THE re-opening of the Okehampton and Tavistock rail line could bring huge economic benefit to the area according to a report commissioned by the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Research commis-sioned by the CPRE has found that the 'impacts of rail service re-opening on the local and regional economy are likely to be significant and on balance positive'.

The 'Rural Reconnections' report produced by rail research specialists Greengauge 21 examines the case for re-opening the Okehampton and Tavistock route. It finds that, combining the benefit of a resilient diversionary route with those that result from linking up communities and businesses currently cut off from the rail network, hugely strengthen the argument for re-opening the line.

Other benefits include increasing opportunities for commuters and boosting tourism as well as providing a model for the modernisation of rural rail links across the country.

The study proposes that the line is re-instated as a second line for the area rather than to replace the coastal line through Dawlish.

In his foreword to the report, Shaun Spiers, chief executive for the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said that areas cut off from the rail network face growing disadvantages and the interviews contained within the report 'speak volumes for the enormous popularity of re-opening railways'.

'This report sets out why better railways are essential if we want to protect and enhance our countryside and get more people visiting and enjoying it,' he said. 'It shows that re-opening is not an exercise in nostalgia but vital both to unlocking the potential of rural areas and securing a resilient transport network.

'The changing climate will increasingly threaten the resilience of our infrastructure, so it is not only the far South West that needs diversionary rail routes. Moreover this report makes a compelling case as to the economic, social and environmental benefits of restoring sections of rail lines that were axed in the 1960s, turning them from dead ends into through routes again.

'With growing numbers of households in our urban areas not owning cars, the direction of travel will certainly not be one-way. Travelling by train offers an enjoyable way to reach our finest and most tranquil countryside while minimising negative impacts.

'While the recent return to road building threatens some of England's most treasured places, we are doing next to nothing to widen travel choices outside of cities. That is why CPRE is calling for a 'smarter travel first' approach to make road building the option of last resort whether in town or country.

'If rural areas receive their fair share of national investment, railways like this one can be re-opened with great benefits to the countryside, its communities and those who wish to visit it.'

Penny Mills of CPRE Devon said: 'Large parts of Devon and North Cornwall have no trains. Reopening the railway from Exeter to Okehampton and beyond would make such a tremendous difference, unlocking local economies as well as making it easier for people to reach wonderful countryside.'

Cllr Dr Michael Ireland, chair of town council working group Destination Okehampton and a long-term advocate of the railway, said the report was well presented and structured with a wide evidence base but it could have done more to reflect the benefits not only to West Devon but to North Cornwall and Torridge as well.

He said: 'The report shows the wider benefit of improved connectivity to the rail network for the towns of Okehampton and Tavistock. It is good to see the report challenge the idea that the northern route is slower, citing a possible 53 minute class 220/221 voyager between Exeter and Plymouth. The points made on the introduction of a regular year-round Okehampton service must be supported and introduced as soon as stock and funding is available.

'As someone who works with Destination Okehampton to promote the use of the summer Sunday service, I see evidence through passenger numbers — between 60 to 70 people on the first train from Okehampton at 09.55am — that there is demand for the reopening of the line.

'There is a renewed interest in re-opening the line and this report does not always reflect demand and the benefits to tourism, employment, education and training in the wider catchment area beyond Tavistock and Okehampton into North Cornwall and Torridge. For example, under the heading "Demographics and housing" the 53,000 population figure for West Devon is misleading; this is an underestimate of the true beneficiaries of the line in North Cornwall and Torridge estimated to be in excess of 100,000.

'In Okehampton we have the houses without a rail service, even though we have the line in place. This is a situation that must be redressed as soon as stock and funding becomes available.'