ABSTRACT
The story of public transport in most areas is long and complicated and many facets have usually to be ignored. Numerous and bold were the plans for an inland railway between Exeter and Newton Abbot via the Teign Valley, but eventually it took two companies to complete the single track. The Teign Valley Railway needed nine Acts of Parliament to coax it into existence and another three afterwards—a record for a line of seven and three-quarter miles. The Exeter Railway Company were sanctioned in 1883 to finish the route to St. Thomas, Exeter. The Teign Valley was a useful alternative to the main line by Dawlish and Teignmouth and during World War II thousands of pounds were spent on increasing its capacity, although only on a few occasions were services diverted this way. Crossing movements were concentrated at Christow and had the line remained open this would have prepared the way for closing the two other signal-boxes.
