BBC spotlight local news for the south west of England on Monday 5th july,
 have a report that network rail have purchased okehampton station and surrounding area from the aggregate company.
Passenger services expected  to start in december 2021

It was once.

The backstory here is a corker. The previous plan made it all the way to the Planning Inspectorate's procedure for major projects and was quietly withdrawn while being considered, a very unusual step. The Devon County part of the intended funding was switched to roadbuilding. The plan seems to have been nixed by a combination of escalating costs (gold plating from Network Rail) and tarmac-sniffing from Devon County Council. Like Lazarus, the plan is back which is good. It has fallen down the snakes and now has to start again at the bottom of the ladders.

Devon County Council have submitted a bid for funding a business case, see this news story:
https://www.devonnewscentre.info/funding-bid-submitted-for-rail-reinstatement-business-case/

Is this new news?

Yes, you're right.  Just one extra station - Tavistock.  It is such a rural area between Tavistock and Okehampton that personally I don't think you could justify a station at Lydford or anywhere else between the two.  Lydford Gorge would attract some custom but I can't see it being huge.  As for another loop, depends what you want the line to do and what the Government would be prepared to pay for.   

I think Okehampton Parkway, a mile or so east of Okehampton station, has a really good chance of success and suspect that will be something to factor in to these proposals.

If the expected full reopening of Exeter - Okehampton next year is a huge success (as we all hope - and yes, those involved, including me, know the issues and limitations), that will lay the groundwork for this and, if not this, then Bere Alston - Tavistock. 

Exciting times.

One of the justifications for this in the report is the suggestion that, as a result of climate change, the Dawlish route could be disrupted for up to 120 days a a year by 2080. If (big if) this were to be the case then it would mean that the existing service from the east to Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbott, Torquay, Paignton and Totnes would be unsustainable.

I am pleased to see this proposal which is similar to what I did for Destination Okehampton and Peninsula Rail Group (PRG) around 5 years ago.

Exciting times.

Looking at the proposal, it seems as if there is one new station proposed: at Tavistock. A stop at Lydford (for Lydford Gorge) with a passing loop would cut the single track section in half.

I like the way this has been presented - doubled throughout and electrified to boot! Better to start big and get bargained down, rather than ask for an hourly Turbo on a single track and get nowt.

Hopefully, we will at least get an official announcement on Okehampton soon, rather than the present build up of Chinese whispers.

It's my understanding that cuttings and embankments degrade over time - the ones I've heard about are lines which haven't closed but rather have been singled, and to put double track back on them would require catching up with half a century of earthwork. A single track might go back in the middle of a reduced formation??

As far as I can discern the original alignment of the LWSR route between Okehampton & Tavistock was double track. It is intended that the reinstated service will reuse this alignment. I therefore do not understand why this section of line has to be 'single track...through parts of Dartmoor to limit environmental impact.' Have I missed something obvious?

I am pleased to see this proposal which is similar to what I did for Destination Okehampton and Peninsula Rail Group (PRG) around 5 years ago. Mine had slightly less double track but was workable. I may be wrong too, please correct me if I am, but there appears to be a stopper train at Tavistock between xx52 and xx32. Or to put it another way for 40 minutes. It can shunt after the through departs at 28, but this unit is effectively blocking the route to other services such as freight for forty minutes. This must surely be an error in the sample timetable

Almost ...


Sample timetable is showing a 19 minute journey from Okehampton to Tavistock, with 13 minutes at one and and 9 minutes at the other to avoid any waiting around for a train that's a few minutes late coming off that section.  Not clear about local traffic Okehampton to Sampford Courtney / Yeoford / Crediton / Newton St Cyres flows (though I imagine that a couple of those journeys would be as rare as Barry Docks to Barry Links), nor Barnstaple to Plymouth journeys that look like they need to double back at Exeter during the daytime cycle?

I like the way this has been presented - doubled throughout and electrified to boot! Better to start big and get bargained down, ...

Double-track railway from Exeter to Okehampton/Meldon, single track (extent to be confirmed in SOBC) through parts of Dartmoor to limit environmental impact; double track from Tavistock to Plymouth.

Hopefully, we will at least get an official announcement on Okehampton soon, rather than the present build up of Chinese whispers.

Goody Waterloo - Plymouth even further without refreshments.

Reopening the ?Northern Route? throughout from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock will provide transformative transport links to large parts of Devon and Cornwall, including direct trains to London, says the group examining a reopened electrified main line railway between Exeter and Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock.

Summary of the scheme

Core hourly daytime service to be provided by extension of South Western Railway London Waterloo-Exeter services to run to Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock to maximise passenger benefits and reduce additional rolling stock requirements; extra peak time trains possible if needed.

Route to be electrified throughout with in cab signalling and engineered to accommodate potential freight traffic which is currently deterred by perceived fragility of the coastal main line and steep gradients west of Newton Abbot.

Non-stop journey time from Exeter to Plymouth of 59 minutes; Exeter to Okehampton journey times of c22 minutes; Okehampton to Tavistock of c19 minutes, and Tavistock to Plymouth of c22 minutes.

Surge capacity in diversionary mode by ?flighting? trains of 3-4 trains per hour max.

Double-track railway from Exeter to Okehampton/Meldon, single track (extent to be confirmed in SOBC) through parts of Dartmoor to limit environmental impact; double track from Tavistock to Plymouth.

Potential for express connecting bus links from Okehampton serving Torrington, Holsworthy, Launceston/Bude, and Wadebridge/Padstow to provide faster East-West journeys from Exeter and beyond to those places than is currently possible by public transport.

Existing Gunnislake and Barnstaple branch services retained in full and enhanced.

Potential east-west chord line at Cowley Bridge Junction providing a direct connection from the Great Western Main Line from Taunton to Exeter, allowing trains to avoid congestion at Exeter St David?s station, and opening significant new through journey opportunities.

Summary of scheme benefits

A huge boost in transport connectivity to Mid, West, and North Devon and North Cornwall, leading to major improvement in social inclusion and access to work and education for those unable to drive or without a car.
A permanent and coherent response to the challenge of climate change.

Gives Network Rail the ability to close the coastal main line for longer to undertake its long-term resilience programme by diverting trains onto the reopened railway. This capability will make the interventions necessary cheaper, quicker and more effective, providing South Devon and Torbay with a more reliable railway far quicker than if the ?Northern Route? was not open.

Reduced road congestion and accidents on the A386 road between Tavistock and Plymouth, lower road traffic in and around Dartmoor and fewer lorry movements with potential for freight trains

Lower CO2 emissions from transport by operation of electric trains.

Opening the full through route will be much more viable economically than operating separate stubs from Exeter to Okehampton and Tavistock to Plymouth. It is the only way the full benefits of serving Tavistock and Okehampton by rail can be realised.

Notes to editors

The Exeter-Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock railway closed as a through route in 1968, with stubs retained from Exeter to Meldon and Plymouth to Bere Alston (for the Gunnislake branch) to serve local communities and businesses. The passenger service from Okehampton to Exeter is expected to be reinstated next year.

Tavistock Okehampton Reopening Scheme CIC (TORS) is a formal body set up by members of the expert Northern Route Working Group, which has spent the last year examining the case. All work has been done on a pro bono basis to develop the case for a Strategic Outline Business Case and further work.

Glad to read that progress is being made (and the news that the quarry may need to be used again strengthens the case for reopening markedly). Apart from that, I enjoyed reading the article itself, quite well-written for once!

Oke rail UPDATE - light at the end of the tunnel?

Posted By Eric Partridge on Oct 16, 2020


BEFORE 1 september 2020, Tors Road Bridge Credit Network Rail
Over the course of the last few years this newspaper has, in association with all of the various action groups and other interested parties, been campaigning incessantly for the reinstatement of the Okehampton to Exeter railway line, which was axed as a result of the ?Beeching? cuts in 1972.

More recently run as a heritage service by Dartmoor Railway ? operated by Dartmoor Railway Community Interest Company (DRCIC) ? the passenger experience included summer excursions and the Polar Express Christmas specials before their whole UK business was packaged for sale by its US owners IOWA Pacific, the troubled holding company of British American Railway Services (BARS).


AFTER 6 October 2020, Tors Road Bridge Credit Network Rail

Due to Corona Virus we live in "Dark Days", the Railways are costing government a lot of money due to the lack of passengers and services are being (generally) kept up to roughly normal services, often with extra coaches to allow social distancing.

But the Corona Virus emergency is only TEMPORARY

Only 1 of 2 things can happen with Corona Virus,
 
One a Vaccine will be found and life can slowly return to a new normal. or
Two Corona Virus will slowly work it's way through the population, (quite quickly in the case of the USA) and life will return to the new normal.

The new normal will be much as pre-virus but many jobs will have been lost and MANY will work from home reducing Peak hour travel greatly, but remember per journey Season ticket holders generally have the Cheapest tickets. There may well be a change in rush hour train services.

But the Governments greatest task will be to get Britain working and the Economy back on track.

Construction is a great way to get things moving, well new offices won't be needed, to many working from home, New hospitals and Schools would help, New Electric (ONLY) vehicle Motorways are an idea, but building (rebuilding) railways and electrification of existing lines of would be a great way to get Britain working again.
And rebuilding the Waverley route back to Carlisle, Rebuilding the LSWR from Exeter to Plymouth, and a NEW railway from Okehampton to Launceston (electified) and on to the Cornish main line at Bodmin would be a good start.

Admins if this is not suitable in this post please feel free to move.

The truth is we don't know what is going to happen in a years time, certainly things have changed. I do wonder if it will practical to have Crossrail service Paddington - Reading when GWR are already providing a good service to those lines with 387s.

Admins if this is not suitable in this post please feel free to move.

Any subscribers to RAIL magazine who have received their copy might wonder about the possibility of reopening new services if you read the article by Christian Wolmar.

He talks of the current cost of running the railway, potential for 2nd wave of Coronavirus and impacts upon the railway. Passenger numbers at only 16-23% of what they were the same week last year. The cost to Government of £700m a month and plans to cut services in sparsely populated areas. Cornwall Branch lines are mentioned specifically as well as other areas.

Described as worst cuts since Beeching resulting in redundancies and service cuts, even to inter City services. There is much more in the full article but must provide some concerns at least.

As a railway worker myself, I hope none of this is true, but if it is I think ANY plans to reopen any rail lines would be in severe jeopardy.

This could put the railway back a considerable amopunt of time

Admins if this is not suitable in this post please feel free to move.

Any subscribers to RAIL magazine who have received their copy might wonder about the possibility of reopening new services if you read the article by Christian Wolmar.

He talks of the current cost of running the railway, potential for 2nd wave of Coronavirus and impacts upon the railway. Passenger numbers at only 16-23% of what they were the same week last year. The cost to Government of £700m a month and plans to cut services in sparsely populated areas. Cornwall Branch lines are mentioned specifically as well as other areas.

Described as worst cuts since Beeching resulting in redundancies and service cuts, even to inter City services. There is much more in the full article but must provide some concerns at least.

As a railway worker myself, I hope none of this is true, but if it is I think ANY plans to reopen any rail lines would be in severe jeopardy.

This could put the railway back a considerable amopunt of time

If I remember rightly the Dartmoor Railway hardly own anything only a few locomotives and rolling stock? The railway is owned by Aggregates and the station by DCC.

A small update from Okehampton Times.

Work behind scenes on Okehampton rail service
Thursday, 30 July 2020 - Transport

Sarah Pitt
by Sarah Pitt - Senior Reporter

 @okeytimes  sarah.pitt@okehampton-today.co.uk
AS a question mark continues to hang over the future of the Dartmoor Railway at Okehampton, Devon County Council has confirmed that work continues behind the scenes to bring a regular rail service back between the town and Exeter, writes Sarah Pitt.

The county council owns the station at Okehampton, which has been shut up since Dartmoor Railway went into administration in February.

It has confirmed that the Sunday Rover passenger service on summer Sundays from Okehampton to Exeter, subsidised by the county council, will not take place at all this summer.

However, the county council has said work continues on the long-awaited regular passenger service.

A spokesperson said: ‘Network Rail and GWR [Great Western Railway] are continuing to work in partnership to understand the feasibility of reopening the Okehampton line to regular passenger services, which has the potential to be funded by the Department for Transport’s ‘Restoring your Railway Fund’.

‘Surveys and further development work will continue throughout the summer, which will allow a funding application to be submitted. A decision on the outcome of this funding is expected by early 2021.’

Bere Alston - Tavistock is being considered by the Department for Transport under the "Accelerating Existing Proposals" section of the Beeching Reversal or "Restoring Your Railway Fund".  Yes, the station would be in the south west corner of the town, surrounded by new housing from which there is a S106 contribution available for the railway - something like up to £11.5 million, I think.  A reopened line heading north of that would have to go through the old station site and the whole site including the council offices would need a lot of reorganisation.  I would guess the old Up platform would be brought back into use!

In a nutshell, with difficulty.

Tavisyock station is the least of the problems. There is a large District Council Office complex to the east of the station, and housing development to the west. Then there is the viaduct, and whether that is suitable for a modern railway to use it is an unknown, at least to me. The same applies to Shillamill viaduct, and of course Meldon. 

On top of all that, I thought one of the justifications for even thinking about reopening was that reopening of Bere Alston to Tavistock was going to happen anyway. But this of course was originally planed to stop on the south west outskirts of the existing town, so the viaduct and  former station area would not have been distubed by it. The last I heard even that was up in the air. Does anybody have a recent  update?

Offices and houses  aren’t about to stop HS2 being built.

What is the general view of how a reopened Okehampton-Tavistock-Bere Alston line would go through this area?

Should we be seeking out cheap solutions, or demanding the best? This really seems to divide opinion.

You might think that asking for a few tens of thousands to sort out a problem at one station would be more likely to get a result than, say, asking for hundreds of millions to sort out a whole route. History suggests otherwise. If we beg for the crumbs from the table, it seems we are unlikely to be taken seriously. Given the current climate, why not demand the table and all the food on it, plus some extra for contingency and optimism bias?

For these early stage, I sat in my armchair and asked about a 45 m.p.h. standard calculated for loops at Okehampton and Tavistock ; another loop halfway between to double the capacity.    I only asked, yet received a very strong email telling me that even asking this was detrimental to the case, and it should be 60 m.p.h. to allow loops at Okehampton and Bere Alston instead, and to avoid a capacity bottleneck at Ernesettle; fair enough on the technical side. Working towards the "find most appropriate solution", I strongly refute the argument that my input was detrimental; rather, I believe it strengthens the discussion towards the right case - whether that's 45, 60, 90, or HSn.

As ever though, it’s a mighty big chasm between steps 2 and 3.

New group to look at case for reopening the Northern Route

Further discussion on Twitter
https://twitter.com/andyroden1/status/1225344332498165760?s=21

Roden chaired the Save Our Sleeper campaign of 2005 which saved the 'Night Riviera' overnight train from Cornwall to London from closure, and is based in West Cornwall.

...or perhaps the Electric Expressway, so that it keeps at least some of it's current naming.

It could be called Electric Avenue

I'm very pleased to announce the formation of an ad hoc group looking at the case for reopening the #NorthernRoute. It's a team of highly respected rail industry experts examining the capability the railway would need to provide a local service and sufficient freight and diversionary capacity, as well as the potential for extending the #GraniteWay from Lydford to Tavistock, which could generate significant benefits too. We're keen to hear from organisations and individuals with a view on the reopening for or against and particularly those affected by the #Dawlish closure in 2014. At this early stage there are no preconceptions on the case and how the railway would operate, but if there is a case we're looking to develop a detailed and costed proposal for further discussion. If you do have a view, please get in touch with me either here or via the website - andrewroden.com - we strongly believe there could be a very positive case, but it is vital that if there is it is credible costed and developed in a way which maximises the benefits and treats individuals and organisations affected with the utmost decency and courtesy. The South West cannot depend on a single rail link, needs more transport investment, and #NorthernRoute could be critical in helping to generate economic, social and environmental benefits in a region too often overlooked by central government.   

There is. There's also an argument that there is no such thing as anthropogenic climate change. But if we believe that there is a climate emergency, then it would be beyond absurd to seriously consider building new motorway.

There is a very easy way to satisfy both sides. Build this as the country's first "electric only" motorway. That should ramp up sales of electric cars, which don't need fossil fuels but still need roads, show investment outside London, and tick dozens of boxes.

There is. There's also an argument that there is no such thing as anthropogenic climate change. But if we believe that there is a climate emergency, then it would be beyond absurd to seriously consider building new motorway.

However,  considering the absurdly high costs now  being discussed just to get to Tavistock, I can't see much prospect of those compulsory purchase powers being needed in the foreseeable future, sadly.

There is an argument for extending the M5 South to Plymouth...

They spent equivalent amounts of money building the M1 and M6 to relieve the 'classic' rad routes to the north. That did not stop them building the M4 and the M5 to the west at the same time did it.

If we accept that well over £100,000,000,000 is to be spent on HS2, it's perhaps hard to see much money being made available elsewhere for infrastructure work such as this - indeed it'll probably be used as an excuse not to.

With both an officially supported re-opening of main network services to Okehampton and an officially rejected strategy of providing a second route to Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock, it would be very wise for any prospective purchaser to do a "due diligence" study - a "what if" exercise to plan their business to work with (and generate a profit or at least an income) from their asset.   And it would be very wise for them to work with the various interests to allow assets to transfer in an orderly and forward-looking way.

Whilst compulsory purchase orders would be available at some unplanned (though not unforeseen by some) future date, what's the point at letting it get to that?  As I understand it, that would be a needless extra step in a whole potential process.

From my armchair (which is not even in the county!), I would personally like to see a future with metro trains up to Okehampton from Exeter, and from Plymouth up to Tavistock, with a connecting single track between the two. Nothing that needs heavy engineering for fast running, but a suitable route for an hourly diverted long distance express (NOT running as an "express") should the other route via Newton Abbott be unavailable.  I'm noticing yesterday than a skeleton London to Plymouth and Cornwall trains was running via Castle Cary rather than via Taunton, at short notice due to a fire just off the railway.  Sensible if there's a problem to the north of Exeter, with no equivalent option if there's something to the south thereof.   Back of fag packet in my armchair - 16 miles Okehampton to Tavistock, so 45 mph railway, single track all the way between the two, hourly emergency time service between them.  In normal times, hourly Okehampton to Exeter, hourly Tavistock to Plymouth, services join up like links in a chain with an hourly through service with a single additional train.  Appreciate that the mid section wouldn't be the busiest - especially in winter - but I suspect the overall economics would look a darned sight better than certain lines / services I could pick on in the British Isles away from Southern England where perhaps the political climate differs.

Not a problem in itself. If needed, Transport & Works Orders allow for compulsory purchase.

However,  considering the absurdly high costs now  being discussed just to get to Tavistock, I can't see much prospect of those compulsory purchase powers being needed in the foreseeable future, sadly.

The escalating and now astronomical costs of about £90m for laying a single line from Bere Alston to Tavistock, most recently quoted by NR; no doubt including their 66% allowance for 'contingency purposes ', hopefully will now be reviewed by Devon County Council's Scrutiny Committee.
Who knows, someone else might well be able to do it much cheaper.

...OkeRail aspirations of in running as part of the national network, and concerns that selling it as a working heritage railway to a heritage rail / tourism business organisation might get in the way of its wider use.

The Dartmoor Railway is for sale:

https://www.walkersingleton.co.uk/machinery-business-asset/railway-operator-rolling-stock-rental-and-rail-maintenance-company/

The Dartmoor Railway Association say they are in the dark about this

That does not look anything like a commitment to me!

A typical Dft publication then.

A bit of a cracker, 'Investing in the South-West' - glossy, woolly, fluffy, and re-announcing a number of schemes that have already been completed...

Certainly looks like it, but you can never be sure until at least 3 Transport Secretaries have said it.

We also want to bring back regular Exeter to Okehampton train services to further boost connectivity in the area and we recognise local aspirations for an Okehampton to Plymouth rail link.

Good news within for reopening Okehampton:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/778858/investing-in-the-sw.pdf

I still reckon that figure was thought up by somebody who didn't want the job to be done, using the usual mathematical procedure of writing the BCR figure you wat to arrive at on the back of a fag packet, then working backwards.

The Peninsular Rail Task Force commissioned a report and the findings of January 2016 are here:-

https://peninsularailtaskforce.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/work-stream-summary-consultation-draft-v1-5-5-16-clean-copy.pdf

Pages 23 -26. e' cost of Okehampton to Tavistock £450m for a modest scheme. There are other costs, including upgrading Crediton to Okehampton for regular use which will have to be found if that proposed reinstatement of regular services actually happens. And also the bit between Bere Alston and Tavistock which seems to grind forwards ever so slowly!

Good answer! But I'm still waiting for someone to give a figure of how much it's going to cost, and without that, there's no basis for a sensible or meaningful debate!

A darn sight less than an unnecessary third direct route between London and Birmingham. And think of the benefit. You can get by train to any winter game at The Brickfields! 

How.....much......will......it....cost?

With the Dawlish avoiding line, you need a very expensive tunnel which will be needed about seven days a year. With the Okehampton route you get 365 days of parkway railway access for North West Devon, North West Ciornwall, Dartmoor and the growing town of Tavistock. You also get a diversiionary route for those seven days each year that the largest city in Devon and the entire county of Cornwall are cut off.

With the Dawlish avoiding line, you need a very expensive tunnel which will be needed about seven days a year. With the Okehampton route you get 365 days of parkway railway access for North West Devon, North West Ciornwall, Dartmoor and the growing town of Tavistock. You also get a diversiionary route for those seven days each year that the largest city in Devon and the entire county of Cornwall are cut off.

Which is precisely why they need a rail alternative to the coastal route that doesn't completely bypass them. Users of Newton Abbot, Torquay, Paignton and Totnes would be delighted to learn that sparser populated areas of Devon get a rail service during disruption, while they are consigned to buses and coaches.

The need for a solution to the frequent coastal route disruption is not some time away. Dawlish Avoiding Line, Now!

Too reiterate. I'm not either/or. I'm just against promoting and costing the LSWR as a diversionary route. And I firmly believe that any call on funding has to first go to protecting and enhancing the current and considerable rail passenger flows. Any buses or coaches needed should be reserved solely for serving Dawlish. Even Teignmouth can keep a rail service during sea wall related disruption, with a shuttle from Newton Abbot served by connecting servicfes off the DAL.

I appreciate that I may be in a minority in the rail enthusiast community, with its large supply of rose tinted spectacles. But one has to look first at which option is of more benefit to more people.

During closure of the main line the good people of Torbay etc have no rail service anyway!

Welsh lines and the Borders line have been reopened - it is feasible.