St James Park railway station

Railway station in Exeter, Devon, England

50°43′50″N 3°31′20″W / 50.73059°N 3.52233°W / 50.73059; -3.52233Grid referenceSX925934Managed byGreat Western RailwayPlatforms2Other informationStation codeSJPClassificationDfT category F2HistoryOriginal companyLondon and South Western RailwayPost-groupingSouthern RailwayKey dates1906Opened as Lion's Holt Halt1946Renamed St James Park Halt1969Renamed St James ParkPassengers2018/19

88,7602019/20

96,2822020/21

34,9502021/22

105,6742022/23

122,814

Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Exeter railway stations

Legend

Avocet Line

to Exmouth

Topsham

Newcourt

Digby and Sowton

Polsloe Bridge

West of England line

to London Waterloo via Salisbury

Pinhoe

St James Park

Exeter Central

Bristol–Exeter line

to Bristol and London Paddington

Exeter St Davids

Tarka Line

to Barnstaple

to Paignton

to Plymouth and Penzance

St James Park railway station is a suburban railway station in Exeter, Devon, England. It is 170 miles 72 chains (275.0 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station is adjacent to the Exeter City football ground. Great Western Railway manage the station and operate the train services.

History

A small station named Lion's Holt Halt was opened in the cutting west of Blackboy Tunnel on 26 January 1906. Mount Pleasant Road Halt was opened at the same time to the east of the tunnel but was closed in 1928.^[1]

The name of Lion's Holt was changed to St James Park on 7 October 1946, the name of the Exeter City F.C. football ground, which is next to the station. The club has adopted the station under the community railways scheme and contributes to its upkeep.

Tarka line services from Barnstaple terminated at St James Park from December 2018,^[2] reversing in the siding at Exmouth Junction before returning. In the May 2021 timetable they terminate at Exeter Central^[3] but will still run through St James Park when they reverse in the siding at Exmouth Junction.

Description

There are two platforms. The Exeter-bound Platform 1 is about 240 feet (73 m) in length. Platform 2 (for trains toward Exmouth) was originally very short (about 120 feet or 37 metres) and could only be served by a one 20 metres (66 ft) coach trains. Longer trains had to use selective door opening or single door opening. Works took place in October 2020 to extend platform 1 by 10 metres and platform 2 by 49 metres.^[4]

Services

Avocet Line services between Exmouth and Exeter St Davids call at St James Park. Beyond St Davids they generally continue on the Riviera Line to Paignton.^[5]

South Western Railway services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids pass through the station but do not stop; passengers for this route have to change at Exeter Central.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Exeter Central		Great Western Railway (Avocet Line)		Polsloe Bridge

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St James Park railway station.

^ Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1992). Branch Lines to Exmouth. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1-873793-00-6.
^ "Exeter to Barnstaple" (PDF). Great Western Railway. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
^ "Exeter to Barnstaple - Train times" (PDF). GWR.com. GWR. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "Better train access following platform upgrades at St James Park station". Network Rail. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "Exmouth - Exeter - Paignton (The Avocet and Riviera lines)" (PDF). Great Western Railway. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.