The Dartmoor Line – The FIRST to re-open under the Government Scheme - and at Record Speed! What a wonderful birthday present! Just 150 years after the railway first arrived in Okehampton, trains are planned to be running into Okehampton before the end of 2021! Thanks to the UK Government’s “Restoring Your Railways” initiative, the line from Exeter to Okehampton will be the first to be up and running under this scheme! Not only is this a welcome return but the teams working on its reopening, under the leadership of Network Rail have been breaking records witht the speed of their tracklaying.
Benefits of the Reopening
The move will greatly improve connectivity for people living between Okehampton and Exeter and the surrounding areas, with journey times on the train estimated to be around 30% quicker than by car or bus while helping contribute towards reducing traffic congestion and associated pollution on the busy A30. The railway will also provide better access to and from the wider mid- and west Devon and north Cornwall areas, and will greatly support school and college pupils and people who live in or near Okehampton, but who need to travel to Exeter to study or work. Economically, the reopening of the railway is expected to attract inward investment to Okehampton and the surrounding areas as well as resulting in greater numbers of visitors. The development of the railway and Okehampton station as a transport hub will help boost tourism to the area by providing greater access to the town and nearby attractions including Dartmoor National Park - which is celebrating its 70th anniversary and the Granite Way cycle route. It has the potential to bring millions of pounds into the local area. Once the initial green light was given for this
The Plymouth/Exeter railways in 1890
Ex-LSWR Drummond T9 4-4-0 no 30717 at Okehampton in June 1954
Okehampton Station in a timewarp, abandoned but intact, mercifully free of vandals. 08/08/1991 (Colin Burges)
Maunsell N class no 31406 approaching the Okehampton turntable in spring 1961
project and working in partnership with Great Western Railway (GWR), Network Rail initially carried out detailed investigations to understand what infrastructure and railway control system improvements were needed to bring the Dartmoor 104
GREAT WESTERN STAR MAGAZINE
Spring 2021
