FAQ

The Dartmoor Line is a railway running from Crediton to Okehampton and is set to re-open for daily passenger services to Exeter later in 2021 for the first time in nearly 50 years.

A working partnership of Network Rail, Great Western Railway and Devon County Council have been successful in their bid to the Department for Transport to secure the funding to purchase and upgrade the line, which will be the first to re-open under the Government's ‘Restoring your Railway’ initiative.

Since closure to regular passenger trains in 1972 and freight trains in 2008, the condition of the track has deteriorated and upgrade work will need to take place before the line can safely open to daily passenger trains once again. The working partnership is planning to bring the railway to Okehampton back into use by the end of 2021.

We are really pleased that the case made to government for this important line has been so compelling that it has been given the green light to proceed. Returning regular, daily services to this line has been a long-held ambition of GWR, Network Rail, Devon County Council and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership for a number of years and this is great news for customers and for the local economy.

The reopening of the line has been long-campaigned for by local communities, stakeholders and the rail industry.

The Dartmoor Line will help extend the reach and social and economic benefits of the railway, further supporting the communities it serves. Exeter is an employment hub for people in the Okehampton area and although it is linked to Exeter by the A30, traffic levels on routes into the city can be extremely congested at peak-times. With trains taking just 40 minutes to travel from Okehampton into the heart of Exeter, the reopening of the railway will encourage commuters to leave their car at home, reducing congestion and promoting more sustainable journeys.

The reopening of the line will not just benefit Okehampton. Towns such as Bude, Hatherleigh, Holsworthy and Launceston will be brought much closer to the rail network, unlocking these areas to train travel and paving the way for greener journeys to and from the region.

A great deal of work by GWR, Network Rail and local partners, including Devon County Council, has already been done to support the aspirations to re-open the line. However, regular trains haven't operated between Crediton and Okehampton for many years and the condition of the track and structures along the route are not currently in a suitable state to allow for a regular, daily service to operate.

Network Rail will continue to work to complete essential improvements required to allow a routine service to start by the end of 2021. This will involve replacing old track, cutting back lineside vegetation, assessing structures and installing new railway communication masts.

After the regular, daily service has bedded in, work will continue towards increasing service levels to hourly. This is hoping to be achieved during 2022.

Eight trains a day (one every two hours) will run in either direction between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton, seven days a week. The journey time between Okehampton and Exeter St Davids will be approximately 40 minutes.

On weekdays, five trains a day will stop additionally at Exeter Central, including the key peak-time commuter services. On weekends, all trains will start and terminate at Exeter St Davids, but it is planned that these will be extended through to Exeter Central from December 2021.

From summer 2022, the hope is to increase the train service to hourly, with more trains running as far as Exeter Central.

Dartmoor Line trains will be operated using Class 150, 158 and Turbo units. Most trains will operate in 2-car formations, offering up to 130 seats per service and will be fully compliant with the latest modern accessibility standards.

To bring the Dartmoor Line back into full operational use as quickly and safely as possible, a substantial amount of work needs to be carried out to the existing infrastructure.

Network Rail are focused on assessing and renewing the track, bridges and drainage to allow the line to re-open in 2021 with one train every two hours in service. Further work to upgrade the infrastructure will enable the line speed to be increased, permitting an hourly passenger service to start by summer 2022.

The Department for Transport have provided the majority of the funding to allow the reopening as part of the flagship 'Restoring Your Railway' initiative.

We recognise the importance of providing Okehampton with direct, fast trains into Exeter city centre. Peak-time trains will serve Exeter Central from Day 1 with more trains serving Exeter Central from December 2021.

Introducing services midway through the May-December timetable means that Dartmoor Line trains have to fit within the existing service, meaning not all trains are able to reach Exeter Central initially.

The fact that the station building has survived intact after so many years with no regular services is a cause for celebration. The station will be upgraded to meet modern standards with a ticket machine, customer help point, public address system, information screens, CCTV and Wi-Fi. A 'Pay & Display' car park will also be introduced. Platform upgrade works will take place before the start of services.

We are working with our partners to retain the heritage feel of the station for future generations, including provision of authentic, 1950s Southern Railway signage. The heritage aspect is a key principle in all the detailed design work being done on the station.

All Dartmoor Line trains will use Platform 3 at Okehampton, which has step-free access from the front of the station.