Okehampton-Tavistock. Discussion on reopening and potential use as a diversionary route

[whole diary]

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

Timetable and fares information for summer Sunday Exeter-Okehamption service from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website:
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=4055

And I have refreshed the route, just in case we get a little short handed.

huh lol?

[RailCornwall]

Ok pros. Get me the best ticketting for Truro > Exeter > Okehampton > (Bus) > Gunnislake > Plymouth > Truro (I hold a Devon and Cornwall Railcard too)

I am presuming
CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) Truro > Plymouth
Advance Single Plymouth > Exeter
Devon Sunday Rover for the rest.

but would like confirmation please.

[signalandtelegraph]

Don't forget the Sunday rover is NOT valid on the Dartmoor Railway services

Ok pros. Get me the best ticketting for Truro > Exeter > Okehampton > (Bus) > Gunnislake > Plymouth > Truro (I hold a Devon and Cornwall Railcard too)

I am presuming
CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) Truro > Plymouth
Advance Single Plymouth > Exeter
Devon Sunday Rover for the rest.

but would like confirmation please.

You could do Plymouth to Exeter on the Sunday Rover ticket on the X38 bus   

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

ok the sunday rover explained... someone else can fill in the gaps with trains, the dartmoor rover does give a ^1 discount on dartmoor railway services and is valid on fgw services from digby and sowton to barny (on tarka services) and from st james park to okehampton..... aswell as the service from gunislake to plymouth, that is the limit of fgw's acceptance, it is accepted on all stagecoach and cooks coaches busses within devon and all first devon busses in devon apart from the taunton one it is also valid on the x53 first hants and dorset service all the way from weymouth

just make sure you print off the terms and cons as none of the stagecoach drivers have been breifed and its now getting irritating!!


as far as from truro i think best way is truro to plym on a normal train ticket then dartmoor rover purchased on train to gunislake then get bus to okehampton then get your pound discount on dartmoor railway and say hello to me :-) then use the train to st davids and bus back to plymouth
 total cost ^6.50 for the rover ^3.00 for dartmoor railway ride(^1 discount with rover ticket, and cost of plymouth to truro return) if your intererested i will find you all the times jest let me know when you want to set out in the morning

[grahame]

I'm thinking of going to Okehampton - just for the outing - on Sunday.   Timetable, as far as I can see, at:

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=4055

But I tried to use the journey planner on the right of the page from Taunton or Westbury or Salisbury and it tells me that there are no services.   It works from Exeter though.   Does this mean that I should drive to Exeter  ?

[bemmy]

Probably because you can't get through tickets as it's operated on behalf of Devon County Council, unless it's changed since I went 3 or 4 years ago -- we got separate tickets to Exeter and had to buy the Okehampton ticket on the train, which wasn't from a normal FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ticket machine.

[devon_metro]

Probably because you can't get through tickets as it's operated on behalf of Devon County Council, unless it's changed since I went 3 or 4 years ago -- we got separate tickets to Exeter and had to buy the Okehampton ticket on the train, which wasn't from a normal FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ticket machine.

Yes, correct.

Fares available:
Totnes/Paignton/Exmouth (as boundaries) - Okehampton

[RichardB]

At the same time as the local fares that Devon Metro mentions were introduced (last year), it was agreed that Okehampton would be included in the Devon Day Ranger and relevant Railrovers too.

It is still a chartered service but the changes are because of a different deal between FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and Devon County Council.

Very decent numbers when I did it the Sunday before last.   This really may be the last year, with the Dartmoor Railway's shuttle to Yeoford taking over next year. 

[FlyingDutchman]

Hi

I know that freight trains run this bit of track,  but not sure what level the would have to be brought up to to have a Regular Passenger Service between Okehampton and Exeter.

Guy

[Umberleigh]

FGR run the Sunday Summer service without any probs but the difficulty is that the line owners don't want anything to interfere with freight services. Therefore imagine new signalling and a passing loop at Yeoford (perhaps) would be required, also a train operator willing to invest in rolling stock, drivers and guards and cover the inevitable losses unless a hefty grant could be secured from local authorities.

Probably a more realistic option is for the Dartmoor Railway people to run a push-pull Oke - Yeoford (for Exeter) service at weekends and a morning/evening weekday commuter service timed to avoid the freight movements.

[james666]

FGR run the Sunday Summer service without any probs but the difficulty is that the line owners don't want anything to interfere with freight services. Therefore imagine new signalling and a passing loop at Yeoford (perhaps) would be required

How frequent are the quarry trains these days?  I would have thought that the freight traffic is sparse enough to work around a reasonably regular passenger service to Exeter (25 miles) without needing to upgrade the infrastructure beyond "one engine in steam" in the section between Okehampton and Crediton.

Whether it makes economic sense to run a weekday service through 18 thinly populated miles to a town of only 6000 people is another question.  I wished it did last July when I took a trip on the Sunday special and mused sadly that I was travelling on the under-employed remnants of the track that once bore John Betjeman to Wadebridge and the Atlantic coast.  You could make a better case if the entire loop to Plymouth were restored.  The prognosis for the Tavistock end looks very hopeful at least.  Meldon viaduct still looks in great condition.  Could it still take the weight of a train I wonder...?

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

this christmas the dartmoor railway is running santa specials and mince pie specials for anyone that is interested please find details below




santa specials

saturday the 5th and sunday the 6th
saturday the 12th and sunday the 13th
saturday the 19th and sunday the 20th

timetable
trains leave okehampton at 1000,1230, and 1500
trains leave sampford courtenay at 1030,1300,and 1530

fares
adults ^12 children ^10 infants ^5

------------------------------------------------------------

mince pie specials

dates
27th 28th 29th and 30th of december
trains leaving at 0930,1200,and 1430 from okehampton

and

0945,1215 and 1445 from sampford courtenay

prices are ^9 for adults,^7 senior citizens, and ^5 for children

--------------------------------------------------------
for more information or to book please call okehampton station on 01837811240

[Chris from Nailsea]

Timetable:

Trains leave Okehampton at 1000, 1230 and 1500

Trains leave Sampford Courtenay at 1030, 1300 and 1530

Fares:

Adults ^12  Children ^10  Infants ^5

For more information, or to book, please call Okehampton station on 01837 811240

[Chris from Nailsea]

Timetable:

Trains leave Okehampton at 1000, 1230 and 1500

Trains leave Sampford Courtenay at 1030, 1300 and 1530

Fares:

Adults ^12  Children ^10  Infants ^5

For more information, or to book, please call Okehampton station on 01837 811240

[Chris from Nailsea]

Timetable:

Trains leave Okehampton at 1000, 1230 and 1500

Trains leave Sampford Courtenay at 1030, 1300 and 1530

Fares:

Adults ^12  Children ^10  Infants ^5

For more information, or to book, please call Okehampton station on 01837 811240