Work begins to build Okehampton Interchange

Work has begun to build Okehampton Interchange, a new railway station on the edge of the town.

The £15 million station is the newest addition to the Dartmoor Line and will connect West Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall with Exeter and beyond. The scheme is being funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) with contributions from Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council.

The partners in the project – Devon County Council, West Devon Borough Council, GWR and Network Rail – gathered to mark the occasion with a turf cutting ceremony on the site of the new station at Okehampton Business Park.

Just two minutes from the A30, the station will connect more people in the region with jobs, education, healthcare and other opportunities – growing the local economy and helping the environment.

Okehampton Interchange will complement the existing Okehampton station and will serve the growing east side of the town. It will also reduce traffic and carbon emissions through the town centre and on Station Road.

Footage of the station site:

The new station, which is being delivered by Network Rail and its contractor, Octavius, will have a single platform with step-free access via a footbridge, lift and ramps. A car park will offer 200 spaces, including EV charging points and disabled bays.

To encourage more people to travel sustainably, the station will include improved walking and cycling links, sheltered cycle parking and bus stops. Several local bus services will be integrated, improving travel choices and connectivity between Okehampton, Bude, Holsworthy, Tavistock and Exeter.

Okehampton Interchange will provide an hourly service towards Crediton, Exeter and the current Okehampton station.

It will build on the success of Okehampton, which has exceeded all expectations since reopening in 2021. More than 250,000 passengers travelled on the Dartmoor Line in the 12 months after the railway was restored.

Devon County Council Chairman John Hart said: “It’s excellent news that work is starting on this new station. We’ve already seen the positive benefits the Dartmoor Line has had for this part of the county, and the Okehampton Interchange will make it convenient for even more passengers across West Devon, North Devon and North Cornwall to enjoy rail travel to other parts of the county and further afield.”

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “The Okehampton Interchange is an important progression for the Dartmoor Line, which has already been a tremendous success since reopening and is a great asset to the local economy. This new Interchange will make sustainable travel a more realistic option across a wider area of the county, supporting connections with bus, cycling and walking links to help tackle carbon emissions.”

Councillor Mandy Ewings, Leader of West Devon Borough Council, said: “This new interchange will be a hub for all kinds of transport whether coming or going by car, cycle, bus or train, this is the place you can travel from. Our turf cutting event today with our partners is a first step to seeing a wealth of opportunities for the east of Okehampton. Greater access to jobs, education and economic growth through speedier and easier links to other areas across Devon.

“As always it’s a culmination of lots of hard work getting any project ready to open and this is just the beginning, but we’re delighted that we’re underway. Okehampton is a great place to live and work and with rapid improvements, it just keeps getting better!”

Bogdan Lupu, Network Rail industry programme director, said: “This is the latest example of everyone coming together to help build an even better railway. Okehampton Interchange will get more people travelling by rail, boost the economy in the region and improve the local environment.”

Tom Pierpoint, GWR Business Development Portfolio Director, said: “New stations such as this are vital in bringing the railway closer to people as we become mindful of the need to live and travel more sustainably – something we can see so visibly with the success of the reopening of Okehampton in November 2021.

“Working with our partners at Devon County Council; West Devon Borough Council and Network Rail, we are really pleased to be able to start work on this new station, continuing to invest in our railway and bringing train travel to the wider community of north Devon.

“We are excited for the benefits this station will bring to the local economy, to residents, businesses and to leisure travellers alike.”

Councillor Lois Samuel, County Councillor for Okehampton Rural, said: “I was delighted to be at this event today, it’s such an exciting project for the town and all the surrounding areas. It’s going to be a vital hub for so many people.”

To help build the new station, essential track work will take place from Saturday 8 March to Friday 14 March. During this time, buses will replace trains between Exeter and Okehampton (find out more).