Great Western Coffee Shop

From Monday 10 March until approximately 1530 on Friday 14 March 2008 buses will be replacing trains between Barnstaple and Exeter St Davids.

From Monday 17 March until approximately 1530 on Friday 21 March 2008 buses will be replacing trains between Barnstaple and Exeter St Davids.

Jazz Trains back for 2008

Tarka Line Jazz Trains will run again from Barnstaple to Eggesford during Summer 2008. Dates for 2008 are:
Friday 13 June, Sunday 29 June (a special Sunday lunch session with the Steve Tucker All Stars Band playing solely at the hotel), Friday 11th July, Friday 8th August and Friday 12th September.

The train will leave Barnstaple at 18 08, arriving at Eggesford at 18 37. Everyone then makes the short walk to the Fox and Hounds Country Hotel where the band continues to play.

The return train will leave Eggesford at 21 34, arriving back at 22 03. The Adult Cheap Day Return fare is ^4.50 - four people travel for the price of two Adult Cheap Day Return fares - a total of ^9.00

The train can't be booked in advance but you do need to book with the Fox and Hounds Hotel if you have dinner there while the band plays. Please follow the link to their website (http://foxandhoundshotel.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=13&Itemid=49) or call them on 01769 580345

The number of passengers using the Tarka Line between Barnstaple and Exeter increased by almost a quarter in March, new figures reveal.

There were 25,146 passengers using the scenic line in that month alone, which is 23% more than in March 2008.

The rise in popularity of the 39-mile river valleys route, which is run by First Great Western, has been attributed to an improved service and special ticket deals.

Recent complaints about overcrowding on some services, including at weekends, appears not to have deterred passengers.

The rail company will not at all be happy with this.
They have been laying on a terrible service with prices hikes in the hope passengers will dminish, save them having to run the service and upgrade the line then, as it would be economically nonviable.

(I have a friend who works for them and can take this as reliable). The Boss, Devon

Ha ha, perhaps he is thinking of the FGW Axe in 2006! (where many feared that branch lines were to be AXED)

Commuters in call for more trains

Commuters in north Devon have demanded more early and late trains on the Exeter to Barnstaple line.

The Tarka Line has hourly services to Exeter, but the earliest leaves Barnstaple at 0709.

Getting to London means changing at Exeter, which means the earliest commuters can get to London is 1130.

First Great Western, which operates the line, says it does not make any money from it and will need financial support from Devon County Council for changes.

Passenger numbers on the line have risen by 50% since 2001, to about 320,000 journeys a year.

But the Tarka Rail Association, which represents commuters, said commuters to London were not being given an adequate service.

Braunton-based businessman Tony Carter-Burns needs to travel to London for meetings. But he is so frustrated by the line's services that he regularly drives to Tiverton to get an earlier connection to London. He said: "I'd love to see an early train that would get me to London for 0900. "That would be fantastic, but right now it's a real pain."

Julian Crow, regional manager for First Great Western, said there were no plans for increased services to London, although a new early morning service was being considered for Plymouth. Any changes would be subject to funding from the county council. He said: "We have to talk to the county to see how affordable it would be."

Don't you mean the DfT minimum service?  ???
Seriously btline, why don't you work for a tabloid newspaper, some of the sensationalised stuff you come up with...!

From the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8090678.stm):

A service that connected with the up Hind might be useful. Although how can they complain at an hourly service? The barny line hardly passes through any areas of high population!

How many people would actually bother to commute to London from Barny? 3? 4?

they are doing alot of advertising on this line, including tarka walks i think the main problem with the line is the wait near barny to enter the single line section that you sometimes get.. 30 mins is the record for me

They can actually get to London for 1125. Moaners  :P

Amusing too that you can't get to London from Tiverton until 0922 unless you leave at the crack of dawn!

Maybe the WSR will extend back to Barnstaple (hey a new phenomenon, "reopening by stealth") along the old Taunton-Barnstaple formation from Norton Fitzwarren, giving an interchange with the WSR and a direct Barnstaple-London route.  ;)

we wish lol, i cant belive noone has brought up the reversal at e-s-d if a london to barny did run, unless it went via yeovil which has more problems

hehe the first swt service could start at barnstable and get there by 9 if your crazy enough to set out at 4?

bearing in mind not everyone wants to go first class and if they do its there! and i did say forget Eggesford, Crediton  i think your looking at a journey time of more like 4 hours and ten mins if you can do barnstable-exeter none stop in 30 mins there are power sockets on these units even in standard, the only issue is the trolly which i have never seen on a swt service but its in the timetable book so hey

trains have to stop at Eggesford to do the token and operate the level crossing.

No, it would cost a fortune and run empty till Exeter!!

back to the question does anyone want a direct service or is this a pointless convo... people who live in or near barns please

For a long time the Last DOWN SWT service from Waterloo DID THIS, on arrival at Exeter St D the Coaches went into the yard, the Train Crew THEN took a long break till the early hours in Hyde Park Train Crew Mess then worked the same unit as the First up Exeter St D- Waterloo, now why not make the trip up to Barnstaple, your early service easily provided.

Call for late night Tarka Line train service

A pressure group has called for improvements to the Tarka Line in response to a Network Rail report.

Network Rail has produced a draft "route utilisation strategy", which sets out the future of the South West railways until 2030. Members of the public can offer comments on the strategy.

In response to the draft, the Tarka Rail Association (TRA) has published its own 18-page report calling for the current hourly train service on the line to run 18 hours a day, and for the provision of a late-night train from Exeter to Barnstaple departing at around 11pm.

In addition, TRA has suggested enhancements to the track to achieve Barnstaple to Exeter journey times of less than one hour and the provision of more modern three-car trains to improve passenger comfort and to boost seating capacity.

TRA chairman John Phillips said: "We have an unrivalled knowledge of the issues that most affect passengers day-to-day, and we see it as our job to make sure the planners are fully aware of passenger needs and concerns that otherwise might go unnoticed.

"We view our report very much as part of a cooperative process. The Tarka Line has experienced greater passenger growth than any other route in the West of England.

"A collaborative effort between all the major stakeholders ^ Network Rail, First Great Western, Devon County Council and, in particular, the passengers who ride the line and whom we represent ^ is crucial to the line's future success."

The Tarka Line has seen a 91% increase in passenger numbers since 2001, TRA said.

The Network Rail draft strategy is out for consultation until November 27 and the final document is expected in early 2010.

In response to the draft, the Tarka Rail Association (TRA) has published its own 18-page report calling for the current hourly train service on the line to run 18 hours a day, and for the provision of a late-night train from Exeter to Barnstaple departing at around 11pm.

I'm sure the chaps and chapesses at Exeter "West" will having something to say about arriving back in Exeter gone 1am!!

I'm sure the chaps and chapesses at Exeter "West" will having something to say about arriving back in Exeter gone 1am!!

The last Exmouth is quite late as well. But what do you 'Donkey Link' men have to worry about that! Bet the loco hauled lot love doing it  ;)

(Unless of course their diagrams have changed or I was told a load of rubbish  :D)

Yes and when west and HSS are fully integrated they will have night work (Sleepers)
So a turn finishing at that time wont seem so bad   :D

Thanks for spotting the error John R, in the rush to beat the cut off date for responses this error was missed in the proof reading, it should read 1 hour 8 minutes, and an amended version will appear on the website in due course.

I'm sure the chaps and chapesses at Exeter "West" will having something to say about arriving back in Exeter gone 1am!!

The major sticking point would be to put a night shift on in Crediton signal box, as currently the Bobby goes home when the last one is off his patch.

A stupid naive question I am sure, but if the last train is the only train on the branch, why is a signaller needed?  What is there for the train to crash into? 

Crediton signaller also operates the Token machine for the CDI-EGG section, and EGG-BNP, (though the driver operates the machine at Eggesford). There are no signals beyond Yeoford.

Oh yes there are.

Distant Boards, Stop Boards and Point Indicators at Eggesford.

Distant board at Barnstaple.

All of these are classified as signals 8)

What about a re-introduction of through trains from Torbay or Plymouth to Barnstaple??
I know that most passengers would probably like a direct service to central rather than change at St Davids but as it stands most services from Plymouth and some from the bay don't call at central anyway (XC/FGW Paddington services). Also, most stopping services later at night from the bay terminate at St. Davids so there would be potential especially at weekends. (Haven't seen the new TT yet though so correct me if i'm wrong!)

As to the Signalling at Crediton, I presume there is still freight to/from Meldon so perhaps that is why there are staff at night. (Again, correct me if i'm wrong about this too!!)

Cheers :)

Reporter Joel Cooper jumped on an early train to Exeter to quiz First Great Western regional manager Julian Crow about the Barnstaple to Exeter rail service.

Julian Crow has been regional manager of First Great Western's West of England service since 2006 when the company took over the franchise from Wessex Trains.

Despite this being his first foray into the world of local trains, he admits to relishing the challenge of developing branch lines within the region.

However, during his time in charge, he says he has also heard almost every complaint in the book about the Barnstaple to Exeter service.

I put some of the recurring concerns of regular rail users to Mr Crow to see what plans the firm has to address them.

But first I had to get to Exeter using the first class ticket the train company had, rather surprisingly, sent me . . .

Bleary-eyed and expecting the worst, I took my seat on the 7am service to meet First Great Western boss Julian Crow at Exeter's St David's station.

The train company's press office had kindly sent me a complimentary first class return ticket for the service.

I politely asked the conductor to point me in the direction of the first class carriage, naively expecting a reclining seat, complimentary nibbles and as much champagne as I could quaff.

However, with a wry smile, the conductor said: "You'll be lucky." Worth a try I guess.

I was fortunate to be travelling on a Class 143 Pacer model with proper seats, a toilet and much needed heaters.

As the whistle blew and the train rolled away, both carriages were approximately half filled with the slightly bemused faces of unenthusiastic rural commuters.

The service stopped at all of the 13 stations along the route ^ namely Chapelton, Umberleigh, Portsmouth Arms, Kings Nympton, Eggesford, Lapford, Morchard Road, Copplestone, Yeoford, Crediton, Newton St Cyres, Exeter St David's and Exeter Central.

The carriage slowly started to fill up along the route with no more than 30 passengers in total getting on at the rural stations.

However, there were still a fair few seats available and the rolling countryside views afforded by my window seat provided a pleasant distraction.

It was at Yeoford that I started to notice the sighs of passengers who could not find a seat and when we arrived at Crediton around ten people were stood near the doors and in the aisles.

Fortunately the remaining journey time was no more than ten minutes and, after a brief stop at Exeter St David's, Central station soon came into view.

My journey had taken 83 minutes and had not been anywhere near as unpleasant as I'd feared.

Maybe I was lucky to catch it on a quiet day. Perhaps it would have been a different story if I'd travelled on an older train.

Maybe doing this journey every day would start to take its toll on my mental wellbeing.

Don't get me wrong, there is certainly room for improvement ^ but things could be a lot worse too.

I put some of the recurring concerns of regular rail users to Mr Crow to see what plans the firm has to address them.

Perhaps it would have been a different story if I'd travelled on an older train.

Just as an aside, a first name of Joel may be male or female.  :P

It would've been nice if the reporter had included them in her his article!

Or, perhaps she wasn't allowed to, with FGW's responses being 'commercially sensitive' and requested to be off the record.  ;) ;D

Ollie, you might not have got the job, but I bet you'd've known there was little point in issuing a First Class comp ticket for Barnstaple to Exeter!

always winds me up when people say "why dont you put another carriage on", "sorry, my magic wand isn't working".........

99% of the time I agree with that  ;), but on Saturday/Sunday when there are spare units, it slightly irritates me that no-one with any power is prepared to strengthen a service when it's clearly needed.

THE Tarka Line is one of the top ten fastest growing branch lines in Britain, according to new figures published by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).

RAIL travellers in North Devon will benefit from newer, larger trains next year as First Great Western secures the last two available carriages in the UK.

how does 2 153s have more seats than 2 143s? 46 each apparantly?

Stretching the definition of 'more modern' just a bit in that article.

Class 143 introduced in 1985/86.

Class 153 introduced in 1987/88.

 ::)

2 car 143 = 106 passengers seats. 2 x 153 = 150 seats.  44 seats more + 2 x driver's seats in mid cabs on 153s = 46 seats more.

Now all we need to do is speed up the journey time a bit.

What a bunch of Clarts.... ::) ::)

In any case 'North Devon Public Transport Users Group' is such a dull name. I propose a change:

Barnstaple Station Railway Development Society

I never heard of North Devon Public Transport Users Group.


The Railway is for the General public and the person from the Tarka Rail Association pointed on Radio Devon this morning out that Network Rail are going to work on the Line at the end of this year , which will increase the line speed.

The other thing you could do is have a service from Okehampton stops at all the stop to Exeter and this will allow the Barnstaple train to only have to stop at Crediton and then Exeter.

So if a Barnstaple train is only going to call at Crediton, you are happy to leave Chapelton, Umberleigh, Portsmouth Arms, Kings Nympton, Eggesford, Lapford, Morchard Road and Copplestone with no service, yes?

Please note that the North Devon Rail Users Group (the long established organisation) was renamed the Tarka Rail Association in 2009, one of the reasons being that it attempts to represent all users of the line, not just those in North Devon.

Hi

I noticed this update

http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/cost-slow-trains/story-15522472-detail/story.html

Guy

Needs coleford junction altering so that trains can run both lines (not amazingly usefull but would be handy if one gets delayed) and a couple of passing points, the aspiration should be the infrastructure to maintain a half hourly service but with lack of units hourly one fast one slow would be good, that gives room for growth and capacity for freight or extra peak services if needed

Although if you assume that most daily users do a return journey then you get to around 40 to 50, which isn't so far out from their figures

What concerns me is how a couple of people can call themselves a rail user group and get this type of publicity and quite possible influence the debate.

How do you know that they've plucked the figure out of nowhere?

An alternative way of looking at it is that 31,354 is about 31,351 more than the number of people in the North Devon Public Transport Users Group.

---

*After all, if I was I a halfwit and you compared me to Patrick Adams I would be utterly mortified.

I guess with a more frequent service on the line you will have to re-instate a second platform at Chapelton ?

NDJ COMMENT: A station too far on line?

Heresy though it might be for people to say it, but might local rail watchdogs have a point when they say trains on the Tarka line currently stop at too many stations. No one, least of all the Journal, likes to think of our precious public transport links being cut back further, but when the North Devon Public Transport Users group points out the relative lack of use at some of the more minor stations, it does give food for thought.

The upside of any rationalisation of services would be faster trains to Exeter and thus quicker links with the rest of the country, so the proposal has merit from that perspective.

It's a topic which needs some serious debate and consideration as the issue of rail franchise renewal looms large. Never did the mantra 'use it or lose it', ring so true.

THE rail users group which sparked a storm of controversy by suggesting station closures on the Tarka Line has further explained its reasons for the proposal.

The North Devon Public Transport Users (NDPTU) group says the line needs to be "dragged into the 21st century".

John Gulliver from the group, it would benefit wider North Devon if the service to Exeter was faster.

The group believes that if several smaller stations, such as Morchard Road and Copplestone were closed, journey times from Barnstaple to Exeter could be reduced to 45 minutes.

Mr Gulliver said figures show many of the smaller stations barely have one or two passengers using each train which passes through them.

He said the vast majority of Tarka Line users alight the train at Barnstaple.

Figures showing passenger numbers from 2009-10 confirm the NDPTU's beliefs, and show 73.5 per cent of passengers on the service get on at Barnstaple. This equates to 302,998 passengers a year.

In comparison just 162 people used the train station at Chapelton in the same year, and 8,164 used Copplestone ^ with just two passengers per train using the Copplestone stop.

Mr Gulliver said: "We've got to drag this line into the 21st Century. We're trapped in a Victorian system which uses stations which date back 160 years.

"The sensible thing to do is to concentrate on what rail does best ^ moving people in large numbers quickly between major centres. The way it is running at the moment it is an expensive way to serve rural haunts."

Those who use the line to access smaller stations were outraged by the claims and launched a counter-campaign.

The Steve Tucker All Star Jazz Band, which organises a 'Jazz Train', was among those opposing closures.

I think if you provide better service to these stations people will use it

Maybe if someone look at Community Freight idea , the line can be upgraded


Guy

I think if you provide better service to these stations people will use it.

The problem is that they won't. I think you've been watching 'The Titfield Thunderbolt' too many times. The various incarnations of Turners 377 Chulmeigh - Exeter bus which has been running since 2000 has made steady inroads into the local traffic South of Eggesford. It has to be said that the buses have grown the overall Market for public transport to include those to whom the train wasn't really an option due to the distance / location of the stations relative to the villages.

You have to realise that the 377 bus service (and many of the others) does not run in the evening or on Sundays, whereas the Tarka Line rail service is a seven day a week service running until at least 9 to 10pm (later on a Friday!).

Maybe I have watched The Titfield Thunderbolt and the Field of dream to much. But with the cost of petrol going up and the various bus companies will only keep the routes going so long.

Some people just won't travel... Free bus pass or a third off rail, no car with bus stop outside the house but 2 mile walk to the station

'Don't close stations' MP tells department

Passengers fighting to prevent station closures on the Tarka Line say their campaign is gathering momentum.

The Exeter to Barnstaple line runs through a large part of Central Devon MP Mel Stride's constituency and he has promised to do what he can to keep stations open to allow communities as great an access to public transport as possible.

Mr Stride has submitted proposals to the Department for Transport as it considers which rail company will run the Greater Western Franchise from next April.

Other submissions have gone in from communities, including one from the Tarka Rail Association.

The closures have been suggested by the North Devon Rail Users' Group in its submission to the franchise consultation.

Now Mr Stride's submission to the department argues against that. Some residents fear their station may be at risk of closure if it is poorly used as there is pressure to speed up journey times between Exeter and Barnstaple by reducing the number of stops.

"There is considerable support for keeping all stations open on this line," said Mr Stride. "I have written to the department underlining this and I hope it takes this into account when awarding the new franchise. It is very important we provide as much opportunity as possible for people to use the community rail network."

After falling asleep on a late-night train, a Barnstaple man ended up walking 20-miles through the night to get home.

(http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/polopoly_fs/ndg_geoff_berry_trains_4_1_1360434!image/2378926903.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_225/2378926903.jpg)
Geoff Berry wrote a heated letter to First Great Western explaining what he had been through.

A MAN had to walk five hours through the night after falling asleep on the train and ending up in the middle of nowhere.

Geoff Berry was due to arrive at Barnstaple around midnight on the train from Exeter, but he dozed off and was startled when he woke up to find himself travelling in the opposite direction.

Mr Berry, from Barnstaple, had visited friends in Reading for the day on April 6 and had been exhausted after a 7am start.

He said: ^I woke up around 12.20am, and realising that we were moving and there was no one else on the train, I went and found the guard.

^I said to him I had meant to get off in Barnstaple but had fallen asleep. He told me I would have to go back to Exeter and get a taxi home.

^I was furious. I asked him who exactly was going to pay for this taxi, and after a rather heated debate, he agreed to let me off at Eggesford.^

Stranded around 20 miles from home in the dead of the night, the 52-year-old had no one to call, and started the long walk home, hoping to be able to hitch a lift.

But, cold and angry, he trekked for five hours not seeing another soul and arrived home at around 6am.

^It took me all weekend to recover,^ he said. ^I was angry that the guard had not checked the train for passengers before starting the journey back to Exeter.

^The guard told me he had announced twice over the tannoy that we had arrived, but I didn^t think that a good enough response. There were only two carriages on the train. It would not have taken much to check them.^

Mr Berry wrote to First Great Western, which runs the Tarka Line service from Exeter to Barnstaple, complaining about his experience.

In a reply, the company said it was ^genuinely sorry that you feel so let down^ but it would not be offering any compensation.

The letter read: ^If the train is due to return to the depot after its last journey, then there is an obligation on our crew to proactively check the train for passengers, before it leaves.

^However, this is a moot point in the circumstances in question, as when our 22:52 train left Barnstaple, it was still operating as a public service (not returning to the depot).

^Ultimately the final onus of responsibility remains on each customer in ensuring they leave the train in time.^

In response, Mr Berry said: ^I had not realised it was still a passenger train, I had thought it was just travelling back to the depot.

^Even so, there are only two carriages, and I don^t think it would have taken much for them to check before they set off.^

I'm not supporting the passenger but...... if the guard had done a ticket check leaving barnstaple.........

I fell asleep and my phone alarm didn't go off so I was late for work.. do I now sue my phone manufacturer?

He fell asleep and missed his stop.  Big deal. Take responsibility for your actions..

chances are the guard didn't do a ticket check from Barny because he/she didn't see anyone get on the train.

Well he clearly didn't look very well!!

In theory the guard should not have let this man off at Eggesford as it is not an advertised stop on this service. The train only stops there for token exchange. My personal opinion on this is that if you've had a long day and feel you may fall asleep, set an alarm on your phone for 5 minutes before arrival time, or perhaps ask the guard to check you get off on arrival, not just assume it's everyones' responsibility but your own.

I believe it is this mans responsibility but it does raise the question of why none of the other passenger tried to wake him knowing that Barnstaple is the terminus.

2) No annoucements were made for final stop (We don't know whether they were or weren't - That train could go onto Okehampton - although I think that's Summer only?! *Paging Relex109* ;)

The train definatly wouldnt have gone on to Okehampton from Barnstable.

I know a couple of people who regularly miss their stops.. One ends up in Brighton quite regularly when going from Victoria to change at Clapham Junction (no matter how many times he's told to stand up for those five minutes)

It does, however, beat Barnstaple in one respect, by having the closest thing to a "hub" airport on Cape Cod:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnstable_Municipal_Airport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnstable_Municipal_Airport)

Actually, this raises a mildly interesting point (depending on your point of view, of course): as far as I'm aware, Cape Cod hasn't been served by Amtrak for many, many years*, and yet you can see Cape Cod flip over as one of the destinations on the Solari indicator at 30th Street Station when it updates.

Two comments - the airport at Nantucket is possibly the nicest small airport I know of anywhere in the world and has a hugely sophisticated ILS possibly reflecting the 'importance' of the users! And when the 'Cape Codder' ran on Friday evenings (from NYC as you say), I suspect that the connection into it was shown on the Philadelphia board.

Have you ever thought that he might have a friend he visits in Brighton  ;)

It would be pointless closing any stations between Crediton and Eggesford, given that trains have to cross there in order to run an hourly service.

In an editorial the North Devon Journal

... gave support to the idea of alternate slow and semi-fast trains. This provides a service every two hours to the halts - a frequency that is now regarded as acceptable for rural 'bus routes.

The evidence is that rail passenger numbers south of Eggesford have seen pretty much year-on-year increases since 2000.

Going by the latest available figures, all the stations south of Eggesford have seen an increase in passenger numbers, including Crediton and Newton St Cyres which both face extremely tough competition in the form of regular double decker bus services.

Going by the latest available figures, all the stations south of Eggesford have seen an increase in passenger numbers

Not true, Chapelton, King Nympton and Portsmouth Arms have all had declining growth.

Just so you know: North is generally at the top, and South at the bottom.  ::)

sorry i meant Lapford, not Portsmouth Arms. :)

Lapford is south of Eggesford.
Lapford has also had a declining amount of passengers.

Thus rendering the statement 'all the stations south of Eggesford have seen an increase in passenger numbers' a lie.

These are the figures from wikipedia for station use at Lapford, which I accept may well be wrong but I personally find it difficult to find other figures for national rail stations and I therefore use.

If you can find better sourced figure that show a longer range of data, i.e. more years, and/or is from a better source and disproves this trend I will happily accept Lapford has ad growth.

He's given you the official source for station figures in the post above yours!

They were correct, just nobody had bothered updating them since the latest figures were published.

These are the figures from wikipedia for station use at Lapford, which I accept may well be wrong but I personally find it difficult to find other figures for national rail stations and I therefore use.

He's given you the official source for station figures in the post above yours!

The station only has 4/5 services a day out of 14 each way serving the line, which are early morning and in the evening.(check out timetable 34 on the FGW website)

I've been trying to dig out a pre-2004 timetable (ie before Wessex introduced their first Devon Metro timetable), but can't find one - I think it was six or seven trains in each direction called at Lapford.

Overcrowding on trains in parts of Devon has been described as "madness".

Passenger Anne Turner said conditions on the Tarka Line trains, which have two carriages between Barnstaple and Exeter, were unacceptable.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the government funded additional carriages for First Great Western (FGW) to deal with crowding issues.

But FGW said there were no more carriages available to use on the Tarka Line.

'Prefer Delhi trains'

Ms Turner, from Barnstaple, regularly uses the 40-mile (64km) Tarka Line and takes trains in India on backpacking holidays.

She said: "I would say that I would prefer to get the train out of Delhi along through Rajasthan than to try and get on the train when it's packed at Exeter or Barnstaple.

"It just seems madness. I really can't understand why they can't add another carriage to it, especially when they know it's going to be crowded."

Each of the largest carriages used on the line, which carries about 512,000 passengers a year, can seat up to 147 people.

Julian Crow, FGW's regional manager for the West of England, said the service had seen a 157% rise in the last 10 years and a 15% rise in the last year.

He said: "We have seen a huge increase in people using the line.

"We don't want people standing, but the problem is the sheer number of people using the service.

"And there are simply not any more carriages.

"We are very conscious of the numbers. We want to see the use of the network maximised with new stations and rolling stock and we will be doing our utmost to deliver that as soon as we can."

The Tarka Rail Association said more people were using the train because of the rising cost of petrol and an increase in numbers of people living in the area.

A DfT spokesman said: "In February the government funded additional carriages for First Great Western to deal with crowding issues throughout the franchise, including specifically for the Exeter area and it still expects the train company to make best use of their existing carriages.

"Any train company is free to invest in additional carriages to benefit passengers."

Each of the largest carriages used on the line [...] can seat up to 147 people.

Unfortunately with fixed formation DMUs  you can't just get a spare carriage (s) out he sidings and shove it on the back as and whne required.

MAJOR improvements are to be made to the Tarka Line between Barnstaple and Exeter following a surge in passenger numbers.
The main rail link from the city to North Devon has seen a 67 per cent increase in passenger numbers in the past five years.
Devon county councillor, Rodney Cann, said the railway had become a victim of its own success and the overcrowded conditions were at times "embarrassing".
Devon County Council wants to upgrade 10.5 miles of the Tarka Line between Barnstaple and Exeter.
Mr Cann said: "The 10.5 mile upgrade will provide a smoother ride and help reduce travel times. The target is one hour and it will go some way towards achieving this."The Tarka Line is a tremendous success."

Is this just a wish by the council or is there more substance to it?

It's mainly down to the "bean counters" who insist that asessts are flogged to death and only the bare minimum are used to provide a service this is particually true of DMUs where I think they would really like to do away with maintenance spares if they could.

Ironic that, on leaving Exeter, the overcrowded two car Barnstaple train passes at least one three car unit standing idle in the carriage sidings (with even more idle at Salisbury).

A joined-up railway anyone?

Got any real world examples of DMU fleets which have 100% utilisation over a 7 day week?   
Paul

If you are referring to the 3 car SWT units seen at Exeter New Yard, they are normally only there for around half an hour to clear the platform during turnround before going back to Waterloo.  So just because there's one there as the Barnstaple train passes doesn't mean it is spare.
The arrival and departure times at Exeter are set by the requirement for the hourly up and down services to pass at Axminster and cannot be varied.

Certain SWT services run as 3 car having arrived as 6 car and vice versa, with one of the units having a longer wait to go back towards Waterloo.  But sending one up to Barnstaple would be impossible in the time available, even if there was a common operator in the area.

Paul

So it seems it would be feasible to use the SWT 3 car units to alleviate the Tarka line overcrowding, produce extra revenue and give passengers a much more comfortable journey. Also this would of course free up the FGW units to strengthen other services. Everyone's a winner!

10.5 mile up grade?

Just what does that mean, relay the 5 1/4 miles from Cowley Bridge Junction to Credition and Reinstate the Old Down Line from CB Junction to Credition, well it's a 10 1/2 mile up grade!

10.5 mile up grade?

Most 159's arrive at EXD at xx42 before going to new yard and being back in the platform for xx21 so if you can do Barny and back in 39 mins then yeah!  ::)

Apologies to John R and anyone else checking out www.tarkarail.org for the missing 2012 figures, these are now available on the news page.

I often think it's a BIG shame that EXD to Barnstaple isn't part of the South West Trains franchise, then I reckon you'd get 3 car trains and hopefully Waterloo Barnstaple services,

Ah, thank you very much for updating polymath. (Just seen this on return from hols, hence why the delay in acknowledging your update.)

The rate of increase appears to be flattening off quite quickly this year. I wonder whether this is symptomatic of the general economic situation, or due to factors specific to the branch, such as overcrowding. The dismal summer certainly won't have helped the last couple of months' figures, but even before that, when you take out the effect of easter falling in different periods, the increase has been falling back.

I noticed the old goods yard at Eggesford is "To Let", would certainly allow plenty of space for parking.

At some point in the future there will need to be significant tree-felling in Eggesford forest. Given the timber-led revival of the Heathfield branch, might there be a possibility of a new siding at Eggesford/Lapford or a new use for the engineers sidings at Crediton?

The Tarka rail line between Barnstaple and Crediton will be closed for two weeks in November.

Passengers will be taken on buses between the towns from November 17 to December 3.

Network Rail will be renewing the track at Lapford and also between Eggesford and Portsmouth Arms. It says the work will make the train ride smoother for passengers and help pave the way for faster journey times.

Further track renewal improvements are planned between Crediton and Yeoford and in the Umberleigh and Chapelton areas next March.

Network Rail said the programme of improvements brings the total spend on the line to ^9.3m to date in the current financial year.

Western route managing director Patrick Hallgate said: "This is the biggest spend on the Tarka Line in more than 100 years and is certainly the largest single investment in the line since approximately ^4.6m (today's prices) was spent on re-modelling the junction and replacing the bridges at Cowley Bridge, Exeter in 1965."

Julian Crow, Regional Manager, West of England for train operator First Great Western, said: "The Tarka Line is thriving with more passengers than ever and we very much welcome this huge investment in the line's future, leading to smoother and faster journeys for our customers. Since the beginning of the franchise in 2006 First Great Western, working with Devon County Council, has provided an additional nine services a week to the line.

"We'll do our best to make journeys as easy as possible whilst the work is carried out and look forward to the improvements when it is completed."

John Burch, chairman of the Tarka Rail Association, said "We are delighted that this work is going ahead on the Tarka Line at long last. We have been involved in discussions about these plans for a very long time. We have worked hard to raise the profile of the Tarka Line and attract investment to improve the service offered. Our ultimate aim is to see faster services on the line and an increase in line capacity to cope with the huge increase in the number of people using the Tarka Line in recent years.

"We realise that suspension of the train service over parts of the line is a huge inconvenience to customers, but this is the best and quickest way to undertake this extensive work. We are also working with First Great Western to ensure that suitable replacement road services are operated during the works and believe that short term pain will bring significant long term gain.

"This investment demonstrates a confidence in secondary routes as part of the essential future public transport network and we know it is the only way to get people out of their cars in the medium to long term."

The line will be closed for major track renewal works from Saturday 17 November to the morning of Monday 3 December 2012. The works in March 2013 are expected to take an additional seven days.

In both November 2012 and March 2013, the railway will remain open for trains as far as Crediton, with replacement road transport being provided between Crediton and stations to Barnstaple.

Network Rail said the work supported aspirations to reduce the journey time between Exeter St David's and Barnstaple in the future. On completion, nearly nine miles of track, just under a quarter of the line's 39 miles, will have been renewed, replacing track which had an average age of 55 years, with some of the earliest components dating back to 1942.

Go to the Tarka Rail Association's website www.tarkarail.org for more information about the work.

Doesn't this one or two week closure happen on most branch lines, especially in the West Country?  I'm sure I have read of this happening in past years.  I suppose it makes economic sense to do work in one big annual "hit" rather than a number of shorter possessions.

Whilst it won't account for the whole increase, I wonder if the Exeter Chief's first European games (not only a more attractive fixture, but also more games at Sandy Park) would have had an effect? There certaintly seems to be a fair few rugby fans that make their way down on the train from north Devon.

and people I know are happy to travel from Barnstaple and South Molton to games.

Funds made available for Tarka Line improvement

The Tarka Line will come under review in the next month while money has been made available for improvements to the line and Barnstaple Railway Station.

The news comes after a Devon and Exeter Rail Project Working Party meeting at County Hall in Exeter on Friday.

(http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/images/localpeople/ugc-images/275834/Article/images/18126758/4557231.jpg)
A train on the Tarka Line

Rodney Cann, the Devon County Councillor for Fremington Rural, asked Network Rail representatives at the meeting what message he could take back to North Devon over flooding on the line. And he was told a full report on the matter will be available at the end of March.

"The Tarka line is very much a success story with increasing passenger numbers," said Mr Cann. "It's a vital link to North Devon and the problem is we are never certain when the service is available on the line or when passengers have to take a bus. Flooding for the Tarka Line is not just a one-off but is a regular occurrence. The line actually loses credibility with potential passengers as a result."

But Mr Cann was reassured when he was told Network Rail plan to spend ^75,000 improving the Tarka Line, although how that money will be spent depends on the outcome of the report. There is also ^40,000 of funding available to improve access to Barnstaple station.

^ It was also revealed at the meeting that in the month when a new John Lewis department store opened in Exeter passenger use of the Tarka Line shot up by 28.9 per cent.

Congestion in diversion

I was amused, not to say irritated, to read that during the work on the Tarka Line "buses face a 26-mile diversion". This would be true if they followed the "official" diversion route via South Molton. They do not.

First Great Western have switched on their corporate sat navs and realised that there is a much shorter route through Atherington and High Bickington. I assume this was not chosen as the preferred diversion during the closure of the A377 because of the narrow road and sharp corners.

In Atherington there is a very sharp turn to get into the B3217 from the Torrington Road. Coaches and articulated lorries need the entire road width plus the space outside the church, for weddings and funeral cars, to be able to make that turn.

Pedestrians just get scattered; damage is being done to road surface, street furniture and buildings. At times there are quite substantial delays and traffic jams as buses and lorries meet each other on the winding narrow roads and then have to edge past each other, usually at the expense of damage to paths, hedges and kerbs. I dread to think what happens in High Bickington; the road there is straighter but even narrower than in Atherington.

What adds icing to the cake is that there seem to be two buses on the rail replacement service in each direction following close behind each other. The first usually has a few passengers; the second usually has one person seated in solitary splendour or none at all. I would imagine First Great Western are replacing trains with the same capacity on the buses. This was fairly gormless as it would have been easy to predict that virtually nobody wants to travel by bus rather than a train as they would be doing that anyway, there being a bus route that parallels the train line ordinarily.

JONATHAN FRAYNE
Atherington.

The resurrection of the thread took me to the tarkarail.org site so see how passenger numbers are going. Unfortunately it hasn't been updated for a few months, so we can't see whether numbers have held up over the summer.

I would suggest that - being winterish - many people still had to travel and a significant number probably drove, and not the 26 mile diversion route. 

Call for further improvements to the railway line between Barnstaple and Exeter

(http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276410/Article/images/21450891/6305586-large.jpg)

A train users group has called for more improvements to the rail service between Barnstaple and Exeter, including faster and more regular trains.

The Tarka Rail Association has submitted its views on a potential new First Great Western franchise for local rail services.

A Department for Transport document published in May gave details about the planned approach for the next franchise when the current one ends in September 2015. It stated First Great Western was awarded the last franchise, which was put in place in October 2013, with the expectation it would be awarded a second.

The association said it supported the proposal to award First Great Western the franchise, but wanted to see a number of improvements on the Barnstaple to Exeter line. These included higher speed trains, additional car parking at Umberleigh, Eggesford and Copplestone and an hourly service between 5.30am and midnight Monday to Saturday.

Other suggested improvements included better, faster and longer trains, the recognition of Barnstaple as a ^major railhead^, and the adaptation of a small number of older trains to be attached to service trains on Sundays and bank holidays to accommodate cyclists.

Association chairman John Burch said there had already been successes in securing extra capacity on trains at 7am and 4.57pm, which would come into effect from December 2014. But he said there were still gaps in the timetable which the association would like to see filled with extra services.

^There are a number of particular trains which are very heavily overloaded on a regular basis,^ he said. ^We would like to see an earlier departure from Barnstaple because the earliest is currently 7am.^

Mr Burch said the greatest frustration was persuading Network Rail to increase speed limits on the line.

North Devon Council leader Brian Greenslade said the council had held discussions with Exeter City Council about improvements to the line. ^One objective was to try and make it faster and more attractive to commute between the two,^ he said.

^I have also spoken to the chief executive of Devon County Council about the same issue and we hope we can lobby First Great Western to see what they can do to provide faster connections first thing in the morning and at tea time.^

First Great Western said it could not comment on the franchise beyond September 2015.