Железная дорога Девона: История и современное состояние.

Railway line in Devon, England

The line from Exeter to was opened by the South Devon Railway Company on 30 May 1846 and was extended to on 30 December 1846. After the company had completed its main line to Plymouth, it opened a branch from Newton Abbot to Torquay (the present Torre railway station) on 18 December 1848. Nine years later, this was extended as the independent Dartmouth and Torbay Railway to on 2 August 1859. These lines were built as single track, 7ft broad gauge railways by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. They were designed for atmospheric power and, although this was only used from 13 September 1847 until 9 September 1848, the remains of several of the South Devon Railway engine houses used for the stationary engines can still be seen by the side of the line. The track was converted to standard gauge on 21 May 1892. Double track was laid in sections over a period of several years, requiring the widening or removal of several tunnels near Teignmouth. The Dartmouth and Torquay Railway was operated from the outset by the South Devon Railway and amalgamated with it in 1872. This company, in turn, amalgamated with the Great Western Railway on 1 February 1876. The GWR was nationalised on 1 January 1948 as part of British Railways. In 1977, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommended considering electrification of more of Britain's rail network and, by 1979, BR presented a range of options to do so by 2000. Some included electrifying the Bristol to Exeter line, Exeter to Plymouth Line, Riviera Line and Cornish Main Line. Under later governments, the proposal was not implemented. At present, there are no proposals to electrify the line or any others in Devon or Cornwall. South West Trains operated some services between London Waterloo and Paignton via Salisbury for several years, as well as some to Plymouth or From December 2009, their services only operated east of Exeter St. Davids.

Local passenger services on the line are currently operated by Great Western Railway. Mondays Saturdays see an approximately half hourly service calling at most stations, which runs beyond Exeter to and from along the Avocet Line. On Sundays, a more restricted service operates, most of which terminate at Exeter. Other services on the line include Great Western Railway express trains to/from and CrossCountry services from the Midlands and the North. These mostly call only at , , , , and Other long distance services of the same operators call at Exeter, Dawlish, Teignmouth and Newton Abbot before continuing to and sometimes
The Paignton branch has been identified as a "fragile route" where the addition of any further loco hauled traffic would have a significant impact on the residual life of track and/or structures. The three stations on the branch are currently under consideration for the provision of improved facilities but this is dependent on third party funding being made available. Once out in the countryside the line crosses marshes as it runs alongside the canal and river. What looks like a level crossing in the fields near Countess Wear is actually a lifting bridge across the canal. After passing the site of Exminster railway station beneath Lea Mount, beyond which is Coryton beach where the footpath along the Sea Wall ends, and then Coryton tunnel. The next beach is the private Shell Cove and then the railway passes through Phillot Tunnel and Clerk's Tunnel, emerging onto a section of sea wall at Breeches Rock before diving into Parson's Tunnel beneath Hole Head. The last two tunnels are named after the Parson and Clerk Rocks, two stacks in the sea off Hole Head. When the tunnel was dug the workers cut into a smugglers tunnel which ran from a hidden entrance above the cliff down to a secluded cove. Beyond Parson's Tunnel is a short viaduct across Smugglers Lane and then the footpath resumes alongside the line for the final stretch of the Sea Wall past Sprey Point to the cutting at Teignmouth Eastcliff. On the right side of the railway near Sprey Point can be seen the remains of a lime kiln used during the construction of the line. From here the Riviera Line trains climb and then slowly descend towards the sea at Torquay. First though, they pass through the remains of the former Kingskerswell railway station. Just before Torre railway station the line curves through a cutting; the Torquay engine house still stands on the top of the cutting on the right. The stone building on the left is the old goods shed, while sidings for coal traffic were situated on the opposite side of the line. The disused signal box on the eastbound platform was unusually tall to allow the signalman to look over the footbridge to see trains approaching up the steep gradient. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover twelve month periods that start in April.

In 2009 the Association of Train Operating Companies identified Brixham as one of fourteen towns for which the provision of a new railway service would have a positive benefit cost ratio. This would be an extension of the Great Western Railway service beyond Paignton to Churston station on the Dartmouth Steam Railway, which would then act as a railhead for Brixham. It would also serve other housing developments in the area since the opening of the steam railway, and may require the doubling of that line between Paignton and Goodrington Sands.

The South West Coast Path is the longest national trail in the United Kingdom and the Riviera Line runs alongside it for much of its length. The Path crosses the River Exe on the ferry to Starcross station and then follows the road to Dawlish Warren where it joins the Sea Wall to Dawlish. It then climbs up onto the cliffs above Kennaway Tunnel before rejoining the Sea Wall at Parsons Tunnel to follow the line to Eastcliff at Teignmouth. It again follows closely from Abbey Sands (by Torquay station) to Preston Sands at Paignton. It also follows alongside the Dartmouth Steam Railway from Goodrington to Broadsands, the beach near Churston railway station. The Path thus gives opportunities to observe trains at close hand, and also provides links for linear walks between stations, including .

The sea wall has always been prone to damage during stormy weather as it runs alongside the open sea at the base of cliffs for four miles. The first time this occurred was in September 1846, just a few months after the line opened. The most recent closure was in 2014 when a major breach at Dawlish closed the line from 4 February until 14 April 2014.