Axminster railway station serves the town of Axminster in Devon, England. It is operated by South Western Railway and is situated on the West of England Main Line. It is down the line from .

History

thumb|left|The station in the early years of the twentieth century.

The station opened on 19 July 1860 by LSWR with its Exeter Extension from to Exeter Queen Street. Main offices and a goods shed were east of the line and a small engine shed existed for the locomotive kept here to help early trains up the 1-in-80 (1.25%) climb through Seaton Junction to . A signal box was built in 1875 (at the south end of the westbound platform).

The established service pattern was interposed express trains between London Waterloo and other Devon final destinations or Cornwall and local services between Salisbury or Yeovil and Exeter. In 1903 Axminster became a junction when the Lyme Regis branch line was opened. A bay platform (terminus) was built (on the west side) yet the branch climbed at 1 in 80 (1.25%) to cross the main line south of the station by a bridge. A short 1-in-40 connection ran from the goods yard directly to the branch removed in 1915. The engine shed was demolished to make room for the new branch, but a new coal stage and water tank was built next to the terminus. The lever frame in the signal box was extended in 1903 to accommodate the new line, and three years later full signalling on the branch required the building to be extended. and the new Axminster Carpets factory making Axminster carpets opened alongside the goods yard in 1937.

In the late 1980s the line found itself part of British Rail's Network SouthEast sector, which invested in new Class 159 trains to be replaced with a regular hourly frequency; trains being timetabled to pass at Axminster.

The small building at the end of the main platform since 2009 reopened as a café, situated in the old parcels office. - 1863 (afterwards station master at Honiton)

  • George R. Stevens 1878 - 1902 (formerly station master at Lympstone)
  • W.J. Ball 1903 - 1906 (formerly station master at Torrington)
  • Frederick Reuben Heath 1906 - 1909 (formerly station master at Botley, afterwards station master at Wadebridge)
  • Harry Hother 1909 - 1919 (formerly station master at Wadebridge)
  • Arthur J. Hatyer 1926 - 1934 (formerly station master at Seaton Junction)
  • J. Budd 1934 - 1938 (formerly station master at Parkstone)
  • Walter James Grayer 1938 - ca. 1950

Location

The station is on the west/south-west edge of the compact but linear town centre.

The main building was designed by the LSWR's architect Sir William Tite and Edward Clifton in mock gothic style. Immediately south of the main building is the 2009-built footbridge between the two platforms. Unusually trains ran on the right but in late 2012, this was reversed: trains now run on the left.

Services

thumb|A [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway train arriving from London Waterloo]]

Off-peak, all services at Axminster are operated by South Western Railway using and DMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:

  • 1 tph to via
  • 1 tph to

The station is also served by a single weekday peak hour service from which terminates at Axminster. This service is operated by Great Western Railway.

See also

  • Southern Railway routes west of Salisbury

References

  • Southern E-group: Axminster Station
  • The station on navigable O.S. map