Dartmoor Line

Reintroduction of passenger services to Okehampton.

In November 2021 the Dartmoor Line between Okehampton and Exeter reopened to passengers for the first time in nearly fifty years. 

The project has proved a great success and we are now developing plans to open a second station, Okehampton Interchange, one mile east of the town centre. 

Reopening Okehampton station

Following a project delivered in partnership with Great Western Railway (GWR) and Devon County Council, regular, daily passenger trains from Exeter to Okehampton were reintroduced.

The project was the first to be delivered under the Department for Transport’s Restoring Your Railway programme. Network Rail laid over 11 miles of track, replaced 24,000 concrete sleepers and installed nearly 29,000 tonnes of ballast. The railway has also improved connectivity to the wider area with connecting bus services running from Tavistock, Launceston and Bude into Okehampton station, thanks to work from Devon County Council and GWR. The line has proved to be a great success with over 550,000 passenger journeys in its first two years of operation.

Trains

GWR run trains every hour between Exeter and Okehampton, calling at Crediton, which has also improved connectivity for the town. Exeter is a hub for the wider region providing a whole host of connections to the rest of Great Britain from Exeter St Davids. The new rail service provides access for education, work, shopping as well as other opportunities on offer in the city.

Okehampton

Okehampton is an historic town situated on the northern flank of Dartmoor National Park and is also the start of The Granite Way, an 11 mile multi-use trail connecting Okehampton with Lydford. The new trains have opened up sustainable access to various leisure opportunities in the town and surrounding areas thanks to the provision of connecting bus services to nearby towns and villages as well as cycle hire from Okehampton station.

What’s Next?

Okehampton Interchange is the exciting next step for the Dartmoor Line and will further improve connectivity and green travel in West Devon. The new station will be built a two-minute drive from the A30 and have a 200-space car park.

Cycling parking and electric car charging points will be provided, local buses will call at the station and cycle and walking routes in the area will be improved.