Looe railway station

Looe
Location
Place	East and West Looe
Local authority	Cornwall
Coordinates	50.3594°N 4.45653°W / 50.3594; -4.45653
Operations
Station code	LOO
Managed by	First Great Western
Number of platforms	1
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2002/03 *	72,418
2004/05 *	75,510
2005/06 *	70,880
2006/07 *	81,022
2007/08 *	76,527
2008/09 *	82,614
2009/10 *	88,520
History
1860	Opened
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Looe from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.

Looe railway station serves the twin towns of East and West Looe, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The station is the terminus of the scenic Looe Valley Line 8.75 miles (14 km) south of Liskeard.

History

The Liskeard and Looe Railway was opened on 27 December 1860 to carry goods traffic; passenger trains started on 11 September 1879. The railway in those days connected with the Liskeard and Caradon Railway at Moorswater, the loop line from Coombe Junction to Liskeard railway station not opening until 25 February 1901.

The station was unusual for a terminus, in that there was just a single platform and track, with no loop for the locomotive to run round to the back of the train for the return journey. Instead, all trains continued empty to the carriage shed and engine shed that was situated between the platform and the road bridge across the river. Goods sidings were provided between these sheds and the river, but much of the goods traffic was destined for Buller Quay beyond the approach to the bridge.

Looe signal box was situated in a hut on the platform. It only had eight levers and was closed on 15 March 1964, after which the section to Coombe Junction was controlled by issuing the train driver with a distinct wooden staff.

The sidings beyond the station were taken out of use in November 1963 and the line cut back by 110 yards on 28 April 1968; the police station now stands where the railway station once was. The zero milepost was situated near the seven-span road bridge across the river where the railway connected with the private sidings on Buller Quay. The original station was 14 chains (252 yards or 231m) north of this point, but the line has since been further shortened, so the mile post marking ¼ mile from the 'end' of the line is in fact opposite the platform and just 20 yards from the present stop block.

Description

There is a single platform, on the left of trains arriving from Liskeard. It faces out across the estuary of the River Looe.

Services

All trains run to Liskeard along the "Looe Valley Line". There is no Sunday service in the winter.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Sandplace		First Great Western Looe Valley Line		Terminus

Community rail

The railway between Liskeard and Looe is designated as a community rail line and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. The line is promoted under the "Looe Valley Line" name.

The "Globe Inn" opposite the station is included in the Looe Valley Line rail ale trail, along with seven other pubs in East and West Looe.

Under its Looe Valley Railway Company trading arm, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership has run a Summer ticket office at Looe station since 2004.

• 

  A Class 150 DMU at Looe, viewed from across the river

• 

  Waiting at the station overlooking the estuary for a train to arrive to take you home is not the worst way to end an afternoon.

• 

  Looking north, up the East Looe River.

References

• Beale, Gerry (2000). The Liskeard and Looe Branch. Didcot: Wild Swan Publications Ltd. ISBN 1-874103-47-X. 
• Bennett, Alan (1990). The Great Western Railway in East Cornwall. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-87075-411-5. 
• Clinker, CR (1963). The Railways of Cornwall 1809 - 1963. Dawlish: David and Charles. 
• Cooke, RA (1977). Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR, Section 11: East Cornwall. Harwell: RA Cooke. 
• MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway. 
• Messenger, Michael (2001). Caradon & Looe : the canal, railways and mines. Truro: Twelveheads Press. ISBN 0-90629-446-0. 
• Tolson, JM; Roose, G and Whetmath, CFD (1974). Railways of Looe and Caradon. Bracknell: Forge Books. 

This station offers access to the South West Coast Path
Distance to path	¼ mile
Next station anticlockwise	Plymouth 21 miles
Next station clockwise	Par 18 miles