Disused railway stations on the Exeter to Plymouth Line

It was originally designed to operate on the atmospheric principle but this was not successful and was never completed beyond Newton Abbot.

[1][2] It was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 February 1876 and now forms part of the Exeter to Plymouth Line.

An Italianate building on the west side of the single track housed a booking office and waiting room on the ground floor, with accommodation above for the station master.

[9][10] The line through Exminster was doubled in November 1859 and so a second platform for southbound (down) trains was built; passengers used the road bridge to cross to it.

These were originally intended to help the flow of goods traffic during the Second World War, but later became a useful place to stable empty passenger trains on busy summer Saturdays.

[10] A ten-year strategy published by the local council n November 2017 included a proposal that Exminster could reopen[6] but in April 2020 a decision was made to prioritise a new station nearby at Marsh Barton instead.

[14] The station was closed to passengers on 2 March 1959 but goods traffic continued to be handled until 9 September 1963.

The building was situated on the north side of the track, immediately to the west of Ivybridge Viaduct.

The line originally had just a single track but was doubled to the west on 11 June 1893 and from the far side of the viaduct to the east on 13 August 1893.

A new stone viaduct to replace Isambard Kingdom Brunel's timber structure was brought into use in 1894 and allow the joining up of the double-track sections.

The up platform was widened and this left the building set back at an odd angle to the track.

A signal box was situated on the south side of the line between the station and the goods yard from 1895 until 1973.

A replacement Ivybridge railway station was opened a mile away on the far side of the viaduct on 15 July 1994.

[18] An Italianate building on the north side of the single track housed a booking office and waiting room on the ground floor, with accommodation above for the station master.

[20] From 1 June 1904 it was the eastern terminus for enhanced Plymouth area suburban services, which saw steam railmotors used to fight competition from electric trams.

[20] A Plymouth Joint plan that was opened for consultation in 2018 included a suggested 'Plymouth Metro' with a station at Plympton.

This, along with several other small stations, formed a scheme to introduce a suburban train service in competition with electric trams.

From 1 July 1891 they again called at Mutley when their new terminus at Plymouth Friary was opened, but now they ran in the opposite direction to before.

[24] Mutley was closed from 3 July 1939 to allow for track alterations in association with the rebuilding of North Road station.

All traffic ceased from 14 December 1969, except for goods trains running through to the docks which continued until 30 June 1971.