Totnes (Riverside) railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Totnes Riverside
Station on heritage railway
Location	Littlehempston, South Hams England
Coordinates	50°26′23″N 3°41′09″W / 50.43977°N 3.68580°W / 50.43977; -3.68580
Operated by	South Devon Railway
Platforms	1
History
Original company	Dart Valley Railway
Key dates
1977	Riverside loop opened
1993	Access to the station opened
2016	Signal box commissioned

Totnes (Riverside) railway station is a special train station in Littlehempston, Devon, England. It used to be called Totnes Littlehempston railway station and Littlehempston Riverside railway station. This station is the end point for the South Devon Railway, which is a fun heritage railway that uses old steam trains.

It's important not to mix up Totnes (Riverside) station with the main Totnes railway station. The main station is part of the bigger National Rail network. It's only about 330 meters (or 360 yards) away, but they are different!

What Does Totnes Riverside Station Look Like?

Totnes (Riverside) station sits right next to the River Dart. It's also very close to the main railway line. Even though it's less than a mile from the town of Totnes, the area around it feels like the countryside.

You can reach the station by walking on a footpath and crossing a footbridge over the river. Sometimes, a small water taxi can also take you there from the town center. This depends on how high the tide is.

The station has one main platform. There's also a special loop for locomotives to turn around. A smaller platform, called a bay platform, is also available. Inside the station building, you'll find a place to buy tickets. A old train car, called a rail van, on the bay platform holds a small exhibit for visitors.

A special track connects this heritage line to the main railway. This means special trains can travel between them. At one end of the station, there's a signal box and a level crossing. This crossing is the only way to get to the nearby Totnes Rare Breeds Farm.

A Journey Through Time: The Station's History

Before it became a heritage railway, the South Devon Railway was a branch line. It connected Totnes to Buckfastleigh and Ashburton. Trains from this branch line would join the main line near where Riverside station is now. They would cross a bridge over the River Dart and end their journey at the main Totnes station.

When the line first reopened for fun trips in 1969, the new owners couldn't agree with British Rail. So, their trains couldn't go into the main station. At first, they used special push-pull trains. These trains could be driven from either end. They would stop and reverse just before the main line connection.

Later, in 1977, the railway bought some land nearby. They built a loop track for trains to turn around. A few years after that, a platform was added. But there was no easy way for people to walk from Totnes town to the station. In timetables, it was simply called "Totnes Riverside." Visitors arriving by main line train had to take a bus to Buckfastleigh. From there, they could ride the heritage train to Totnes and back. Then, they'd take the bus back to Totnes.

To avoid confusing passengers, the station was renamed "Littlehempston Riverside" in the 1980s. Around the same time, an old station building from Toller railway station was moved. It was carefully put back together at Littlehempston.

In 1985, British Rail finally let the heritage trains use the main station. For three years, trains regularly ran into the main Totnes station. However, it cost too much money to use the main station. So, in 1988, the trains went back to using Littlehempston.

A big improvement happened in 1993. A new footbridge was built next to the railway bridge. This made it easy for people to walk from Totnes town and the main station to Totnes (Riverside). With this new access, the station was renamed again to "Totnes (Littlehempston)." In 2017, it changed one more time to its current name, "Totnes (Riverside)."

When Can You Visit? Train Services

Trains run from Totnes (Riverside) station on all days the South Devon Railway is open. You can usually catch a train daily from late March until the end of October.

On most days, one train set operates. This means there are four train trips in each direction per day. On very busy days, two train sets might run. This allows for even more journeys for visitors!

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Terminus		South Devon Railway		Staverton
National Rail
Interchange with Totnes on the National Rail network