Paignton station footbridge on fire 21/07/26

[brad465]

Bit of a silver lining with this one that most services use platform 2 so the loss of the footbridge won't cause the issues it would cause at other locations, that and the easy access from the street to both platforms..

Is it possible the footbridge will have to be demolished before any trains run through here again?

Perhaps surprisingly, the Dartmouth Steam Railway seems to be unaffected.

From the DSR website;

View attachment 208013

Directly unaffected, but indirectly it is, as several passengers will have planned to go there by rail.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Here is a photo from Devon Live showing damping down operations at the station. It looks like it may have been confined to the stairwell and steps. The footbridge roof has been damaged and judging by the direction of the water stream possibly the roof (or more) of the old newsagents.


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Is it possible the footbridge will have to be demolished before any trains run through here again?

That will depend on the integrity of the ironwork, but I expect its roof will need to be removed at some point.

 

[Russel]

Is it possible the footbridge will have to be demolished before any trains run through here again?

Maybe, it's still early.

But even if it does, the lack of a footbridge won't be too painful compared to a lot of other locations.

 

[TastyMaltesers]

It's not the worst place to lack a footbridge - since trains terminate here I imagine that people tend to go from platform to exit, rather than platform to platform.

 

[REVUpminster]

Sectional Appendix shows Paignton station controlled by Paignton Signaller:
View attachment 208006
And OTT clearly shows the boundary between Paignton "PN" and the Exeter-controlled signals "UT" and "DT":
View attachment 208007
"B", "PS" and "QP" signals are on the heritage railway.

This diagram gives the length of platforms as 220 but platform 2 is only 209. Is the signaller still there at 0002hr to see out the last Exeter train? On Saturdays the station buildings are locked up at 1700hrs and nobody seems to be there especially when the tour trains (often steam) leave at 1730hrs

 

[Jrocks]

Signallers are there 24/7

 

[zwk500]

This diagram gives the length of platforms as 220 but platform 2 is only 209.

TPRs give Paignton P1 as 251, P2 as 220! Sounds like it might need confirming.

 

[RPI]

This diagram gives the length of platforms as 220 but platform 2 is only 209. Is the signaller still there at 0002hr to see out the last Exeter train? On Saturdays the station buildings are locked up at 1700hrs and nobody seems to be there especially when the tour trains (often steam) leave at 1730hrs

The last train can't run unless the signaller is there.... They literally operate the level crossing and signal it out.

 

[Jrocks]

The last train can't run unless the signaller is there.... They literally operate the level crossing and signal it out.

Or maybe they have installed ARS without anyone knowing.....

 

[LowLevel]

ARS still needs a signaller.

There appears to be a bit of a fundamental lack of understanding of what the signaller does here.

They might not be obviously on view but they control the movement of trains in their area. For whatever reason was deemed appropriate historically Exeter box's control was never extended to Paignton and when the mechanical box went it was replaced with a panel within the station building. They aren't public facing but when trains are running there will be a signaller at Paignton, and it seems they are there 24/7 anyway.

 

[Jrocks]

Reason Paignton has a signaller is due to multiple reasons, but mainly back when Exeter was resignalled, there was complications with getting the CCTV picture from Paignton North all the way upto Exeter so as a result, a little box was kept in Paignton.

As for the lack of understanding of a signaller, I would like to think everyone understands that a signaller is there to signal trains. And that without a signaller, no trains can run (in this scenario anyway). But who knows, there are lots of conspiracy theories out there as to how trains move and signallers signal


Back to the fire, its all put out now which is good. Doesnt look too good at all, and fingers crossed BTP and whoever else can find out the cause and what has happened

 

[Forty29]

For some reason l have a soft spot for Paignton probably holiday's when the kids were little overlooking the steam railway on a caravan park planning to use the train for Dartmouth boat trip this summer.
Back to topic really sad to hear about the fire hopefully can be all repaired without new bridge.

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I love any seaside resort station Brighton and New Milton full of memories

 

[Anonymous10]

I never knew there was a signaller there. What do they do? Guards usually press a plunger, on the platform near the footbridge, that tells the signalman at Exeter train is ready to depart.
I would add it's been extremely hot for weeks especially at night. No rain either.

Perhaps the signaller is more for the heritage railway?

 

[RPI]

I never knew there was a signaller there. What do they do? Guards usually press a plunger, on the platform near the footbridge, that tells the signalman at Exeter train is ready to depart.
I would add it's been extremely hot for weeks especially at night. No rain either.

The plunger tells the Paignton signaller that they're ready to dispatch.

 

[tcm1106]

Extensive damage to the station building itself, with a demolition grab employed earlier today to rip parts of the roof off, allowing access for the fire brigade.

Sadly very much not just confined to the footbridge.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Extensive damage to the station building itself, with a demolition grab employed earlier today to rip parts of the roof off, allowing access for the fire brigade.

Sadly very much not just confined to the footbridge.

Was it the roof of the booking hall or the old newsagents?

 

[tcm1106]

Was it the roof of the booking hall or the old newsagents?

Pass. I’m not familiar with the building I’m afraid.

 

[83G/84D]

Train services will resume tomorrow albeit terminating at Torquay then ECS to and from Paignton. Back workings starting from Torquay.

Paignton station will remain closed to the public for urgent repairs to be made.

Cross Country will terminate and start Newton Abbot.

 

[SwindonManor]

No points at all at Torquay, the branch was quite severely rationalised by BR in the 1980s.

There used to be a cross-over line to accommodate trains leaving from P1, which is now a terminus platform only.

Torquay used to have a siding I believe, but now does not.

Signalling isn't bidirectional, so unless they kept on top of a 1 train service between Torquay/Newton Abbot, then services will remain disrupted

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Train services will resume tomorrow albeit terminating at Torquay then ECS to and from Paignton. Back workings starting from Torquay.

Paignton station will remain closed to the public for urgent repairs to be made.

Cross Country will terminate and start Newton Abbot.

Ah, didn't see this. So they go as far as the needed point and stop before Pgn North?

 

[MarkyT]

TPRs give Paignton P1 as 251, P2 as 220! Sounds like it might need confirming.

The standage between signals is similar on both roads, but platform #2 measures 30m shorter than #1 on Google Earth.

 

[dk1]

There used to be a cross over line to line to accommodate trains leaving from P1 which is now a terminus platform only.

Torquay used to have a siding I believe but now does not.
There isn't bi directional signalling so unless they kept on top of a 1 train service between torquay/Newton Abbot then services will remain disrupted

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Ah didn't see this. So they go as far as the needed point and stop before Pgn North?

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Already half gone. New one is in place but the building isn't fully gone for the car park. There's a lot of bad sites in need of sorting in the town currently, the multistorey, the former "Queen Victoria" pub building, and now the station. The area around Lidls as well is trashed with stone debris, in need of demolition.

Back in the dark ages Torquay had a middle road but from what I can see it was just a siding accessed from the Paignton direction.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Back in the dark ages Torquay had a middle road but from what I can see it was just a siding accessed from the Paignton direction.

Yes, it was used as a layover for banking locos for the steep gradient to Torre on heavy Summer Saturday trains.

 

[dk1]

Yes, it was used as a layover for banking locos for the steep gradient to Torre on heavy Summer Saturday trains.

Cheers. So many get it confused.

 

[edwin_m]

So they go as far as the needed point and stop before Pgn North?

The crossover is too close to the platform to do that and the signal controlling departures is at the platform end, so they would have to run into the platform. They must have decided the station is safe enough for trains to enter and leave but not for passengers to board or alight.

 

[Jrocks]

Train services will resume tomorrow albeit terminating at Torquay then ECS to and from Paignton. Back workings starting from Torquay.

Paignton station will remain closed to the public for urgent repairs to be made.

Cross Country will terminate and start Newton Abbot.

Not happening

 

[dk1]

Not happening

GWR journey check appears to think it will.

 

[MarkyT]

Back in the dark ages Torquay had a middle road but from what I can see it was just a siding accessed from the Paignton direction.

At Torquay, the middle siding was joined to the down line at the Paignton end and to the up line at the Torre end. There was also a right-hand crossover at the Torre end and a left-hand one at the Paignton end. Facing Point Locks and full passenger signalling allowed a down train to cross to the up platform arriving from Torre, then go back to the down line again on departure towards Paignton. A train could also reverse in the up platform, towards Torre or Paignton.

Torquay (South) Signal Box

www.s-r-s.org.uk

Torre also had bi di passenger running through its up platform, allowing overtakes in the down direction and reversals in both directions.

Torre Signal Box

www.s-r-s.org.uk

 

[dk1]

At Torquay, the middle siding was joined to the down line at the Paignton end and to the up line at the Torre end. There was also a right-hand crossover at the Torre end and a left-hand one at the Paignton end. Facing Point Locks and full passenger signalling allowed a down train to cross to the up platform arriving from Torre, then go back to the down line again on departure towards Paignton. A train could also reverse in the up platform, towards Torre or Paignton.

Torquay (South) Signal Box

www.s-r-s.org.uk

Torre also had bi di passenger running through its up platform, allowing overtakes in the down direction and reversals in both directions.

Torre Signal Box

www.s-r-s.org.uk

I wonder why apart from cost (obvious really) that no turn back facility was provided at least from the down platform at Torquay. Seems very penny pinching but so very 1980/90s BR.

 

[MarkyT]

I wonder why apart from cost (obvious really) that no turn back facility was provided at least from the down platform at Torquay. Seems very penny pinching but so very 1980/90s BR.

By the time Exeter resignalling was carried out in the mid-late 1980s, Torquay SB had already closed, with all pointwork and signals removed, leaving Torre as the sole block post between Aller Junction and Paignton North. Torre was typically open only on Summer Saturdays, being switched out at other times, and since the last sidings had been removed in 1969, retaining just a single trailing left-hand crossover. That was not equipped with FPLs and was signalled using shunting discs. The crossover survived until 1984.

 

[800001]

Not happening

So what is happening? Dont just post that reply with no further detail. It isn't helpful.