Barnstaple Victoria Road railway station

Barnstaple Victoria Road
Barnstaple Victoria Road railway station in 1964
Location
Place	Barnstaple
Area	North Devon
Grid reference	SS566327
Operations
Original company	Devon & Somerset Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway Western Region of British Railways
Platforms	2
History
1 November 1873	Opened as "Barnstaple"
26 September 1949	Renamed "Barnstaple Victoria Road"
13 June 1960	Closed to passengers
5 March 1970	Closed to goods
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z

Barnstaple railway station (Barnstaple Victoria Road railway station from 1949) was the western terminus of the Devon and Somerset Railway. It was situated on the western side of Barnstaple in Devon, England. It was served by passenger trains from 1871 until 1960, and by freight trains until 1970.

The Devon and Somerset was a 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge line that opened from Taunton to Wiveliscombe in 1871 and completed to Barnstaple on 1 November 1873. The line was operated by the Bristol and Exeter Railway when that company was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1876. It was converted to 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge in 1881.

A line was opened on 1 June 1887 from the D&SR station to the London and South Western Railway's Barnstaple Junction railway station, enabling trains from London and Taunton reverse at Barnstaple then continue on to Ilfracombe. On 1 July 1905 a chord was opened between the two lines (thus forming a triangular junction) which enabled direct running from the Taunton line into Barnstaple Junction. This new line was mainly used on summer Saturdays; at other times through trains on the Ilfracombe line continued to reverse at the station.

From 1 January 1948 the station was managed by the Western Region of British Railways. All parcels business for Barnstaple was now handled at this station, which was given the 'Victoria Road' suffix on 26 September 1949 to avoid confusion with Barnstaple Junction or Barnstaple Town. Victoria Road was closed to passengers from 13 June 1960, after which the Devon and Somerset line trains ran directly to Barnstaple Junction until the line was closed on 3 October 1966. The goods yard remained open until 5 March 1970, trains in later years only operating via Barnstaple Junction.