Today marks a significant achievement for the government’s “Restoring Your Railway” manifesto commitment.

The Restoring Your Railway fund was launched in January 2020 to reinstate axed local services and restore closed stations, many of which were victims of Dr. Beeching’s 1963 report on ‘The Reshaping of British Railways’.

Today, Wednesday, 17 November, the Dartmoor Line from Exeter to Okehampton once again became part of the UK rail network when Transport Secretary Grant Shapps despatched a passenger train for the first time in 50 years.

Year-round regular public services will resume on Saturday, 20 November. After regular services were withdrawn in 1972, the line has only seen some Sunday services in the summer.

The line was restored from a mothballed former freight line into a passenger railway running regular services in just 9 months thanks to over £40 million of Government investment through its Restoring Your Railway programme, with a final cost that was £10m under budget.

The Department for Transport, Network Rail, and Great Western Railway (GWR) worked together to reopen the line ahead of time and under budget, benefitting from the application of Rail Project SPEED approaches.

To restore the line, Network Rail engineers laid 11 miles of new track and installed 24,000 concrete sleepers and 29,000 tonnes of ballast in a record-breaking 20-day period. Other work required the repair of 21 structures along the route including four bridges, level crossing improvements, and installation of railway communications equipment.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Improving transport links is essential to levelling up and spreading opportunity across the country, which is why we are driving forward our pledge to reverse the Beeching cuts in Devon today.

“As we reopen the Dartmoor line, we are rightly reconnecting communities, giving passengers the chance to choose rail over the road and travel from Exeter to Okehampton on greener, cleaner modes of transport.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “By restoring the Dartmoor Line we are undoing 50 years of damage, reconnecting a community and creating new opportunities for jobs, tourism, education and recreation.
“We have made it our mission to reverse cuts made in the Beeching era of the 1960s. The passion, nostalgia and enthusiasm for that ambition is clear right across the country.

“People love their railways, and rightly miss them when they’re gone. Today – ahead of time, and under budget – we’ve made a decisive step in fixing that, cutting the ribbon on a line and making a real difference to people’s lives.”

Michelle Handforth, Network Rail’s Wales & Western regional managing director, said: “Today marks a significant milestone for the railway and the local community and I am delighted to have been able to welcome the Secretary of State to Okehampton to mark this special occasion.

“I am so proud of our engineers whose hard work and dedication has resulted in this line reopening ahead of schedule and today enable the Secretary of State, campaigners and supporters of the Dartmoor Line to enjoy a first passenger journey.

“I would like to thank the local community, our partners and everyone who has supported us in reopening this railway line and I am excited to think that this Saturday, regular passenger services will resume for the first time in nearly 50 years.”

Mark Hopwood, GWR Managing Director, said: “This has been a key aspiration for the community and the rail industry for some time and today is a significant day for everyone who has been involved. I am delighted to have been able to invite the Secretary of State, and leading community campaigners, to enjoy a first passenger journey on this restored line.

Great Western Railway identified suitable rolling stock and worked with Dartline Coaches and Devon County Council to come up with a timetable that coordinates bus and train connections.

Further work will be carried out during the winter, including on station buildings, to enable restoration of the café and other facilities.