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Newly branded 'Visit South Devon' train is hoped to encourage people to visit the English Riviera

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From left: Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth; Bruce Thompson, Rail Strategy Lead Officer, Devon County Council; Angie Wright, Promotional Partners Manager, English Riviera Tourism Company; Richard Burningham, Manager, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership; Celia Minoughan, Citizens' Rail Riviera Line Officer, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership; Dan Okey, Regional Development Manager, First Great Western; David Whiteway, Team Leader - Strategy & Project Delivery, Torbay Council.

A branded 'Visit South Devon' train has now been unveiled in the hopes that it's covering of South Devon scenery will encourage people to visit destinations on First Great Western's Riviera Line, between Exeter and Paignton.

The newly branded train will travel up and down South Devon's rail network for the next two years to promote tourist hotspots for residents and visitors alike.

The new train has been launched as part of a marketing campaign by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, as part of the EU Citizens Rail Project.

First Great Western's Regional Development Manager, Dan Okey, said: "Dedicated to the communities we serve, we recognise the value of rail to the local and national economy. This train, that will be seen by thousands as it travels through the south west, aims to remind us all of the beautiful sites on our own doorstep, and the opportunities there are to be a Great Westerner."

Alongside the traditional and online marketing that is currently running to encourage people to visit the area by train, the European project has also partially funded improvements to some of the stations along the Riviera Line. There will also be additional trains running between Newton Abbot and Paignton, and new projects with volunteers, local residents and schools in the near future.

Richard Burningham, Manager of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, said: "The train will be a great way to promote what South Devon has to offer and how accessible the area is by train. We're extremely grateful to First Great Western for making the new livery possible."

The new train designs were launched at Exeter St Davids station, with members from First Great Western, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, Devon County Council, Torbay Council and the English Riviera Tourism Company attending to see the designs unveiled.

Torbay Council's Executive Lead for Planning, Transport and Housing, Councillor Mark King, said: "Our work with Citizens Rail has continued to yield fantastic opportunities. Visit South Devon is a very strong brand and we are delighted that this train will be encouraging tourists to travel by rail to our area from across the First Great Western network."

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, said: "This advertises a great example of what can be achieved through partner organisations working together. Since these enhancements started, patronage has risen by 15% despite the setbacks at Dawlish last year. The success of this initiative has led to government instating a full two trains an hour service into the new Great Western Franchise from 2018, providing greater local connectivity between Exeter, Newton Abbot and Paignton as well as better connections to long distance trains."

The stunning South Devon scenery photographs used in the designs were supplied by Visit South Devon and the English Riviera Tourism Company.

As long as the trains grow in length with patronage - it's a well-used line as it is. I believe there's a plan to use 2x150/2s once the Turbos are cascaded, which seems the optimum solution given platform lengths, the need for wide doors given the number of intermediate journeys and the need for gangway connections for revenue protection.