Network Rail acquires Okehampton line
Regular two-hourly Exeter service set to restart by end of year
A MAJOR step forward into reopening the Dartmoor Line came on July 1 when Network Rail completed the purchase of 16 miles of line from Coleford Junction to Meldon and with it Okehampton station. Aggregate Industries has owned the line for more than 25 years, having acquired it from British Rail in 1994, and up until 2008 operated aggregate services to and from Meldon Quarry. Since then, Aggregate Industries continued to support train operations through a long-term lease to the Dartmoor Rail Company as well as supporting the Dartmoor Railway Association (DRA) in championing the reopening of the Dartmoor Line.
Partnership
Following the administration of the Dartmoor Rail Company, Aggregate Industries has worked with Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR), accommodating detailed surveys to be undertaken to understand what infrastructure and railway control system improvements are needed to bring the Dartmoor Line up to the required standards.
Devon County Council has transferred ownership of the northern part of Okehampton station to Network Rail for a peppercorn fee of £1, enabling the station and platform that will serve passengers upon the resumption of regular passenger services, to become part of the rail network.
The local authority will retain ownership of the southern side of the station and will maintain the footbridge to allow connectivity between the two sides of the station.
Upgrade work is already underway, and the target is to restart regular two-hourly services to Exeter by the end of this year. There are plans to extend some peak MondayFriday trains to Exeter Central and during 2022 increase the frequency to hourly once additional infrastructure improvements have been completed.
Okehampton station will be unstaffed, but have card-only ticket machines, CCTV and passenger information screens.