global Geopark geology are seen.

After a small headland the train passes the secluded Saltern Cove (a site of special scientific interest for its geology and marine biology) and Armchair Rock, then swings inland to the right to pass over first the 72 yards (66 m) Broadsands Viaduct and then swings to the left over the 148 yards (135 m) Hookhills Viaduct before reaching the line's summit at Churston.

The last half mile to Churston is particularly difficult in operation, as it has the steepest gradient, is on a sharp curve, and is situated in a cutting which is often damp.

On leaving the tunnel, the gradient steepens to 1 in 66 and the River Dart appears on the right as the train passes over Greenway Viaduct.

The line turns to the east as it leaves the original course, which continues straight on in a cutting, with a hut on the track bed.

Between this point and Kingswear, the line was built mostly on the shore of the river, is accompanied by a footpath on the right, and isolates a bay on the left, formerly known as Ballast Cove.

The far end of the platform is covered by an umbrella roof and then a wooden train shed, a Grade 2 listed structure, in the style favoured by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, although he died more than four years before the station was built.

The boat- and car-park alongside the station is part of Darthaven Marina and was once a busy rail-served quayside goods yard.

This Grade 2 listed building is now a restaurant, booking facilities for boats and trains being provided at kiosks on The Embankment.