OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
Plus parts of the South Hams and West Devon
www.oldplymouth.uk
 

RAILWAYS IN OLD PLYMOUTH  |  YEALMPTON BRANCH
BRANCH LINE, PLYMOUTH STATION (MILLBAY) TO YEALMPTON STATION

STEER POINT STATION

An unidentified steam railcar and trailer at Steer Point Station, 1920s or 1930s.
From the author's collection.

Steer Point Station, which actually resembled a Halt rather than a Station, was situated at 4 miles 05 chains from Plymstock Station and 7 miles 76 chains from Plymouth Station (Millbay).

It was opened to traffic by the Great Western Railway Company on January 17th 1898.

According to the Great Western Railway Company's official "Traffic Dealt with at Stations and Depots", published circa 1936, in the calendar year 1903 Steer Point Station issued 12,249 railway tickets, dealt with 55 parcels and took in a total income £2,610.  During the calendar year of 1913 Steer Point Station issued 15,739 railway tickets, deal with 241 parcels, and took in total receipts of £3,752.  The calendar year of 1923 saw Steer Point Station issue only 11,867 railway tickets with the addition of 94 season tickets.  Only 58 parcels were handled and the total receipts were therefore down to £3,213.  During the calendar year 1929 Steer Point Station issued only 2,185 railway tickets along with 27 season tickets.  The total receipts from that and handling 50 parcels was £2,339.  

Owing to competition from road transport, sparked off by the Great Western Railway Company itself, the line closed to passenger traffic on or as from July 7th 1930, although it remained open for goods traffic which came mainly from the nearby Brickworks.  During the few months of 1930 that the Station was open to passengers, Steer Point Station issued 1,116 railway tickets, just 6 season tickets, and dealt with 36 parcels.  The total receipts that year were £1,556. 

When a passenger service was restored on November 3rd 1941 the trains ran from the Southern Railway Company's Friary Station because Plymouth Station itself was damaged when the adjacent goods yard was bombed earlier in the year and was consequently closed to passenger traffic.  The service was withdrawn again as from October 7th 1947 and from then onwards only the daily freight train and any maintenance trains ran over the Branch.

According to the "The Official Hand-book of Station 1956" Steer Point Station, which included the Western Counties Brick Company Limited's siding, dealt with goods traffic only.  It was not equipped with a crane.

Steer Point Station was finally closed to goods traffic on or as from February 29th 1960.