Crediton railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crediton
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| Location | Crediton, Mid Devon England |
| Coordinates | 50°46′59″N 3°38′49″W / 50.78318°N 3.64707°W |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | CDI |
| Classification | DfT category F1 |
| History | |
| Original company | Exeter and Crediton Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and South Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
| Key dates | |
| Opened | 1851 |
| Traffic | |
| Passengers (2015/16) |  55,112 |
| Passengers (2016/17) | 58,390 |
| Passengers (2017/18) |  56,006 |
| Passengers (2018/19) | 57,670 |
| Passengers (2019/20) | 66,606 |
Crediton railway station is a train station located in the town of Crediton in Devon, England. It's an important stop on the railway network.
This station is where the Tarka Line and Dartmoor Line meet. These two lines run side-by-side for a short distance. They separate at Coleford Junction, which is near Penstone and Coleford.
Contents
History of Crediton Station
Crediton station was designed by the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It first opened its doors on 12 May 1851. The Exeter and Crediton Railway built this part of the line.
Later, on 1 August 1854, the North Devon Railway opened a line that went all the way to Barnstaple. From 1 November 1865, more trains from the London and South Western Railway started using the station. These trains were heading towards Okehampton.
The signal box at Crediton was built in 1875. It helps control the level crossing and manage train movements. A footbridge was added in 1878, making it safer for people to cross the tracks. Today, this signal box helps control the entire Tarka Line. It uses a special system to make sure only one train is on a section of track at a time.
For many years, a local creamery used the railway to transport milk. Trains filled with milk tanks would travel from Crediton to London. The goods yard, where freight was loaded and unloaded, closed on 4 December 1967.
Train Services
Crediton station has trains running between Barnstaple and Exeter St Davids. Most of these trains continue on to St James Park. In the summer of 2016, there were about 14 to 16 trains on weekdays. On Sundays, there were 7 trains in each direction.
Until September 2019, there was an extra Sunday service in summer. This train went from Exeter to Okehampton on the Dartmoor Line. This service was supported by Devon County Council.
| Preceding station |  National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton St Cyres | Great Western Railway Tarka Line |
Yeoford | ||
| Future development | ||||
| Exeter St Davids | Great Western Railway Dartmoor Line |
Okehampton | ||
Community Railway Efforts
The railway line between Exeter and Barnstaple is known as a "community railway." This means local groups and partnerships work together to promote and support it. The line is promoted as the Tarka Line.
The main building at Crediton station is home to award-winning Tea Rooms. These tea rooms were even mentioned in The Guardian newspaper in 2009. Inside, you can see a model of the station from the past. There are also displays about the local railway history.
A group called the "Friends of Crediton Station" helps look after the station. They plant flowers and work to make the station a welcoming place. In 2007, this group worked with the train company to paint the station. They used the original colours from the old London and South Western Railway days.
Future Plans
Okehampton Services to Return
Good news for the future! On 19 March 2021, it was announced that Okehampton station would reopen for regular train services. This is expected to happen by the end of the year. The project is part of the government's 'Restoring Your Railway' plan.
The new service will run every two hours between Okehampton and Exeter St Davids. Some trains will even go further to Exeter Central. The plan is for the service to become hourly by the end of 2022.
Images for kids
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A Tarka Line train heading to Barnstaple.
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The signal box was built in 1875 and helps control train movements.
