South Devon Railway

The South Devon Railway is a 6.64mi heritage railway from Totnes to Buckfastleigh in Devon. Mostly running alongside the River Dart, it was initially known as the Dart Valley Railway. The railway is now operated by the South Devon Railway Trust, a registered charity.The Railway's headquarters and museum are located at Buckfastleigh railway station.History The line was built by the Buckfastleigh, Totnes and South Devon Railway and first opened on 1 May 1872. It was worked by the larger South Devon Railway Company until 1 February 1876 when this was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway. The Buckfastleigh line was taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1897. The railway was nationalised on 1 January 1948. The line closed to all traffic on 7 September 1962 and was re-opened as the Dart Valley Railway, a preserved steam line, on 5 April 1969. The South Devon Railway Trust took over the running of the line on 1 January 1991. The South Devon Railway was named the Heritage Railway of the Year in 2007. A plaque on the station wall commemorates the event. The South Devon Railway Trust bought the freehold of the line from Dart Valley Railway plc on 8 February 2010.Accidents and incidentsA child almost fell from a carriage on 22 June 2017, whilst the train was in motion between Totnes Riverside and Buckfastleigh, due to the floor in the toilet, which he intended to use, being missing following repairs. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is investigating what it calls a "dangerous occurrence".