THE GOVERNMENT has confirmed a passenger rail service will be restored to Okehampton.

The railway was included in this week’s Government Comprehensive Spending Review and the National Infrastructure Strategy.

County councillor Kevin Ball said he believed an official announcement that the line would be reopening would be made soon.

He added: ‘After many false hopes, this is confirmation that it’s going to happen. I am delighted, because the Government made a commitment to invest around the country and not just in urban areas and they are doing just that.’

Cllr Ball stressed that the line would not just be for the people of Okehampton, but would benefit everyone in West Devon.

He said: ‘When it reopens, it means that somebody in Tavistock can get in a car, drive for 25 minutes, then get on a train that will connect with a train to London. This is huge for the area.’

Michael Ireland, chairman of OkeRail said: ‘We welcome the statement from the Government on the reopening of the Okehampton line which is well overdue and it is significant not only for the town but for the wider area of West Devon and North Cornwall.’

’These areas do need to be taken into account and it is important we have good bus links from the major towns bordering Okehampton like Tavistock, Launceston, Holsworthy and Bude so as many people as possible are able to take full advantage of the rail link from Okehampton.’

The National Infrastructure Strategy, Restoring your Railway states:

The Government will also deliver on its manifesto commitment to spend £500-million to restore transport services previously lost in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, including reopening the Ashington-Blyth line in Northumberland to passenger services, and restoring rail links to Okehampton in Devon. The Government has also launched a New Ideas Fund to pay for feasibility work on proposals for new lines and stations.

More information about when the service will start, will follow in the coming weeks. Work is being carried out now on the line by Network Rail to prepare the infrastructure.

See a full report and reaction in next week’s Okehampton Times