Reading-Plymouth line

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Reading-Plymouth line

Legend 0.00 London Paddington Great Western Main Line 36.00 Reading Great Western Main Line 37.00 Reading West Branch to Basingstoke 41.25 Theale 44.75 Aldermaston 46.75 Midgham 49.50 Thatcham 52.50 Newbury Racecourse 53.00 Newbury 58.50 Kintbury Hungerford Burbage Pewsey Woodborough Patney and Chirton Devizes branch Lavington Edington and Bratton Heywood Road Junction Wessex ML to Bath and Chippenham 95.50 Westbury Wessex Main Line to Salisbury Fairwood Junction Clink Road Junction Watley Quarry branch Frome Blatchbridge Junction Whitham Cranmore branch (goods only) Bruton 115.25 Castle Cary Castle Cary Jn. for Heart of Wessex Line to Wymouth Alford Halt Keinton Mandeville Charlton Marshall Somerton Long Sutton and Pitney Langport East Branch to Yeovil Athelney Durston Cogload Junction for Bristol-Taunton line 164.00 Taunton Tiverton Parkway 173.75 Exeter St Davids SWT to London and Avocet Line to Exmouth 174.75 Exeter St Thomas Exeter Railway to Heathfield City Basin goods branch Exminster 182.50 Starcross 184.25 Dawlish Warren 185.75 Dawlish 188.75 Teignmouth Hackney Yard Heathfield Branch (goods only) 193.75 Newton Abbot Aller Junction Riviera Line to Paignton Stoneycombe Quarry South Devon Railway Totnes (Littlehempston) 202.50 Totnes Branch to Kingsbidge Brent Wrangaton Bittaford Platform Redlake Siding 214.00 Ivybridge original Ivybridge station Cornwood Plympton Branch to Marsh Mills (goods only) Laira TMD Laira Jn, branch to Friary goods depot Laira Lipson Junction Lipson Vale Halt Mutley 225.75 Plymouth Cornish Main Line to Penzance

The Reading-Plymouth line is a major railway line in southern England, which runs from Great Western Main Line at Reading to Plymouth, where the line meets the Cornish Main Line. It was one of the principal routes of the pre-1948 Great Western Railway which were subsequently taken over by the Western Region of British Railways and are now part of the Network Rail system.

The line from Reading to Taunton (where it meets the Bristol-Exeter line) was opened in 1906 as cut-off route, enabling trains to Devon and Cornwall to avoid the "Great Way Round" via Bristol. The line from Exeter to Plymouth was built by the South Devon Railway. The first section was opened in 1844 and was completed five years later.

From Exeter the line runs south alongside the River Exe to Dawlish Warren where it then runs along the South Devon Railway sea wall, a stretch liale to sea damage which closes the line from time to time. It then follows the River Teign to Newton Abbot. Here some main line trains diverge to Paignton, while those continuing to Plymouth are faced with a series of steep inclines and sharp curves as they traverse Dartmoor, a legacy of Brunel's ill-fated atmospheric railway scheme.

Trains on the line are limited to a maximum of 110mph.

[edit] Route

Communities served: Reading - Theale - Aldermaston - Midgham - Thatcham - Newbury - Kintbury - Hungerford - Great Bedwyn - Pewsey - Westbury - Frome - Bruton - Castle Cary - Taunton - Exeter - Starcross - Dawlish Warren - Dawlish - Teignmouth - Newton Abbot - Torbay - Totnes - Ivybridge - Plymouth

[edit] References

• MacDermot, E T (1927). History of the Great Western Railway, volume I 1833-1863. London: Great Western Railway. 
• MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway. 
• (1976) Pre-grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Shepperton: Ian Allan Limited. ISBN 0-71100-320-3. 

v • d • e Main line railways in Great Britain:
High-speed main lines:	Channel Tunnel Rail Link
'Classic' main lines:	Cross-Country Route   East Coast Main Line   Great Eastern Main Line    Great Western Main Line   Midland Main Line   West Coast Main Line

v • d • e  Railway lines in South-West England and the "Great Western" zone :
Main lines:	Cross-Country Route • Great Western Main Line  Bristol-Taunton line • Cherwell Valley Line • Cornish Main Line • Gloucester-Newport Line • Exeter-Paignton "Riviera" Line • Reading-Plymouth line • South Wales Main Line • Wessex Main Line • West of England Main Line
Commuter lines:	Severn Beach Line   Slough-Windsor & Eton Line
Rural lines:	Exeter-Barnstaple "Tarka" Line • Exeter-Exmouth "Avocet" Line • Golden Valley Line • Heart of Wessex Line • Henley Branch Line • Looe Valley Line • Marlow Branch Line • Par-Newquay "Atlantic Coast" Line • St Ives Bay Line • Tamar Valley Line • Truro-Falmouth "Maritime" Line