The LSWR opened its Exeter Extension from to Exeter Queen Street on 19 July 1860 but no station was provided at Pinhoe at that time. The village's station opened eleven years later on 30 October 1871. The original wooden footbridge was replaced by a concrete structure cast at nearby Exmouth Junction works, the first such footbridge erected by the Southern Railway, which had taken over from the LSWR in 1923. Goods facilities were provided from 3 April 1882, and in 1943 a government food cold store was built to the west of the station that was served by its own siding. The passenger station was closed by on 7 March 1966 when the Western Region of British Railways withdrew the local stopping services from the line. Goods facilities were withdrawn on 10 June 1967 and the cold store siding closed in 1979. The station was reopened by British Rail on 16 May 1983. Instead of a country village it was now on the eastern edge of the city. The initial trial period for commuter services proved successful and a regular service now operates all day, seven days a week. Between 2003 and 2008 passenger numbers increased by 530% and they are still increasing with an estimate of 94,354 users in 2015-16.
Signalling
The station was built next to the level crossing of Pinn Lane. This was operated by the station staff until 1875 when a small signal box was brought into use; it was situated on the north side of the line to the east of the road. The initial 11 levers were extended to 17 in 1943 when the cold store was built. On 11 June 1967 one of the two tracks between Pinhoe and was taken out of use and trains towards London would often wait in the closed station for a westbound train to clear the single track section. The level crossing gates were replaced with lifting barriers on 17 March 1968. The signal box was finally closed on 13 February 1988, the level crossing and signals now being controlled from Exmouth Junction. The old signal box was dismantled and re-erected in the railway museum at on the Tamar Valley Line.
Description
The station is just south of the village centre to the west of Station Road and access to the platforms is from this road; a footpath also links the eastbound platform with Main Road. A two-storey brick building between the road and the eastbound platform is the former station master's house. The main station building used to be next to this but was demolished after the station closed in the 1960s. Passengers waiting at the reopened station have to make do with glass and metal shelters.
