Description
The main entrance is on the west side of the station (at the top of the diagram, right), facing a park (Courtaney Park) and Queen Street which leads into the town centre. The main entrance is through South Devon House, the building opened in 1927. This involves a couple of steps up to the platform, but a step-free route leads from the taxi rank on the south side of the building. The car park is beyond this on the site of the former Platform 4. At the north end of this platform are a former terminal platform and sidings alongside Tucker's Maltings which used to serve the Moretonhampstead branch.
There are now just three tracks in use for passenger trains. The platform nearest the entrance (Platform 3) is used by most trains running beyond Exeter to London, the north of England and Scotland. A wide footbridge, which is served by both stairs and lifts, leads to the southbound platform. The track on the west side (Platform 2) is mainly used by trains to Plymouth and Penzance, while the east side (Platform 1) is mainly used by trains to and from Paignton.
Trains from Paignton can use either side of the station, long distance services are generally switched to the main line south of the station so use the same platform as trains from Plymouth while local trains to Exeter and Exmouth tend to run the "wrong way" through the same platform that they use when running to Paignton and then join the main line north of the station. Similarly, trains to Paignton often use the Plymouth platform if another train is blocking the usual Paignton platform.
The industrial area opposite the station was the site of the South Devon Railway workshops, its engine shed being situated a little to the north of the station. Beyond this was established Hackney marshalling yard, where goods trains were – and indeed still are from time to time – reformed for the journey over the hills towards Plymouth.
Read more about this topic: Newton Abbot Railway Station
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