Really informative page on the RailFuture website about the Bideford line in the late 70s and early 80s. There were a series of charter trains from London, positive feasibility studies and even a Parliamentary Bill from MP Tony Speller all in support of getting passenger trains back on the line.

Eventually BR closed the line “due to the state of the track”. I remember from my childhood that there had been a freight train derailment that had damaged a length of track, but I also remover BR stating that they had failed to obtain EU funding to upgrade the China clay wagons for air braked trains


https://www.railfuture.org.uk/Devon+and+Cornwall+Reopenings

A short section (a couple of miles) of the Robin Hood line involved complete relaying when it was reopened.  You could also include the Todmorden curve which was relaid a couple of years ago.

Examples of rails being relayed to new / re-opened National Rail stations in England
Oxford Parkway/Bicester Village and the new chord to London.
East-West Rail western section (Bicester to Bletchley and Bedford) is being completed relaid, although of course this is much talked about but hasn't yet been completed.

A short section (a couple of miles) of the Robin Hood line involved complete relaying when it was reopened.

The shear enormity of projects such as Barnstaple to Bideford ... and also returning rails and a National Rail service to Portishead and Tavistock too ... are frightening.   Indeed, looking specifically at England, are there any examples of rails being relayed to new / re-opened National Rail stations in England  - that step further than re-opening a line that's still been there for freight or diversionary purposes?

I can come up with example of new or re-laid lines (Todmorden curve), and even a station on a new line (Ebbsfleet), and the nearest station to my home (Melksham) and Chandler's Ford are on lines that were freight only. Others in that class too ... Corby, Aylesbury Vale Parkway ...

P.S. I may have missed the blinding obvious - was the track in situ from Ludgate Hill to Farringdon via City Thameslink?

Having cycled the line around 10 years ago (the Tarka Trail is an excellent cycle ride), my interest was caught by the Tarka Valley Railway, and I've checked back in to its website every couple of years to see what progress it has made.

Unfortunately its progress since then appears glacial, and the website doesn't do much to enthuse casual observers and move them to a more engaged position, being somewhat lacking in any up to date information (which just reinforces the view that the project isn't going anywhere).

It's a shame, but I think in the future, even before COVID-19, the challenge in the preservation sector is to keep the existing railways we have afloat, with enough volunteers to operate them and paying passengers to cover costs and renewals.

 

Call for return of Devon town's train services

Bringing back train services to a Devon town could provide a boost to transport further afield, a rail user group has said.

Campaigners have called for Great Western Railway (GWR) to bring back services to Bideford nearly 60 years after passenger trains stopped running there due to cuts.

Tim Steer, vice-chairmain of the Tarka Rail Association, said getting trains back to Bideford could ease congestion in Barnstaple.

GWR said a decision on bringing back trains to Bideford would depend on the business case put forward for the idea.

Bideford's station closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts, which spelled the end for thousands of miles of railway and stations.

Campaigners have called for the station to be linked back to the Tarka Line, which runs passenger services between Exeter and Barnstaple.

Mr Steer said traffic congestion had become a problem on Barnstaple's roads.

Earlier this year, Devon County Council apologised to drivers after roadworks at the Cedars roundabout near Barnstaple caused severe traffic delays.

From this evenings edition of Spotlight,starts at about 05:50 into the program
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001zz6s/spotlight-evening-news-04062024.

Irritating to hear the usual BBC line at the end about passenger numbers being ‘way down’ since COVID… plus they seem to think Labour’s plans for GBR are somehow different from the current government’s…

Rebuilt Devon rail link 'could give £1bn economic boost' if restored


Railfuture says the economic benefits could be seen by the year 2040

The possible reintroduction of a train service between between Barnstaple and Bideford could generate up to £1bn for the local economy, according to a rail group.

The Northern Devon Rail Development Partnership is looking at extending the current Tarka line between Exeter and Barnstaple back into Bideford, with a half-hourly service and other improvements to produce the economic benefits by 2040.

Roger Blake, of Railfuture, which leads the partnership, said any plans would first "look at restoring the original route along the Tarka Trail", but with guarantees a continuous trail must remain for walkers and cyclists.

If approved, any construction would take at least three years to complete.

Mr Blake, who acknowledged there were many hurdles to overcome and it was more a long-term strategy, said the trail and the railway "would have to adapt".

"At Fremington Quay, the railway would have to move and not go through the quay by constructing a bit of new railway inland as a bypass," he said.

The group insisted there was a "huge appetite" to start a feasibility study into the restoration of the Barnstaple to Bideford line, and the re-introduction of the Exeter to Okehampton line had proved how successful it could be.

Mr Blake said the next stages were to "test strategic fit so we answer the question why bother doing this at all". The next part of the feasibility test was looking at "complexity, which is focused on how do we do it, given that we feel we have a case to be doing it in the first place", he added.

Members of the group also said they were looking at possible funding and setting out a valid business case before presenting it to the government.