The Dartmoor line reopened for regular year-round and all week passengers services with demand remaining high for trains connecting Okehampton and Exeter
The Dartmoor line was the first to take part in the Government's Restoring Your Railway schemes and saw huge Government investment of more than £40 million which enabled the project to get underway.
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said:
“Delivered £10 million under budget and within nine months, ahead of time, I am delighted to see that in its first two weeks the line is starting to flourish.
“The reopening has been a key aspiration for the community and the rail industry for some time, and the demand for services shows just how important good rail connections are for the community they serve.”
The first-weekday passenger train to operate on the Dartmoor Line in more than 50 years was dispatched by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in an inaugural service which ran on Wednesday the 17th of November ahead of regular passenger services commencing on Saturday the 20th of November.
The first train made its way from Okehampton, carrying local school children, campaigners, railway staff, and those who have supported and helped realise the project.
In response to the latest figures, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“The Dartmoor Line has been a huge local success story – and these numbers show it. This link is already incredibly important to Okehampton, Exeter, Devon and to people from further afield visiting Dartmoor. It was brilliant to open the line last month, delivered two years early and £10 million under budget – now delivering for the local community.”
The project has seen an incredible combined effort by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) who together, saw the project accelerated and enabled the reopening of the railway for passenger services in just 9 months from receiving funding approval and even came in £10 million under budget.
This is excellent work , pity Stratford upon Avon can’t get it’s act together after 10 years of disagreement between councils . GWR link to London would bring thousands more Tourist passengers via Oxford to the Bard’s home town and relieve the pressure of more cars south of Stratford at Long Marston where 900 homes are being built .
Wake up Stratford , we hate your traffic chaos , you need a new 6 miles railway link to the Cotswolds line and the Govt have earmarked money to fund it , John M .
Perhaps the Portishead branch line is next to reopen and for GWR to allow the Class 150, Class 153 and Class 165 DMUs to be used once the branch line reopens with new stations being added. Including Pill which is planned to have a new railway station.
Let this be an example of how to invest in our railways. All this for £40m and the government is spending 2,500 times that for HS2.
Brilliant Elizabeth line in London 4 years late and millions over budget