Yeoford - call for platform on Okehampton line

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From Devon Live

Villagers implore council to provide platform access for Yeoford trains

This little station would then open a gateway for people to go from Yeoford to Okehampton and later, beyond

Villagers are calling for better train provision on the tracks which run through Yeoford.

Councillor Frank Letch (Crediton, Liberal Democrats) presented the petition, signed by 951 people, at February’s full council meeting of Devon County Council.

He said: “In November we all gathered on the platform on a sunny day in Okehampton when we had music, food and wine, and other drinks, to get on a train going from Okehampton towards Exeter.

“What this train will do is increase greatly the services between Okehampton, Crediton and Exeter. However, the Okehampton line will not stop at Yeoford because at the moment there is no platform for it to do so. Obviously, they have the rails, otherwise the trains wouldn’t run.

[Ralph Ayres]

The extra platform would also give Yeoford more trains to/from Exeter, but I wonder how many of those 951 people would actually use the train enough to justify the cost of building and maintaining the platform (the disused one would need a total rebuild) along with lighting, PA^▸ (Public Address)/cctv and associated access from the road?  Even if they did use it, I'd hazard a guess rather fewer than 951 people live within walking distance of the station so most would drive it rather than walk, and could drive a similar distance in a different direction to catch the train at Crediton instead. Realistically, if the "main" Barnstaple line were being built today, Yeoford probably wouldn't get a station at all.  It's sometimes a difficult balance between what's nice to have and what is actually cost-effective.

[RailCornwall]

I would suggest a set of points north of Yeoford to direct 'some' Okehampton services, that don't conflict with Barnstaple services, onto the 'Barnstaple track' thus using the existing platform at Yeoford, might resolve the issue at less cost than the building of a further Yeoford platform.

[REVUpminster]

Yeoford has very narrow roads but a lot of potential housing land. There are some new housing already.

[Jamsdad]

Being long in the tooth and a regular user of the Okehampton line in the olden days before closure I can say with some certainty that I hardly ever saw anyone get on or off at Yeoford. I would not think a platform there wouldlbe a priority and Crediton is not that far away.

[grahame]

Being long in the tooth and a regular user of the Okehampton line in the olden days before closure I can say with some certainty that I hardly ever saw anyone get on or off at Yeoford. I would not think a platform there wouldlbe a priority and Crediton is not that far away.

You're right if we were looking at that time.  You may still be right today - however, things change, sometimes quite dramatically - I'm thinking of Copplestone just up the way.  I don't know the answer for Yeoford now, or in the future especially if significant development takes place. "Never say never".

[IndustryInsider]

I guess if you put the option of having a second platform built to residents of Yeoford, provided they didn't mind a thousand or so extra homes to justify it, then quite a few names would disappear from the petition list?

An hourly service, for a small village, which links them to Exeter, Crediton and Barnstaple is surely more than adequate?  Looks very much like 'one for the future' for me.

[grahame]

I guess if you put the option of having a second platform built to residents of Yeoford, provided they didn't mind a thousand or so extra homes to justify it, then quite a few names would disappear from the petition list?

History would suggest that's possible.   Over the years, in conversation people/groups have asked me about a new station, and also about major improvements to an existing one.  They didn't like the idea of filling the gap between the station and the village with housing or having a park and ride facility even on the other side of the line from the village.   But we probably should not assume - there are places which welcome growth, or at least accept it.

[REVUpminster]

Wasn't there a government policy to build houses within a mile radius of a station? If so then Yeoford is an obvious candidate.  Half hour service with the extra platform could be a potential growth area. Yeoford might even get a shop. They do have a CofE primary school.

[PhilWakely]

Wasn't there a government policy to build houses within a mile radius of a station? If so then Yeoford is an obvious candidate.  Half hour service with the extra platform could be a potential growth area. Yeoford might even get a shop. They do have a CofE primary school.

Given Yeoford's surrounding geography, it would be a perfect site for an 'eco-town'    Currently only accessible via narrow country lanes or by rail.  Once built, folk will park their multiple cars on the narrow estate roads and constantly block the lanes instead of using the ideally placed railway station (e.g Cranbrook, East Devon)