St James Park is a suburban railway station on the Avocet Line of the Devon Metro in Exeter, England. It is down the line from . The station nominally serves the St James Park football ground, of which Exeter City F.C. has adopted the station through the community rail scheme. Great Western Railway manages the station and operates all services in both directions.
From its opening as a halt in 1906 until 1946, the station was called Lion's Holt Halt, and afterwards was officially called St James Park Halt until 1969.
History
thumb|left|A three-car [[Class 158 from Barnstaple at Platform 2 before 2021 improvement works, only the front car is at the platform.]]
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.
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, reversing in the siding at Exmouth Junction before returning. In the May 2021 timetable they terminate at Exeter Central but will still run through St James Park when they reverse in the siding at Exmouth Junction.
Works took place in early 2021 to extend platform 1 by 10 metres and platform 2 by 49 metres to fit longer trains used on the line since the withdrawal of Class 143 units.
Description
There are two platforms. The Exeter-bound Platform 1 is about in length. Platform 2 (for trains toward Exmouth) was originally very short (about ) and could only be served by a one coach trains. Longer trains had to use selective door opening or single door opening.
Services
Avocet Line services between and call at St James Park. Beyond St Davids they generally continue on the Riviera Line to . Roughly half the services stop, giving an hourly service for most of the day.
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.