Plymouth Railway Station - Signalling

Signalling

The station was originally controlled from two signal boxes. 'North Road East' was situated on the north side of the line to the east of the station, while 'North Road West' was on the south side of the line at the west end of the station where it could control the junction of the original lines to Millbay with the new Cornwall Loop Line to Devonport. The adjacent signal boxes were at Mutley to the east, Cornwall Junction on the Millbay line, and Devonport Junction at the far end of the Cornwall Loop.

Both of the North Road boxes were closed in November 1908 and replaced by new ones with the same names. The West box was now situated on the north side of the line and had 59 levers, while the East box needed just 48. They were each 38 feet (11.6 m) long. Mutley box closed at the same time, the next box now being at Mannamead on the other side of Mutley Tunnel, which had opened about three years earlier.

The rebuilding work of 1938 meant more signalling alterations. On 22 January 1938 the timber West box was lifted up and moved to a new position clear of the proposed works, being brought back into use on 27 January 1938. At the other end of the station the East box was closed and a new 79 feet (24.1 m) structure built, again on the north side of the line, which was brought into use on 25 June 1939.

Both signal boxes were closed on 26 November 1960 when a new 'Plymouth Panel Signal Box' was opened on the west end of the new Platform 1; the West box was subsequently demolished. Multiple-aspect signals have controlled movements of trains throughout the Plymouth area since the opening of this new signal box in 1960. The adjacent boxes were initially at Laira Junction in the east and Keyham in the west. The area of control was extended westwards on 2 July] 1973 to meet the signal box at St Germans, which in closed in 1998 so the next signal box westwards is now at Liskeard railway station. Towards the end of 1973 several more signal boxes were closed eastwards from Plymouth, which meant that Plymouth controlled trains until they reached the outer signal of Totnes Signal Box. Totnes box closed on 9 November 1987 when a new panel signal box at Exeter was opened.