CENTRAL Devon MP Mel Stride has been assured that a feasibility study for a regular rail service between Okehampton and Exeter is on track to be presented to the Government within 12 weeks.

Mr Stride met with Great Western Railway’s regional development manager Matt Barnes on Friday, March 15 to be given a progress report on the next step towards the rail service being reinstated.

Rail company Great Western Railway are currently completing the feasibility study for the Department for Transport.

Mr Stride was told the report, initially promised in the autumn of last year, would be completed within 12 weeks.

The meeting comes on top of a sustained campaign by the Central Devon MP who organised a meeting with then transport minister Jo Johnson in October to keep the Department for Transport’s attention focused on the project.

In February, the Department for Transport specifically referenced services operating out of Okehampton in a strategy document outlining its future aspirations.

Speaking after the meeting Mr Stride said: ‘It was good to sit down with GWR and hear that they have not encountered any specific problems, it is just simply a case of a project of this magnitude taking longer than expected. I have offered my ongoing support should any obstacles arise.’

OkeRail Forum chairman Mike Davies said: ‘I appreciate Mel helping us chasing GWR for an update as things had gone a little quiet.

‘There had previously been an outside chance of getting the service started this year but realistically we are looking more like 2020 at the earliest due to the time that will be needed for operators to bid to run the service and for timetabling to be organised. While we all want to see the many years of work on this come to fruition it is more important to get it right than to rush it and then encounter problems that actually cause greater delays.’