Railway Station at Bere Ferris , West Devon
N 50° 27.080 W 004° 10.886
30U E 416126 N 5589480
A small country railway station on the Plymouth to Gunnislake branch line.
Waymark Code: WM3ZAK
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/10/2008
Views: 42
The station at Bere Ferrers was on the main line from Plymouth to Exeter via Okehampton and had two running lines. Today the route is a quiet branch line to Gunnislake. The line north of Bere Alston was closed and lifted in the 1960s. The remainder of the route from St Budeaux Victoria Road station to Bere Alston was singled at the same time. The station buildings are now in private hands, but trains still stop at the platform.
This station was the scene of a fatal railway accident on 24 September 1917. Soldiers from New Zealand had arrived in Plymouth on two troopships, Ulimaroa and Norman. They were en-route from the docks to Sling Camp on the Salisbury Plains when the tragedy occurred. At Bere Ferrers station, the train made an unscheduled stop. The soldiers had been told that they would be given rations upon arrival at Exeter station. Thinking they had arrived at Exeter and being unaccustomed to British railways, they climbed down on to the down line. They were struck almost immediately and killed by an oncoming express heading towards Plymouth. The men are buried at Efford war cemetery in Plymouth. A plaque in their memory was unveiled in 2001 in the village.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
The station platform is still used for trains. The station buildings have been sold off and are used as a private residence.
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Plymouth to Gunnislake branch line.
Station/Depot Web Site: Not listed
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