Saltash railway station

Saltash railway station (Cornish: Essa) serves the town of Saltash in Cornwall, England. It is on the south side of the town between the Royal Albert Bridge which crosses the River Tamar and the Coombe Viaduct which spans a small tributary of the same river. Trains are operated by Great Western Railway. The station is 251 miles 26 chains (404.5 km) from London Paddington via Box and Plymouth Millbay.[1] The line singles at the east end of the station passing over the Royal Albert Bridge.

Saltash

Essa
National Rail
General information
LocationSaltash, Cornwall
England
Coordinates50.407°N 4.209°W / 50.407; -4.209
Grid referenceSX431587
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeSTS
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyCornwall Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
Opened1859
Passengers
2017/18Increase 82,398
2018/19Increase 83,574
2019/20Increase 85,396
2020/21Decrease 41,154
2021/22Increase 117,598
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History
A plaque on the westbound platform commemorates the 125th anniversary opening of the Royal Albert Bridge on 2 May 1859

The station opened with the Cornwall Railway on 4 May 1859. It was described at the time as being "at the head of that town. It consists of an arrival and departure station, both being stone buildings, and possessing all requisite offices for the accommodation of the traffic. New and convenient approaches are likely to be made to that station by the corporation and the owners of adjoining property, which will prove a great public benefit."[2] A goods shed was opened early in 1863 and the station was rebuilt in 1880–1881.[3][4]

The Cornwall Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 July 1889.[5] To counter competition from electric trams, the Great Western Railway opened several small stations in Plymouth and began to operate an intensive service of local trains between Saltash, Plymouth and Plympton in July 1904.[6] The services were vastly reduced after the Tamar road bridge opened in 1961.[3] The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Rail from 1 January 1948 which was in turn privatised in the 1990s.

Facilities

The station is unstaffed and has no ticket provision, so all tickets must be purchased in advance or from the conductor on the train. Waiting shelters, bicycle racks and bench seats are provided on each side, while train running information is offered via customer help points, timetable posters and a public telephone. Step-free access is available to both platforms.[7]

In 2017, Saltash Town Council purchased the building, and - working with Cornwall Council, Great Western Railway, Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust - restored the building to provide a waiting room, toilets and refreshments, as well as a community hall and business hub, reopening the restored building in November 2021.[8]

Services
A Great Western Railway Class 150 calls with a Penzance to Plymouth local service

Saltash is served by most Great Western Railway trains on the Cornish Main Line between Penzance and Plymouth including a few that run to or from London Paddington station. On weekdays there are one or two trains each hour in each direction during the daytime but early mornings, in the evenings and on Sundays the service is less frequent.[9]

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
St Budeaux Ferry Road   Great Western Railway
Cornish Main Line		   St Germans

References
  1. Padgett, David (June 2018) [1989]. Munsey, Myles (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western & Wales (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. map 9B. ISBN 978-1-9996271-0-2.
  2. West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, Railway Special Edition, 1859.
  3. Bennett, Alan (1990). The Great Western Railway in East Cornwall. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870754-11-5.
  4. "Saltash". The Cornishman. No. 148. 12 May 1881. p. 5.
  5. MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway.
  6. Mosley, Brian (11 October 2008). "GWR Saltash Rail Motor Service". Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History. Plymouth Data. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  7. Saltash Station facilities National Rail Enquiries
  8. "Refurbished station throws open its doors". The Cornish Times. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  9. "Penzance to Plymouth timetable" (PDF). Great Western Railway. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
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