The following link is to an article suggesting that the Okehampton service may be at risk.
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=141529&command=displayContent&sourceNode=141513&contentPK=20305597&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

(topic now linked to calendar - Lee Fletcher.)

 

Article quote :


Quote from the franchise specification :


I think we need to hear from DCC on this.

By the way, if there is a Derek Redgwell out there, please accept my apologies, and do feel free to sign up to the forum and give us your view....

 
I can help here Lee - the Sunday Okehampton service will definitely run this year, funded by Devon County Council, but the hope for next year and beyond is/was that the second platform at Yeoford would be brought back into use and a Dartmoor Railway service run to connect with Exeter - Barnstaple FGW trains there.

We will have to see what happens now with the sale of ECT Rail. 

 

Thanks Richard. Would the Yeoford-Okehampton service be year-round, and if not, are there any plans for such a service?

 
I think that was the original plan, but an additional problem is that the summer sunday services are run with units and traincrew provided by First( at some cost I would imagine), and I'm not sure that the Dartmoor Railway would have sufficient stock, or staff to run a full service, though I am only speculating, and don't know staffing and stock levels for them!

 
This is dreadful.

How can they talk about shutting a line in this day and age?

How can they talk about shutting this line when it is halfway to solving the sea wall debate.

The line should be extended, not axed!

I'm not happy.

 
Further news and views regarding the situation of the Okehampton line:

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=141529&command=displayContent&sourceNode=141513&contentPK=20340334&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

 
.........and another letter arguing for the reinstatement of a second London route from Plymouth via Okehampton.
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144143&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144131&contentPK=20350865&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

 

I have added my comments to this one.

 
Well ECT has pulled the plug on the Dartmoor Railway today.

Alas, it is no more!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7354165.stm

A sad day for SW railways.

Also noticed that Dartmoor Railway's website diverts you to ATOC's website!

The Friends of Dartmoor Railway' site has yet to be updated with the news.

I think the suddenness of this has taken everyone by surprise.

 
Let us hope that someone steps in quickly so that the summer doesn't go by with no operations. Waterloo-Okehampton anyone?

 

A sad day indeed.   ECT's move does mean that the Sunday trains are now in jeopardy.  I know urgent discussions are taking place to see if they can still run.

 
Video link here too:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7350000/newsid_7354800/7354854.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&bbcws=1

Lets hope that Devon CC and FGW can come to some arrangement regarding Summer Sunday services, but, of course, there would be no station facilities available (cafe, ticket counter) etc.

Does anyone know if any of the other local heritage lines (e.g. West Somerset or Bodmin & Wenford) are interested in running the line?

 
A real shame, I've done the line once and it was very good, despite being very short!

I'm sure Jim will testify that they do a very good breakfast in that caf^!

 

Thanks for that, Richard. Quote from the BBC article :


Do you have any idea who these parties might be? I know Tinminer has raised the possibility of a heritage organisation taking over.

I think that it would be ludicrous to lose this line, just as its potential future usefulness is being recognised (link below.)
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2421.msg18087#msg18087

 

Believe there will be no plans for the summer sunday services. Many people then went on up to Meldon to walk across the viaduct.

 
When is a regular service from Oakhampton to Exeter (and preferable beyond) going to start?

It needs to

 

Yep!

 
It was a great buffet! FGW could get some good PR now by running the summer service of their own back!

 
Donkey to Okehampton anybody 

 

My heart would love a regular Okehampton to Exeter service, but my head says it would be like tearing up tenners.

The station is poorly sited for the town at the top of a very steep hill (Yes I know it couldnt be anywhere else).
The A30 dual carriageway is a fast route to Exeter and beyond in about half the time it would take by rail. Sadly.

The only hope of a reopening would be as part of a through route.  There is a logic to the inland route if electrification was to happen.  Government policy is starting to shift that way again.

I've got 20 years till retirement but I dont think I'll see it in my working lifetime.

 
The problem with having a service to Plymouth via Oakhampton, would be that trains would have to reverse.

 
I think people would use the Okehampton line for commuting etc, the Okehampton line is actually quite fast (line speed 60mph), lets not forget people going to college in Okehampton, and with a free bus link to the town.......... it could be done if the trains were extensions of some Exmouth and Waterloo services thus keeping cost's down.

 

 There are also some very long sections of 40 mph.

 

Those sections need eliminating!

 
I believe that those sections only apply to Loco's? units are near 60 all the way??

 
Hi, I know little about railways but live very close to Dartmoor Railway and have very little info! Does anyone know how all this works? Who actually owns the track? Bardon Aggregates are still running over it so it must be maintained ( certified safe)? It did provide very usefull facilities for the Granite Way (cycle route) such as bike hire, parking and buffet. Even being closed a couple of days has made a difference. Trust me Oke needs all the good input it can get, so regardless of a commuter line strategy, as a tourist attraction it should be open. As lately as last week they were advertising for buffet staff!! Work that one out. To be fair it did state " 'till the end of April in the short term". I can't find out who the interested parties are or how much they want for what exactly.
Any input gratefully received.
Marc

 
Hi, Marc, and welcome to this forum!

I'm a fan of Okehampton, too - but I agree, things don't look too promising, in the short term?

Can anyone help us with more information on this one?

 
The line from Coleford divergence (where it leaves the Barny branch) is indeed owned by the quarry company, was CAMAS, now Bardon? They are responsible for the maintenance I believe....

 
There is a meeting to discuss the future of the Dartmoor Railway tomorrow night:

 

And with almost EVERY thing running therse days being Units thats not a problem, by the time the passengers have left or entered the train, the driver has already walked to the other end.

The only service that needs the loco to run round is the Sleeper train, and there is plenty of slack in the Night Train times.

 
And where exactly does under normal operations the sleeper reverse.
Ans at the Paddington another 57 is put on the other end and at Penzance it backs into Long Rock.

 

Conner you misunderstand, it's only IF and it's a Bl**dy BIG IF, that if the Sleeper went via a rebuilt Okehampton-Bere Alston line it would require the Engine to Run Round at Plymouth and Exeter St David's.

 
OK.

 

Fraid not.... For my sins I do sign Okehampton, for a start it's 40 all the way from Crediton to Mill Hill bridge just past Coleford  thats 5 miles.

Then 60 for a couple of miles, then 40 for another couple of miles around Bow, back to 60 until Corscombe then 40  all the way to Okehampton. Those are the unit speeds between Bow and corscombe it's 40 all the way for loco's

It's 17 miles from Crediton to Okehampton I reckon 10 of them (for units) are 40 mph.


I should say that this is the current set-up  **IF** the will was there you could raise those line speeds, this was the SW main line after all.

Anyone know what the linespeeds were in steam days?

 
I was half right then- that there are different speeds for DMU's and locos I believe the line was quite fast in kettle days???

 
Interesting Transport Briefing article link.
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/04/dartmoor_rail_line_shuts_as_tr.html#more


Also of interest :

 
Assurance that the Summer Sunday service to Okehampton will run this year is contained in the article below.

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=141529&command=displayContent&sourceNode=141513&contentPK=20607433&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

 
Excellent!!

Pacer to Okehampton on the list 

 
I must try and travel down there this year. Presumably you have to buy a return from Exeter St Davids as part of the Sunday Rover?

 
The Dartmoor rover is the only ticket valid on the Oke services

 
When I've worked these trains in previous years, Dartmoor Railway have always provided a ticket inspector, and FGW crew just work doors(and drive). Not sure what tickets are sold, but if a passenger joins at Crediton on the return journey to Exeter, I have to sell him a ticket, and also, if a passenger is travelling Exeter to Crediton, the same applies. So i would presume that because this section of line(as far as coleford junction) is maintained by Network Rail, Dartmoor Railway could not take any revenue for that part of journey.

p.s. It's great news that these services are still running this year. 

 
For the first time point to point tickets will be available this year from *most* Devon stations to Sampford Coutenay and Okehampton in additional to the Sunday Rover.

 
Good, Dartmoor Ranger was priced expensivly!

 
Other rover tickets, Freedom of South West, All Line etc will be valid to OKE (and SMC) for the first time this year along with ATOC staff passes. Think a CDR from EXD to OKE is ^4.50 rising to ^7.50 from PGN/TOT. The CDRs to OKE/SMC are only available from stations on the Barnstaple/Exmouth/Paignton lines and Totnes.

 
Bargain!

 

Not according to the ATOC website, unless you know differently? 

 
Since when was ATOC RST correct?

 
Its all we've got to go on?

 
Truuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue. 

Better asking on the ground, though!

 
Any ideas why Okehampton line doesn't appear on the county council website for the Dartmoor Rover?

http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/transport/public_transport/buses/services-4/sunday-rover.htm

Although according to DCC, Wessex still exist and operate so.....

 
Timetable is online on FGW website. Wonder if a 142 will be utlised...

 
Cool - good to see. So, is Dartmoor Rover valid on Okey services? Or do you need a seperate ticket to get to Okehampton by train and then Rover on top of that?

 

Dartmoor Sunday Rover is valid on Okehampton trains.  Also this year, the Devon Day Ranger and Freedon of Devon and Cornwall railrover (and for that matter the All Line one) can all be used on Okehampton trains.

There will be normal Cheap Day Single and Cheap Day Return fares to/from Okehampton from stations in an area bounded by Totnes, Exmouth, Paignton and Barnstaple. 

 
I'd love to see this on Saturdays too - the early morning train service on Sundays from Paignton is useless.

 
Everything suggests 142s to Okehampton.

Bounceeee!

 
What about Freedom of South West?

 

Yes, that too. 

 

Thanks for your help

 
So, it certainly looks like all worries have gone.

Perhaps this thread should be called NO Worries about...

 
Statt Travel IS valid on OKE services 

 
About time!

 
All good news!

Will be supporting it for sure 

 

Presumably beacuse its effectively an FGW service not sponsored by the council?  ATOC website still says services are barred?

 

Thats the link for the winter rover

 

One of the EXD conductors reckoned to have taken over 400 quid on the Okehampton yesterday.

 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Interesting to hear of yesterday's takings.

The service is still chartered by Devon County Council but, given the changes at Dartmoor Railway,  they are paying a bit less this year with FGW collecting and keeping the ticket revenue.

Fingers crossed this proves to be a sustainable way forward for the future but everything will depend on Dartmoor Railway's new owners, whoever they may be.

 
I think the excellent thing this year is that normal tickets are valid.

 
hi, im new to this site so go easy on me but it seems to me that the okehampton line is not only an important tool for improving the southwests rail network (alternative to plymouth and also provide better public transport to okehampton a growing town,would also increase the frequency of trains to crediton if a regular service was introduced).

but it would also i belive prove to be a great investment for normal people if this became there line granted at the start it would be a slow hog and the first chalenge would just be getting trains running again, but if 2000 locals and railways enfusiasts invested ^10 each just to be a part of it then thats ^20000,now thats not going to get the line doubled or rebuilt to tavistock and its not going to buy a brand new state of the art dmu,but it would get us a start and i belive if we all work together we can do this (even if it starts with class 142's!)

how much is the line going to be worth if it becomes the secondary route into cornwall?

how much is the line going to be worth if we get 50% of the people who live in credition and okehampton who go by bus to use the link insted


lets not forget the 20000 who vistited the line last year

i would be willing to invest a tenner....1999 voulenteers please......oh and some people with brains to run it lol unfortunatly thats not me

 
Welcome to the forum, relex109

 
thankyou, i will try and put more effort into my spelling on future posts

 
i dont see any voulenteers for my plan

 
Hi, relex109!

Please don't be downhearted over the lack of replies so far.  It may be that our members are just not quite clear about your specific objectives here?

The link from Crediton to Okehampton I can see could be viable, and you have my best wishes for that!  Do you have any figures for possible passenger flows?

I'm also interested in your suggestion about doubling, and even restoring the connection to Tavistock, but I'm sorry, I can't see that as viable.  It's hard enough for those who are already campaigning for the extension from Gunnislake to Tavistock - which is apparently beset by political, as well as financial, obstacles?

To be honest, relex109, I'd be delighted to volunteer you my ^10 - but I'd like to know a bit more about what you are proposing to do with it?

 
I have been impressed with the loads i've seen so far for St. James--Okehampton on Sundays.

 
I agree, I've worked the first Okehampton service on a couple of sundays this summer, and taken ^300-^400 each time. Thats not bad considering there are no facilities at OKE station at the moment.

 
basically a realy alternative to the car, to be fair while the guards statement about the number of passengers on sunday was impressive it is not unusual for a one off or once a week (5 runs on a sunday in this case) to attract attension however with the councls backing this clearly shows that this could be a tourism route... also if the dartmoor railway was reistablished there were  20000 vistitors last year, increacing the capacity as far to crediton would in its self generate revinue,okehampton is expanding and needs better public transport and im sorry but in some areas blocking the road with a bus does not work.

in the long term would extending to tavi be viable well to be honest i havnt researched that far and just getting sevices running again would be in its self a big job, so for now i think the target should be okehampton

 
ok just out of interest can anyone tell me if a buyer has been found?

if not an open access company with public shares is the way forward

 

Last I heard (some time ago) was that there were two potential buyers waiting in the wings, undergoing due diligence checks. Remember that Dartmoor Railway is only the operating company, the Quarry company own the railway line to Coleford Jn and Devon County Council I think own Okehampton station. Not sure who paid for the stations at Meldon Quarry and Sampford Courtenay to be honest.

 
well put it this was if 50 people on here think its worth setting up a public limited company i will go for it...thats if a buyer hasnt been found

 
(link below)

 
it just says link below?

 

Yes,  I didn't understand that either ... I had to delete a lot of other posts during last night, including links to inappropriate sites and personal attacks on other members, but let this one stay (unaltered) as I saw nothing offensive in it.  I guess a link was missing, and I can only imagine what it would have contained!

 
i was hoping it was a link to how to reopen the dartmoor railway

 
Just noticed this .... I believe it was aimed to be a pisstake as opposed to posting a dodgy link.

 

I don't know what the intent on this particular thread was, Tom (do you?).  I do know that I spent a fair time on Monday morning deleting posts that including personal attacks and also links to sites selling sexual services, but I tried to be as low key as practical in my moderation and l left about a third of the posts to give people something of an idea of what had been sprayed at us. Some of those remaining posts could be classified using the term you chose.

In hindsight, leaving some posts up may not have been an ideal decision. It has clearly lead you, and perhaps others, to incorrectly assume that the spray attack was of a far less serious nature than actually happened.

Let's get back on topic should we - Okehampton.  I've been away for the last week and have somewhat lost track of the latest twist.  Can someone follow up to fill us in please?

 
I saw what was posted before you deleted it all, Graham. I'm simply taking a neutral view on it.

There was no intention for the post ... just as a generally annoying thing to wind up the moderators! You see, I know stuff.

 

I'm not sure how you can be so certain you saw all of the posts, Tom, and how you can be fully aware of the intention of each of them.  Perhaps you had better explain further.

 
see.... kind of gone off the subject yet again...

 
You have a PM (that you haven't replied to).

 

I'm just up. I can confirm that your personal message is with me, Tom, and will be fully considered.  Either you'll get a single answer in return, or a "holding" message followed by a more considered answer if it's turning out to take longer than I anticipate to look at the issues you raise and points you make in quite a long piece of text.

 

From Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmoor_Railway under their free documentation license - page dated 29th July, so I'm sure there are some useful additions ... I'm offering this as a starter to get us back towards the right tracks for this thread.

Dartmoor Railway closed on 18th April 2008, as the operating company, ECT, decided to pull out of railways. The passenger and maintenance operations of the railway have now been put up for sale. Freight operations over the line continue however, as the route itself is owned by Aggregate Industries who maintain a railway ballast quarry at the head of the line.

The railway was unusual amongst heritage lines, as a public service is operated from Exeter to Okehampton during the Summer, by First Great Western. The line also has an as required freight service that carrying ballast from the quarry at Meldon onto the main line.

Devon County Council are running the Sunday Explorer trains between Exeter & Okehampton, every Sunday from 25th May to 21st September, during 2008. The five return trains will be run by First Great Western on behalf of the Council, according to the Council's website, and there may also be some basic facilities at Okehampton station, run by the Friends of Dartmoor Railway.

See also http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=2569 for FGW's page on the subject of their summer trains on the lines, including fare options which I know I have already seen discussed on The Coffee Shop

 
if anyones interested i was at okehampton today and took some photos and did a bit of video...sorry if the quality aint great also has the run down to dawlish... link below

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JYPF6pysQPg

 

Looks good - may I grab a couple of stills and add them into this thread - perhaps use them at the page head for a month too??

 
not a problem i will email you the pics if you want?

 

just emailed them to you, let us know if they dont come threw

 
Many thanks ...



... as you can see, I have them, and they look great.   I'm going to suggest that we feature Okehampton for September in the top panel of the site - and perhaps tie in Tavistock as they should in the future be related.

I enjoyed watching the yourube clip at  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JYPF6pysQPg - of necessity of a lower picture quality than those excellent stills!

 
Have heard something to the effect that the Dartmoor Railway operation has been sold. More when known.

Seems the new Operations manager is a long standing railwayman known to me personnally!

 

 
Try this link for more info, looks like things are moving in the right direction.

http://www.friendsofdartmoorrailway.org/news.php

 
Good news

Passenger services stated again over Easter on the Oke - Meldon stretch using a 'Thumper' unit.

Looks like the new owners are still up for the Yeoford interchange plus other developments:

http://www.dartmoor-railway.co.uk/

Well done to all, especially after the rather negative press coverage following ECT's pull-out.