From 19 February to Sunday 27 February, train services on the Dartmoor Line between Crediton and Okehampton and the Tarka Line between Crediton and Barnstaple will be suspended and replaced by buses.

The line closures are necessary to allow Network Rail to carry out urgent work on a railway bridge near the hamlet of Penstone. Trains will continue to run between Exeter and Crediton for most of the day.

The bridge to be repaired is just south of Penstone about 1 mile from the villages of Colebrooke and Coleford, close to the junction of the Exeter to Barnstaple (Tarka Line) and Exeter to Okehampton (Dartmoor Line) rail lines. The road beneath the bridge will be closed from7 February to 4 March, and Network Rail has advised residents of the closure.

The replacement bus services will depart at different times to the normal train services, and journey times will be longer than the normal train time from Crediton to Okehampton of 40 minutes. Travel times can be obtained from the GWR journey planner at https://www.gwr.com/your-tickets

Trains normally run every two hours each way, seven days a week, between Okehampton, Crediton, and Exeter St Davids, including services for daily commuters. Most services also call at Exeter Central, including the key peak services.

Replacement buses will run between:

• Crediton to Okehampton;
• Crediton to Copplestone, Morchard Road, Eggesford, Umberleigh and Barnstaple. Selected services will stop at Lapford, Kings Nympton, Portsmouth Arms, and Chapelton;
• Crediton to Yeoford.

Some replacement bus services will extend to/from Exeter St Davids at the start or end of each day.

Further closure of the line between Crediton and Okehampton will take place from 25 April to 9 May. That is to allow engineering work to take place to enable the Dartmoor Line to move to an hourly train service. Buses will replace trains during the line’s closure.