Over 10,000 People Use Reopened Dartmoor Line In First Two Weeks
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from the Dartmoor Line.
These are the first three paragraphs of the press release.
More than 10,000 people have travelled on the Dartmoor Line in the first two weeks since its reopening.
The line reopened for regular year-round, all-week passenger services on Saturday 20 November and demand for the trains linking Okehampton and Exeter has continued to remain high.
The reopening of the Dartmoor Line is the first of the Government’s Restoring Your Railway schemes, made possible thanks to over £40 million Government investment.
All concerned must be very pleased, especially as it was delivered £10 million under budget and within nine months, ahead of time.
I described my first use of the new route to Okehampton in A Few Hours In Okehampton, where I came to this conclusion.
Exeter and Okehampton is a well-thought out reopening, that will be welcomed in the South West of England.
It would appear the passenger numbers confirm my conclusion.
Since my visit to Okehampton, I have wondered, whether the apparent success of the Okehampton reopening, would have any other effects.
In the December 2021 Edition of Modern Railways, there is an article, which is entitled South West Seeks More Reopenings, with a sub-title of Okehampton Service Could Be A Precursor.
The article details a number of projects.
Marsh Barton Station
A new Marsh Barton station is under construction and has a December 2022 opening date.
Edginswell Station
A new Edginswell station is being planned to serve Torbay Hospital on the Riviera Line, with a possible opening of 2025.
Collumpton And Wellington Stations
The last budget chipped in five million, so that preferred options and a full business case can be developed for these two new stations.
- Collumpton station will probably be developed at the site of the old station, which is close to Collumpton Services on the M5.
- Wellington station will probably be on a new site at Longworth Farm, where five hundred houses are being developed.
The Modern Railways article also says this about housing.
Thousands of houses are expected to be built in both towns in the next decade, making provision of railway stations highly desirable to avoid soaring road congestion.
Network Rail and Great Western Railway also seem to be experimenting with different service patterns through the two stations.
- Both hourly and two-hourly services have been tested.
- In the December 2021 timetable there is now a two-hourly GWR Castle service over the Taunton and Exeter stretch, that will call at the two new stations, when they open.
- To have an hourly service there will also be a Taunton and Exeter shuttle.
This service would provide access to education and employment in Exeter, Taunton and Bristol.
The cost benefit ratio is above the Government’s limit for backing of two.
Opening of the two new stations is pencilled in for 2025.
Barnstaple And Axminster
The Modern Railways article also says this.
As part of the Devon Metro concept, Devon County Council aspires to extend further eastwards the hourly Barnstaple services that currently terminate at Exeter Central, perhaps as far as Axminster.
This would need track improvements East of Pinhoe station.
The current timings of the two sections are as follows.
- Exeter Central and Axminster – 37 minutes
- Exeter Central and Barnstaple – 74 minutes
These timings probably mean that a round trip between Axminster and Barnstaple can be done in a convenient four hours, so an hourly service would need four trains.
From sometime next year, when the frequency of the Exeter Central and Okehampton service becomes hourly, the services along the route will be as follows.
- Exeter St. Davids and Axminster – Hourly
- Exeter Central and Barnstaple – Hourly
- Exeter Central and Okehampton – Hourly
There is also a service, that runs every thirty minutes between Exmouth and Paignton via Exeter Central and Exeter St. Davids, Newton Abbot and Torquay.
The frequencies on the various sections would be as follows.
- Barnstaple and Crediton – One tph
- Okehampton and Crediton – One tph
- Crediton and Exeter St. Davids – Two tph
- Paignton and Exeter St. Davids – At least two tph
- Exeter St. Davids and Exeter Central – Five tph
- Exeter Central and Axminster – One tph
- Exeter Central and Exmouth – Two tph
Note.
- tph is trains per hour.
- Other services run between Exeter St. Davids and Paignton stations.
- In recent years a new station at Cranbrook has opened between Exeter Central and Axminster.
Extending the Barnstaple and Exeter Central service to Axminster would double the frequency on the Exeter Central and Axminster section.
Axminster station is shown in this Google Map.
Note.
- The station has two platforms.
- The station appears to have a bridge with lifts.
- The station has a good road connection and the parking could probably be extended.
Axminster station could certainly handle a fast train between London and Exeter, a stopping train to Barnstaple and all the passengers.
Devon Metro
It does appear that the services of the Devon Metro are coming together.
- Paignton and Exmouth is already running.
- Barnstaple and Exeter Central is already running.
- Okehampton and Exeter Central has just started.
- Exeter St. Davids and Taunton via new stations at Collumpton and Wellington is being planned.
- Barnstaple and Exeter Central needs to be extended to Axminster.
How many other cities in the UK could benefit from a metro of this quality?
Bere Alston And Tavistock
The Modern Railways article also says this.
Meanwhile, further west on the former Southern network, restoration of services from Bere Alston to Tavistock has long been proposed, giving Tavistock a rail link to Plymouth. Christian Irwin, Network Rail’s Industry Programme Manager (South West), who oversaw the Okehampton reopening that came in early and underbudget, says he is keen to repeat the trick on the Tavistock route.
It is probably more difficult than at Okehampton.
- The trackbed is mainly intact, but the track has been lifted.
- The track to be laid is shorter than at Okehampton.
- Two structures at the Southern end need to be replaced.
- A new station needs to be built at Tavistock.
Devon County Council seems to be in control of the land needed.
Proposed services seem to be as follows.
- Plymouth and Gunnislake via Bere Alston – One train per two hours (tp2h)
- Plymouth and Tavistock via Bere Alston – One tph
Overall it looks like the Tavistock project will be more expensive than that at Okehampton, but there would appear to be more contributions from developers.
Devon County Council are hoping that the Tavistock link could be build in the next decade.
Tavistock And Okehampton
After the reconnection of Tavistock to the National Rail network, the council would hope to complete the link between Tavistock and Okehampton.
This would give the following benefits.
- Improved public transport connectivity in West Devon and North Cornwall.
- Improve revenue potential at Okehampton and Tavistock stations.
- Create an easier freight route.
- Create an alternative route, if the coastal route is closed.
It is a challenging project, but I feel it will be possible by perhaps 2035.
Reopening Of Wellington and Cullompton Stations
This is one of the successful bids in the First Round of the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Wellington and Collumpton stations were two stations on the Bristol-Exeter Line.
- Both stations were rebuilt in the 1930s with passing loops. Was this to increase the capacity of the route?
- Both were closed under Beeching in 1964.
- Little remains of either station.
Looking back with 20-20 hindsight, this does seem to have been a rather pointless closure of two stations serving towns of around ten thousand people, who might need to commute for work.
The South Devon Metro
Some years ago, Devon County Council put forward a plan to create a South Devon Metro based on the various lines centred on Exeter St. David’s station.
- The Avocet Line to Exmouth
- The Riviera Line to Paignton
- The Tarka Line to Barnstaple
Services were also planned to connect Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Plymouth, Taunton and intermediate stations into the system.
- Some new stations were also added.
- The trains were to be upgraded, which appears to be happening.
But the development seems to have somewhat stalled.
Collumpton Station
The Wikipedia entry for Collumpton station says this about reopening.
As part of the “Devon Metro” plans by Devon County Council there would be a station near the location of the old station and could form part of the route. The station is a ‘possible’ long term proposal.
I should declare an interest in Collumpton, in that my maternal grandmother was an Upcott, who was born in Dalston. Her father was not the first son of the Devon family from Collumpton, that are mentioned in the Wikipedia entry for the town, so he left for London to find fame and fortune. He set up as a wheelwright opposite Dalston Junction station. She was considered posh by my parents.
I would look forward to taking my Upcott genes back to their ancestral home, when the new station opens.
This Google Map shows Collumpton and its transport network.
Note.
- The M5 going down the East side of the map.
- The Exeter-Bristol Line follows the M5 on the Western side.
- Collumpton Services were built on the site of the former station.
This Google Map shows the area to the South of Collumpton services at an enlarged scale.
There certainly seems to be space to the West of the roundabout.
- As Tiverton Parkway station is only a few miles to the North, it may be possible to avoid providing hundreds of parking spaces.
- It’s not a long walk to the Town Centre, which could be along the River Culm.
- Plenty of bicycle parking would probably be a good idea.
- Could the road bridge over the railway, be made step-free for travellers, who need to cross the tracks?
I certainly think there are possibilities to integrate the station into the town.
Wellington Station
The site for a new Wellington station is less obvious to locate.
This Google Map shows how the Exeter-Bristol skirts round the Northern side of the town.
Note.
- The road that runs up the Western side of the block containing the three large buildings, is the B3187.
- It’s also called Station Road. So that must be a clue!
This Google Map shows where the B3187 crosses the railway.
It matches the photo of the goods shed at Wellington station in Wikipedia.
The old station site, must be high on the list of possible sites for the new station.
The Trains
These are a few thoughts on the trains serving Collumpton and Wellington.
Could There Be A Taunton Route In The South Devon Metro?
Consider.
- When Collumpton and Wellington stations are completed, there will be three stations between Exeter and Taunton.
- The third station will be Tiverton Parkway station.
- So if the South Devon Metro were to be created on this route, surely it would be better to go all the way to Taunton station, which has six platforms.
- This extension would also give easy access to the heritage West Somerset Railway, which runs to the coast at Minehead station.
It would certainly seem likely that a local service from Exeter on this route would terminate at Taunton station.
Could Exeter And Taunton Be Run By Battery-Electric Trains?
As it’s only just over thirty miles, the answer must be in the affirmative!
But they would probably need to be charged at both ends of the route.
On the other hand, all routes on the South Devon Metro could probably be run using battery-electric trains.
Could Paddington And Exeter Be Run By Battery-Electric Trains?
It looks a tough ask, but I feel it is possible with discontinuous electrification.
- Paddington and Newbury is already electrified.
- Exeter and Taunton could be electrified.
With a short length of electrification or what I call an electrification island at Westbury, I am fairly sure, that a Hitachi AT-300 train fitted with batteries could handle the 170 miles.
Would A Fast-Slow Strategy Help?
Greater Anglia do their Norwich-in-Ninety services with two trains.
- On the hour, a fast train heads off to Norwich or London, only stopping at Ipswich.
- Ten minutes later, a slow train follows it calling at all stations.
Greater Anglia intends to aim for three trains per hour (tph) between London and Norwich in both directions; two fast and one slow.
Would a philosophy like this work between Paddington and Exeter?
Conclusion
Reopening Collumpton and Wellington stations is a simple and easy-to-implement scheme, that will improve public transport in this area of Devon and Somerset.
The Anonymous Widower 