The first turf has been cut at a special ceremony marking the start of construction of a new station in Devon.

Having been in the pipeline for the last couple of years, members from Devon County Council, West Devon Borough Council, GWR and Network Rail were in attendance at the ceremony as the new station, which is to be called Okehampton Interchange, begins the first stage building.

The station is being constructed within a 2 minute journey time from the A30, it will not only act as an interchange point between trains, cars, buses and bicycles heading for West Devon, Bude, Torridge and North Cornwall but it will also offer an additional access point for the Business Park for those coming up by rail from Exeter.

Besides this, the expansion of the town Okehampton to the east has also prompted this new station to be built to cope with the additional capacity expected on the line in the coming years, and ease pressure on the existing station at Okehampton.

The growth of new communities will create new jobs, schools, and medical centre’s. The new station will complement this by offering a greener transport alternative for those commuting into Oakhampton regularly.

It will also ease traffic congestion on the local roads for those currently heading to Okehampton’s existing station during peak travel hours.

Okehampton Interchange will be accessible to all, while the station will consist of a single platform on the existing single track section coming up from Exeter.

There will be ramps, lifts and a footbridge that will link the platform to a spacious car park which will have disabled bays and electric charging points, while cyclists will benefit from sheltered cycle parking.

It is hoped that building the station as an interchange will provide people with better travel connections. The improved connectivity between rail and bus services, as well as existing bus services, will result from diverting local buses to the station. New links to existing trails and cycleways will benefit cyclists and pedestrians.

At a cost of £15m, the station and its amenities are being funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council. The station is expected to see the same current hourly train service which runs on the line from Exeter to Okehampton.

There is a lot of pressure for this station to live up to its sister station further down the line. When Okehampton station reopened as part of the national rail network in 2021 following restoration and relaying of the line from Exeter, over half a million people travelled on the line in the first year of operation.

“It’s excellent news that work is starting on this new station. We’ve already seen the positive benefits the Dartmoor Line has had for this part of the county, and the Okehampton Interchange will make it convenient for even more passengers across West Devon, North Devon and North Cornwall to enjoy rail travel to other parts of the county and further afield.”

Devon County Council Chairman John Hart

“The Okehampton Interchange is an important progression for the Dartmoor Line, which has already been a tremendous success since reopening and is a great asset to the local economy. This new Interchange will make sustainable travel a more realistic option across a wider area of the county, supporting connections with bus, cycling and walking links to help tackle carbon emissions.”

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport

“This is the latest example of everyone coming together to help build an even better railway. Okehampton Interchange will get more people travelling by rail, boost the economy in the region and improve the local environment.”

Bogdan Lupu, Network Rail industry programme director