THE argument for the return of a full time rail service to Okehampton is growing ever stronger, with a second carriage increasing capacity for the town’s Sunday Rover service.

When the service started up for the summer back in May, residents were urged to make use of the train to prove the desire and need for a full time rail service for Okehampton. Currently, the train has a single carriage with 76 seats.

The service is proving hugely popular, with a passenger survey report showing that on almost every Sunday since the service began running, the day’s first train is often running close to or above full capacity. On the vast majority of days, over 150 passengers have been using the rover service both to and from Exeter, with several days breaking the 200 passenger mark.

At Monday’s full town council meeting, councillors revealed that First Great Western had agreed ‘in principle’ to run a second carriage on the service whenever possible to boost capacity to 150 seats.

Cllr Kevin Ball, Devon county councillor for Okehampton Rural, said: ‘Everyone is working together and we’ve put some friendly pressure on Great Western, who have been very supportive.

‘In principle they have agreed to a two-car unit for the Sunday Rover. If they are running short of rolling stock, the normal timetable comes first. But it is an achievement all round and thanks to First Great Western for their help on this.’

Cllr Michael Ireland, a long time advocate for full rail services in Okehampton, said: ‘Now that the rover is offering 150 seats to and from the town, it is very important that we support it as a community. The news of a second carriage should be welcomed.

‘This is not just about Okehampton. What you can see from the report is that while a good proportion of people using the service are from within three miles of Okehampton, a sizeable proportion are from West Devon, including many nearby parishes. Hatherleigh has been one of the main supporters of the service. We have had users from North Cornwall, West Devon and Torridge. Getting a service to Okehampton is very important as it can be a hub for the wider community.’

With the service proving so popular among Hatherleigh residents, a new bus service from Hatherleigh to Okehampton connecting to the Sunday Rover train is being trialled on August 14. The aim of the service is to demonstrate how the wider community will benefit from the return of a full time Okehampton rail service.

County councillor for Hatherleigh and Chagford James McInnes said: ‘Travelling into Exeter from Hatherleigh can be a nightmare at busy times of the day and not everyone has access to a car. These factors increase the risk of rural isolation and prevent many local people from applying for jobs in the city.

‘The case for a permanent rail service from Okehampton to Exeter is steadily building and hopefully the bus service will be well used and will help the cause further.

‘More information is available in Hatherleigh Visitor Information Centre and Hatherleigh Community Centre.’

MP for Central Devon Mel Stride said: ‘In the past decade the number of rail journeys undertaken in the UK has risen by 43 percent. Across the country, when residents are given the choice between driving and catching the train, more are choosing the train.

‘Like Cllr McInnes, I hope the trial bus service is a big success and provides further evidence that a new passenger rail service between Okehampton and Exeter would be financially viable.’

At the town council meeting on Monday night, councillors also discussed the potential terminus for any new Okehampton services.

Councillors agreed that should any rail service return to the town, the existing station should be the terminus and the proposed Okehampton East station should be a park and ride station. This was following a proposal from Dartmoor Railway that the Okehampton East station should be the terminus for the line for operational reasons and so as not to disrupt the Polar Express tourist trains at Christmas.

Cllr Tony Leech, borough councillor for Okehampton North, said: ‘It is imperative that Okehampton East is not the stopping point for any new service. In the fullness of time, if we have the railway right through Okehampton, it would be stupid to have Okehampton East as the terminus.

‘It is vital for bringing tourists in to Okehampton and for people in the west of the town. It is a no-brainer.’

Cllr Paul Vachon said: ‘The problem is that if Okehampton East were to be the terminus, the last place people would want to be dumped is in the middle of a business park building site on the east of town. We’d need to set up a bus to bring people in to town then. To improve marketing and tourism, it is vital that the terminus would be at the current station.’

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