Central Station - Queen Street

It was sixteen years after the opening of the Bristol & Exeter Railway to St David's Station, that a second route between London and Exeter, was opened for traffic on the 18th July 1860. The chairman and directors of the London and South Western Railway travelled from Yeovil on a special train, cheered at each intermediate station towards Exeter. They were greeted by the Mayor Mr T Drake with a short speech, while the citizens of the city were granted a public holiday. The Chairman and directors were entertained in a marquee in Northernhay with a banquet. The line opened for goods traffic on the 1st August.

The new line ran from Waterloo via Salisbury and Yeovil, and utilised the Longbrook Valley for a route into the city. Initially the new station, named Queen Street Station, was a terminus, and it was not until 1st February 1862 that the short link between the two stations was opened. The link climbed towards Queen Street station, crossing the Bonhay Road on a 1 in 37 incline.

One correspondent to the Flying Post wondered why St David's Station was being rebuilt during 1862, in the light of the fine new facility at Queen Street. He went on to suggest that broad-gauge should be abandoned and that Queen Street should be the main station and line used by both railway companies. He was right about broad-gauge, but both lines continue to serve Exeter.

The short section of line from New North Road and the station lay in the northern moat of Rougemont Castle. The station had one platform covered by a wooden train shed. In 1874, two through lines were added and a more elaborate wrought iron trussed, wood clad shed was constructed over the lines.

The Great War

Through the First World War, Queen Street was used by many troop trains between Falmouth and Salisbury. On 22nd October 1914, 32,000 Canadian troops and 7,679 horses passed through Queen Street en route to Salisbury Plain before they were sent to the front. More tragic passengers were returned from the front to the Exeter VAD hospitals via Queen Street Station. Wounded soldiers disembarked to be taken to their respective hospital by cars hauling ambulance trailers. Each trailer could take two stretcher cases, while three walking wounded would be ferried in the car. In 1917 troops would disembark suffering from gas poisoning. They would walk, blinded by the gas in a long crocodile, holding on to the man in front before being taken to their designated VA Hospital.

Goods yards were positioned on the northern side of the station with an entrance from the top end of Queen Street, close to the Clock Tower. In 1923 the line was absorbed in the Southern Region and then into British Railways Southern Region in 1948.

It wasn't until 1925 that any more improvements were made to Queen Street when the up platform was lengthened to 1,210 ft to cater for increased passenger traffic to Exeter. However, the wooden buildings were deteriorating, requiring frequent repair, and then in June 1927 a fire severely damaged the buildings.

The City Council rejected the first plan to rebuild the station, and it was not until 1931 that a revised design was accepted. A brick built station complex was constructed while the lines and platforms remained open for passengers. A large three storey station building on the down platform was constructed along with a crescent shaped entrance building, fronted with shops, facing Queen Street. The crescent is placed to the right of the lines looking from Queen Street giving an entrance to both platforms from the central entrance of the crescent, while a side entrance for goods was provided to the right of the crescent, beneath the gate to Northernhay Park. In the centre of the crescent is a bell tower. The new station was opened on 1st July 1933 with the new name of Central Station.

Central Station was kept busy during the Second War as US troops bound for camps in the South West, in preparation for D-day passed through.

In 1959 two million passengers used the station, but traffic was being lost to road transport. In December 1967, general goods were withdrawn, although cement continued to be handled until 1990. Signalling was transferred to St David's in 1985 and the old box closed.

From March 2006, First Great Western took over the line from Wessex. During 2006 the station handled 1,318,916 passengers between London and Paignton or Plymouth, along with the local line to Exmouth.