Читать книгу Railway Day Trips: 160 classic train journeys around Britain - Julian Holland - Страница 18

This scenic seaside branch line that runs alongside the east shore of the Exe Estuary was opened in 1861. An extension from Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth Junction was opened in 1903 but this route became a victim of the ‘Beeching Axe’ in 1967. Trains for Exmouth depart from Exeter Central station and follow the route of the main line to Salisbury as far as Exmouth Junction. Here the Exmouth branch diverges southwards through Polsloe Bridge and Digby & Sowton stations before meeting the coast at Topsham. The line is marketed as the ‘Avocet Line’, so named after the pied avocet that live on the estuary, and has seen large increases in passenger usage in recent years, with Exmouth station being the fifth busiest in Devon.

At Topsham station there is a passing loop, which enables trains to run at 30-minute intervals. From here the coast-hugging line passes through Exton and Lympstone Commando stations, both request stops, and after halting at Lympstone Village station continues down the coast to terminate at Exmouth. With a population of over 35,000 this seaside resort town has much to offer the day tripper, from its fascinating architecture and promenade to beaches and water-sports facilities. A passenger ferry operates from Easter to October across the Exe Estuary – a Site of Special Scientific Interest noted for its migrating and wading birds – to Starcross, where a train can be caught back to Exeter.

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS

passenger ferry to Starcross; promenade and 2-mile sandy beach; water sports; South West Coast Path; bird watching on Exe Estuary; 18th-century A La Ronde (NT); railway path to Knowle

FREQUENCY OF TRAINS

2 per hour

10½ MILES 25 MINUTES

NUMBER OF CHANGES: 0

Colourful modern apartments overlook the harbour in the popular seaside resort of Exmouth.