Okehampton-Tavistock. Discussion on reopening and potential use as a diversionary route

[whole diary]

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Just an update the dartmoor Sunday rover ticket no longer covers stations on the tarka like between crediton and Barnstaple it is now stations from digby and sowton to okehampton and gunislake down to Plymouth the arrangement with local busses remains the same

[TerminalJunkie]

Just an update the dartmoor [sic] Sunday rover ticket no longer covers stations on the tarka [sic] like [sic] between crediton [sic] and Barnstaple

Someone needs to tell these people:
http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/devon_cornwall/tickets/dartmoor_sunday_rover/index.php
http://www.carfreedaysout.com/dartrover.html
http://www.journeydevon.info/greatjourneys/featured/dartmoor-sunday-rover.ashx
http://www.railrover.org/pages/dartmoor-sunday-rover.html
http://www.westerngreyhound.com/fares.php
http://www.avocetline.org.uk/summer-days-out/

And this leaflet will have to be re-printed:
http://www.journeydevon.info/_assets/pdf/dsr%20june12%20web.pdf

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Your correct they will.... Or the latest fgw rangers and rovers leaflet will need reprinting

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

https://mobile.twitter.com/relex109/status/219880754329567232?photo=1


Sent from my iPhone

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Oh and the western grayhound site lists the rover as 6.50 when it is 7.50 Infact posting all those links proves how badly promoted the rover is .... If you buy one on a certain bus operator chances are when you get on a bus from another company they eather point blank refuse to take you or it leads to an argument .... Yes this has happened many times

[Southern Stag]

The Manual states that the Dartmoor Sunday Rover is valid Exeter-Barnstaple, but then it doesn't mention it's validity from Crediton-Okehampton. The new FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Ranger and Rover leaflet does have an error on the Oxfordshire Day Ranger map, Reading West has been relocated, between Tilehurst and Reading. I'd say it was still valid to Barnstaple, The Manual is generally right, but it's very odd it doesn't mention validity to Okehampton. The FGW leaflet map also misses out St James' Park to Digby & Sowton.

[JayMac]

Just an update the dartmoor Sunday rover ticket no longer covers stations on the tarka like between crediton and Barnstaple it is now stations from digby and sowton to okehampton and gunislake down to Plymouth the arrangement with local busses remains the same

What is your source relex?

Others have pointed out numerous places were it is advertised as valid to Barnstaple. And 'The Manual' states:

Tickets are valid on rail services on the Tamar Valley line (Plymouth to Gunnislake), Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) Line (Exeter to Barnstaple) and Exeter to Digby & Sowton. Note this ticket is NOT valid between Plymouth and Exeter St Davids.

This Rover is administered and funded by Devon County Council. They've not made an announcement of any changes in validity and have only recently published new leaflets.

So, enough places saying it IS valid. Who's saying it isn't relex?

[Southern Stag]

The new FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Ranger and Rover leaflet has a map for the Dartmoor Sunday Rover which doesn't include Crediton-Barnstaple on it, but as I said above it also doesn't include St James' Park-Digby & Sowton on it. I think it's an error rather than an intentional change of validity.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

That leaflet new in may at stations is main source of information on rovers and rangers for passengers it is also the newest published source, being at home the same as most passengers I do not have access to the manual I expect an official upto date leaflet to be correct,clear, and concise .... And not miss parts of the validity

[JayMac]

Can't find a copy of this leaflet on line so can't really comment on the errors. Is it just the map that is wrong with regard to the Dartmoor Sunday Rover, or is the text also clear that Crediton to Barnstaple is not permitted?

As I said earlier, this ticket is administered and funded by Devon County Council. I'd take their information as the primary source.

[Southern Stag]

Only refers to the map for determining the valid area.

[TonyK]

I found this leaflet and this page on FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s site , which amazingly does not mention Okehampton. Nor does a search on http://www.thetrainline.com/ reveal the existence of any train to Okehampton. FGW's timetable number 34 does list the times (no point in showing the URL because it will cease in a fortnight), and if you persevere on the Devon County Council site, you will eventually find your way to the Journey Devon site mentioned above. The Dartmoor Railway site also publicises the Sunday trains from Exeter, but in a kind of "Oh, by the way" sort of method - see their timetable , and please correct me if I'm wrong about their efforts to attract visitors by rail.

Mrs FTN! and I rode the line from Crediton, where we have a daughter and a grandson, to Okehampton, where we do not knowingly have either, last Sunday (2 September). Even she enjoyed it, despite the cloud and drizzle. I figured that the major stumbling block to reopening the line for general use is the distance (uphill) from town. Fabulous glimpses of high peaks and valleys are of no consequence to Mr 9 to 5. But it was a lovely journey, not slow on the way up, despite the obvious climb, and not quite white knuckle on the way back.

We have decided that we will one day hence expend a further ^7.50 each, on a nicer Sunday, and get on the Tarka^▸ (Line from Barnstaple to Exeter) line at Umberleigh. We will change at Crediton for OKE, then get the bus from there to Gunnislake, followed by a nice ride back to Plymouth (stopping at Bere Alston to divert to Tavvy, who can say?), then probably pay for a ticket back to Exeter St D rather than take the free bus route. Life is too short for that.

The Dartmoor Sunday Rover exists only with the support of Devon County Council. I would love to see the Dartmoor Railway and FGW be able to offer a joint tourist ticket to enable any holiday-making family get from wherever they are in Devon to the nearest station by bus, and then to Meldon via Okehampton  and Dartmoor Railway, all with one ticket that you can buy at any newsagent in Devon.

They do it in Denmark, and Germany, and Holland, and Belgium (obviously), and Sweden, and Norway, and...

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

on the other site of the gap ......   http://www.aggregate.com/PageFiles/805/Property-sale-Meldon-Aug-2012.pdf

[trainbuff]

I wonder what effect this potential sale will have on the Dartmoor Railway? For instance, does the line have to be kept opened and maintained?

[Umberleigh]

Bit of a shocker after it had been assured the quarry was merely been mothballed.

The Dartmoor Railway have never been great at sharing information, with rumours of rifts and strife posted on other forums. They did recently move some ex-Virgin rolling stock (about 6 coaches?) from the sidings at Yeovil to Meldon, for use on "Polar Express" Christmas specials.

My initial feelings are that it could go either way; a Tavistock-style development that sees passengers service to Exeter reinstated or - heaven forbid - a cycle track, linked to a leisure development.