User:Enotayokel/avocet test

The Avocet Line is the railway line from Exeter to Exmouth, UK. The line follows the River Exe for most of its route, giving views of the estuary. The line is named after the Pied Avocet, which live in the estuary.

The stations served by the route are listed below. The route follows the West of England Main Line in the suburbs of Exeter before diverging to the south.

Exeter St Davids
For more information see Exeter St Davids
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW, VT, SWT

Exeter Central
For more information see Exeter Central
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW, SWT

St James Park


St James Park railway station is a suburban railway station in Exeter. Formerly known as Lion's Halt it now takes its name from the Exeter City F.C. football ground, which is next to the station. The club has adopted the station under the community rail scheme and contributes to its upkeep. The Southbound platform is very short and only be served by a one or two (20m) coach train. (Other train formations - eg a Class 158 must use selective door opening or single door opening). The station is served by 1 train per hour in each direction (2 at peak times).
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

Exmouth Junction
West of England Main Line continues to Yeovil Junction, Salisbury and London Waterloo.

Polsloe Bridge
Polsloe Bridge railway station is a suburban railway station in Exeter. Its two platforms (one is out of use and derelict since the line was singled) are situated on an embankment above Pinhoe Road. It serves the Mount Pleasant, Hamlin and Whipton areas of the city. The station is served by 1 train per hour in each direction with 2 per hour at peak times.
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

Digby & Sowton
Digby and Sowton railway station is the most recently opened railway station on the Avocet Line in Devon, opening 23 May 1994. The station serves the Sowton Industrial Estate and the housing estates around the former Digby Hospital. The station is often vandalised as it is not visible from nearby roads and is accessed by a long foot and cycle path. CCTV has now been installed in an attempt to tackle this problem.
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

The station has been critisised for its location being a compromise between serving the industrial estate of Sowton and the retail development at Digby. By doing so, it has ended up as not being particularly close to either, resulting in a substantial walk to either location, which lie in opposite directions.

Topsham
Topsham railway station is the railway station serving the town of Topsham in the English county of Devon. It is the passing place for the Avocet Line to Exmouth. The station is operated by First Great Western.
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

Exton
Exton railway station is a railway station on the Avocet Line. It is little used and consequentally is a request stop where passengers must signal the driver or ask the guard to stop. A possible reason for this is the low platform leading to a significant step up into the trains that is difficult for the less mobile or for people with luggage, also while all trains carry wheelchair ramps, it is not possible to use them here. Repeated requests to Railtrack and Network Rail to raise the platform have so far been unsuccessful. The station is built on the shore of the Exe estuary.
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

Lympstone Commando
Lympstone Commando railway station is a railway station on the branch line from Exeter to Exmouth in Devon, England.
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

The station is a rare example of a passenger station not open to the general public: it is solely for the use of visitors to the Royal Marine Commando Training Centre at Lympstone.

Lympstone Village
Lympstone Village railway station is the railway station for the village of Lympstone. It was renamed from Lympstone in the 1990s to avoid confusion with Lympstone Commando railway station. It is situated on an embankment, with a single platform; a disused second platform is now heavily overgrown. To the south the line crosses the village on a low viaduct
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

Exmouth
For more information see Exmouth railway station
 * Operated By - FGW
 * Served by - FGW

At Exmouth, there is a ferry service to Starcross on the opposite shore of the River Exe.

Services
Passenger services on the line are provided by First Great Western using Class 150 or Class 153 diesel multiple units (Class 153s rarely operate singly, they are usually attached to another unit). Under First Great Western the line may switch to using Pacers; this is apparently under the instructions of the DfT. The section in Exeter is shared with South West Trains West of England services to London Waterloo as far as Exmouth Junction (between St James Park and Polsloe Bridge). The daytime frequency is a train every 30 mins, although trains only stop once an hour at Polsloe Bridge, St James Park, Exton and Lympstone Commando. The latter two stations are request stops.