Okehampton

[whole diary]

[rogerw]

It may be of interest to some that UKRailtours are running a trip to Okehampton (and Paignton) on Saturday 26th March, picking up at Paddington, Slough, Reading and Swindon. Out via Bristol and return via Westbury and TransWilts Full details on their web site

[grahame]

It may be of interest to some that UKRailtours are running a trip to Okehampton (and Paignton) on Saturday 26th March, picking up at Paddington, Slough, Reading and Swindon. Out via Bristol and return via Westbury and TransWilts Full details on their web site

Tempting

https://www.ukrailtours.com/product/springtime-hoovering-in-devon/

[RailCornwall]

I know it's been fixed for a couple of weeks now, but the booking engine now is operating correctly for Okehampton, all ranges of tickets are now available. Taken the plunge and am travelling to Okehampton tomorrow from Perranwell for a day out.

Should be a fun day.

[TonyK]

I know it's been fixed for a couple of weeks now, but the booking engine now is operating correctly for Okehampton, all ranges of tickets are now available. Taken the plunge and am travelling to Okehampton tomorrow from Perranwell for a day out.

Should be a fun day.

Just waiting for favourable auguries myself, then I shall make a tour of inspection myself. Hopefully accompanied by Mrs K, although if she is out of town I can move at a more leisurely pace. Just under £6 return with the card from my nearest station.

[RailCornwall]

Excellent trip albeit with a slight delay at Exeter on the return. Impressed with the ride quality on the Dartmoor Line which really couldn't be better. The bus down to Okehampton centre is a necessity, more so the return to the station, the walk would be quite a schlep. I was surprised to see that some work was done on Sampford Courtney platform even though the station is no longer served. It'll be interesting to monitor usage going forwards.

[grahame]

The bus down to Okehampton centre is a necessity, more so the return to the station, the walk would be quite a schlep. ...

For those of us who have not yet been there, how does it compare to Liskeard to Coombe Junction?

[RichardB]

The bus down to Okehampton centre is a necessity, more so the return to the station, the walk would be quite a schlep. ...

For those of us who have not yet been there, how does it compare to Liskeard to Coombe Junction?

Funnily enough, I have walked up to Okehampton station from the town - three times in the last year, once in a downpour! - but I've not walked Coombe Jn - Liskeard.  Okehampton is a steep, fairly unrelenting walk but not all that long - I've done it in 12 mins.  The 118 is very welcome.  There's talk of a new very local operator providing an additional town bus too in the near future.

[RichardB]

The bus down to Okehampton centre is a necessity, more so the return to the station, the walk would be quite a schlep. ...

For those of us who have not yet been there, how does it compare to Liskeard to Coombe Junction?

Funnily enough, I have walked up to Okehampton station from the town - three times in the last year, once in a downpour! - but I've not walked Coombe Jn - Liskeard.  Okehampton is a steep, fairly unrelenting walk but not all that long - I've done it in 12 mins.  The 118 is very welcome.  There's talk of a new very local operator providing an additional town bus too in the near future.

[RichardB]

It may be of interest to some that UKRailtours are running a trip to Okehampton (and Paignton) on Saturday 26th March, picking up at Paddington, Slough, Reading and Swindon. Out via Bristol and return via Westbury and TransWilts Full details on their web site

Tempting

https://www.ukrailtours.com/product/springtime-hoovering-in-devon/

Now fully booked!

[DaveHarries]

Current planned timetables for the summer are now online - I have seen them on 2 separate sites and both agree on the information - and indicate an hourly service between Exeter Central and Okehampton 7 days per week which is good to see.

Mondays to Fridays: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OKE/2022-05-16/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt
Saturdays: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OKE/2022-05-21/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt
Sundays: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OKE/2022-05-22/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Dave

[Bob_Blakey]

https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/planned-engineering/2022/rail-improvement-work-crediton-february-2022.pdf?la=en

Crediton-Okehampton services replaced by buses 19-27/02/2022 & 25/04-09/05/2022 due to engineering work. 

[RichardB]

https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/planned-engineering/2022/rail-improvement-work-crediton-february-2022.pdf?la=en

Crediton-Okehampton services replaced by buses 19-27/02/2022 & 25/04-09/05/2022 due to engineering work. 

This work is essential to allow the hourly service to come in from (all being well) the May timetable change.

[REVUpminster]

https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/planned-engineering/2022/rail-improvement-work-crediton-february-2022.pdf?la=en

Crediton-Okehampton services replaced by buses 19-27/02/2022 & 25/04-09/05/2022 due to engineering work. 

This work is essential to allow the hourly service to come in from (all being well) the May timetable change.

The work is hardly decreasing journey times.  I believe there is an allowance for future stop at Okehampton Parkway.

[RichardB]

https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/planned-engineering/2022/rail-improvement-work-crediton-february-2022.pdf?la=en

Crediton-Okehampton services replaced by buses 19-27/02/2022 & 25/04-09/05/2022 due to engineering work. 

This work is essential to allow the hourly service to come in from (all being well) the May timetable change.

The work is hardly decreasing journey times.  I believe there is an allowance for future stop at Okehampton Parkway.

The hourly service needs to work with the potential for an Okehampton Parkway stop and, yes, the work is essential to make it all stack up. 

[grahame]

The hourly service needs to work with the potential for an Okehampton Parkway stop and, yes, the work is essential to make it all stack up. 

I am delighted to see your service being stepped up to hourly in a few months.  It confirms that your decision makers are totally aware of the need for / benefit of an hourly service  on a line with a 45 minute end to end running time.

I am jealous - I must confess - as an hourly service would also be appropriate to my local line from Westbury to Swindon - just 2 trains each way per day ten years ago, up to a service every 2 to 2.5 hours by five years ago, but stuck in the doldrums of frequency improvement ever since (thought they had to give us longer trains)

I am encouraged by your success, and congratulate everyone involved. We will continue to encourage our CRP^▸ (Community Rail Partnership), LTA^▸ (Local Transport Authority), TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) and MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) to work together and follow your example.  The nature of this sort of improvement is that it takes years of seemingly-little, then has a giant leap forward.