AMBITIOUS moves to restore the former Southern Railway line between Plymouth and Exeter, via Tavistock and Okehampton, took on fresh momentum this month with the support of countryside campaigners.

The Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England is asking for a feasibility study to be commissioned to resurrect the entire rail line — it last saw a direct train service between the two cities, via the West Devon towns, on May 5, 1968.

Following its closure, track on a 20-mile section between the spectacular Meldon Viaduct, and Bere Alston was lifted. The line to Okehampton was closed in 1972 and only freight remained to Meldon Quarry.

However, a proposed project by developers the Kilbride Group to re-open the 5.5-mile line from Bere Alston to Tavistock as part of a project to build 750 houses on the outskirts of the town, sparked the CPRE into asking the Department of Transport into looking at the possibility of re-invigorating the Tavistock-Okehampton line.

The CPRE West Devon Group says that although it does not support the housing development, it does support the re-opening of the railway line.

John Hartley, railway representative for CPRE Devon said: 'Both ends are open at present, from Exeter to Meldon and Plymouth to Bere Alston. To reopen this line would be of strategic importance, especially for the future.

'Devon once had an excellent railway network, much of which is now closed.

'To reopen the middle section of this line, would give realistic rail access to a big area of Devon that does not have this at present, as well as a main line status to the rest of the country.

'At a transport meeting I was talking to someone who lives in North Cornwall who said his nearest main line station was Exeter, so this re-opening would change that.'

Mr Hartley said that much of the trackbed was intact, as well as important viaducts, tunnels and embankments, so it was realistic to re-open the line. There were only a few properties on the trackbed between Bere Alston and Meldon.

'The Dawlish sea wall route is at present the only through route west of Exeter, to Torbay, Plymouth and Cornwall.

'It is not suggested the Dawlish route should close, but any closure for whatever reason cuts off the only rail route at present.'

The reopening of the former Southern main line, says the CPRE, would give many rural communities rail access, especially those without cars, and could integrate with other sorts of public transport.

Mr Hartley added: 'It could bring more tourism and be of economic benefit, hopefully creating work.

'This line goes through beautiful scenery and could be enjoyed by many. There is also the freight potential.

'Tavistock had two railway lines at one time, The Great Western from Plymouth to Launceston, and this Southern main line. Since the closure of these lines Tavistock has had huge growth, and also now has two World Heritage sites.

'The roads to Tavistock are not ideal with little chance to improve. Part of the closed trackbed is used as a cycleway, but as it was a main line with two tracks there is room for both.'

The CPRE is in the process of applying for grants to carry out a feasibility study. It has been supportive of improvements on the Exeter to Waterloo line and welcomes the passing loop at Axminster.

However with the country only just officially out of an economic recession the cost to restore the line could be prohibitive — conservative estimates of £100-million plus to connect the whole of the Plymouth-Exeter line. Such a sum would need Government backing, if not European money.

Richard Burningham, the manager of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, said: 'Personally I would very much like to be able to take a train on the old Southern route across Dartmoor but I'm afraid it is not going to happen in anything like the foreseeable future. 

'A detailed feasibility study, which would itself be an expensive undertaking, would be best done when there is some prospect of the project happening.'

Mr Burningham added that Network Rail is already investing a lot of money to ensure the Teignmouth-Dawlish sea wall route is open all year round and even if many years into the future the seaside track was endangered by, say global warming, then the people who lived in towns such as Teignmouth and Dawlish would still need to be served by a train line.

The cost of such restoring the old Southern Railway line would be at a 'conservative estimate' at least £100-million. Mr Burningham estimated that if the cost of restoring the Tavistock-Bere Alston line was around £18-million then to restore the section between Okehampton and Tavistock would be at least double that.

'The reality is that there is just not the demand for it from the railway to provide a service that way between Plymouth and Exeter.

'The county council accept what the railway companies are telling them and appreciate the effort and resources they are now putting into the present Dawlish sea wall route.'

Liberal Democrat Adam Symons, prospective parliamentary candidate for West Devon and Torridge, has come out in support of a proposal to reconnect Exeter and Plymouth through Okehampton and Tavistock.

He is backing CPRE's call to reopen the old line. He told the Times: 'I think we should seriously consider the options for opening this line. The current mainline route is under threat from sea level rises, and we may need another option.

'Linking Exeter with Okehampton, Tavistock and Plymouth would make sense, and I anticipate would bring significant economic benefits to the two towns in West Devon.'