Is Copplestone on the map ready for when one gets cancelled?

Dear Graham

We promised to keep you updated on our work to reopen the Barnstaple line.

Services between Barnstaple and Crediton remain suspended. To reopen the remainder of the line to Barnstaple, specialist divers need to inspect submerged structures to ensure the safety of the route. The high-water level and currents have so far prevented divers from being able to access one of the structures on the route. 

When possible, we do plan to start operating a limited train service Exeter Central and Copplestone, calling at all stations between these two locations.  These additional services will be subject to ongoing weather conditions. Yellow weather warning for heavy rain are in place through this evening.

We anticipate that the entirety of the line to Barnstaple will not reopen until at least Tuesday 24 February for the reasons set out above.

Limited rail replacement transport remains in place for stations on the line and customers should check before they travel at www.gwr.com/check.

We're very sorry for the continued disruption. Please do let us know if you have any questions.

Best wishes
 
Tom & Heledd

Oh dear ...

at least they have added "at the earliest" into the detailed text.   But, agreed, it is not clever passenger information to leave it until the last minute to give the bad news of a delay in re-opening.   

I wonder - realistically - if and when we'll next see passenger trains at all three of Looe, Okehampton and Barnstaple

Oh dear ...

at least they have added "at the earliest" into the detailed text.   But, agreed, it is not clever passenger information to leave it until the last minute to give the bad news of a delay in re-opening.   

I wonder - realistically - if and when we'll next see passenger trains at all three of Looe, Okehampton and Barnstaple

No trains to Barnstaple or Okehampton for at least another week

Due to flooding between Exeter St Davids and Crediton the line is closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day on 16/02/26.
Train services between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple have been suspended.
Customer Advice
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What has happened?
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Flooding brought on by Storm Chandra and subsequent rain on saturated ground has meant that the Exeter to Barnstaple line has been closed.
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The flood water has not receded, and much of the surrounding area is under water. Further forecast rain means that the line will remain closed until the end of the day on Monday 16th February at the earliest.

Dear Graham

Further to our email on Wednesday (4th Feb), river conditions mean specialist diving teams have still been unable to inspect the required bridges on the Barnstaple/Okehampton lines due to water levels being too high and flowing at a dangerously fast speed.

Therefore, both lines remain closed, and we do not expect reopening until Tuesday 10th February at the very earliest. Rain continues to be forecast so this may yet extended later into next week.

A limited rail replacement service continues to run, however from Monday 9th February this will be amended due a planned closure of the A377 between Eggesford and Crediton. Minibuses/taxis will run from Exeter to Barnstaple to service intermediate stations, and coaches will run between Barnstaple and Exeter via the North Devon Link Road. This will add time to the existing rail replacement journey duration.

The Looe branch line also remains closed, with rail replacement services continuing to operate.

The very latest travel information is available at www.gwr.com/check and www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/live-network-updates

We will update you at the start of next week, and apologise for the ongoing disruption.

Best wishes

Tom & Heledd

Petition for rail investment handed to Parliament


The Tarka Line remains closed after Storm Chandra brought heavy rain last month

A petition calling for investment in a railway line that has been closed since extreme weather damaged tracks has been presented to Parliament.

Ian Roome, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, presented the petition signed by more than 3,000 people calling for action to improve the Tarka Line, which links Barnstaple with Exeter.

Problems on the line included repeated flooding and cancellations - it is currently closed "until further notice" after Storm Chandra brought heavy rain last month. Great Western Railway (GWR) said the line was "at capacity". A Network Rail spokesperson said it had carried out £19m worth of upgrades to the line, but said there was more to be done.

Roome told MPs passengers had "suffered overcrowding and repeated service disruption due to flooding despite a record-breaking one million rail journeys".

"Following Storm Chandra all trains have been cancelled. North Devon's rail link has been shut for over a week and will not resume for several more days," he said. "The petitioners request that the House of Commons urge the government to ask Network Rail and Great Western Railway to prioritise the Tarka Line for improvements and to work together to make rail travel in north Devon more resilient."

He urged residents affected by disruption to continue sharing their experiences to strengthen the case for investment. "Demand for the service has continually grown and it's one of the busiest branch lines anywhere in the South West - it's a lifeline for commuters getting to work, students travelling to college, people attending appointments," he said.

North Devon Council's deputy leader Peter Leaver said the authority was working closely with operators and partners to improve reliability, but it was "increasingly clear" major investment was needed to keep up with demand and make the line more resilient in extreme weather. "That's why this petition really matters, and we hope it builds on the case we've been making for investment."

Tim Steer, the Devon and Cornwall chairman of campaigning group Railfuture, said those relying on the line to get to work, school or health appointments were being "thrown into chaos".  "Prolonged disruption is thwarting the continued success of the line," he added.


Network Rail and GWR said engineers had been "working tirelessly" to fix the issues

Network Rail said upgrades over the last decade included 7.4 miles (12km) of track renewal, bridge replacements, and improvements to the drainage. "Major flood resilience work was carried out at Cowley Junction, where we installed a flood defence barrier that can be deployed when heavy rain is expected," it said. "Prior to the installation of the barrier, we installed large flood drains in this area to allow water to safely drain underneath the railway. While this has improved the resilience of the line, we know that with the increasing frequency of severe weather, there's still more to be done." It said it was trialing new technology to monitor for potential scour damage to bridges and said more work would take place in the spring.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said capacity issues on the line tended to occur at the start of the academic year but it hoped larger Class 175 trains would provide some respite in the short term. "Unfortunately, we can't run more trains because the branch line is at capacity, and we can't run longer trains at the moment because the platforms are not long enough, which is a really expensive solution we would need funding for," a spokesman said. "We are however supportive of campaigns to upgrade the infrastructure of the north Devon line."

Rail lines damaged in south-west England during a storm will remain closed "until further notice".
Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) said engineers had been working on lines serving Exeter St Davids to Barnstaple, Exeter St Davids to Okehampton and Liskeard to Looe after Storm Chandra damaged tracks.

They said visible damage had been repaired, but specialist dive teams who needed to check submerged structures were unable to go out as water was still too high and flowing too fast for safe inspections.

Network Rail and GWR added bus or coach replacement services had been set up and apologised for any inconvenience caused. Further updates would be available on GWR's website, they added.

Dear Customer Relations Team,
I am writing regarding the current suspension of rail services between Barnstaple and Exeter due to infrastructure failure.

I have already paid for a valid ticket for travel on this route. However, there are currently no trains running and no rail replacement bus service being provided, which means there is no reasonable alternative public transport available on this rural line.

This journey is required for my child to attend school/college, and we live in a rural community with no viable alternative means of travel. As a result, despite holding a valid ticket, the journey has been made impossible due to the complete withdrawal of services.

I understand that infrastructure faults are outside the operator’s direct control. However, where no replacement transport is provided and the passenger is left without any reasonable way to travel, I would like to request that you either:
 • confirm approval for alternative transport (e.g. a taxi) to be arranged, or
 • confirm that reasonable alternative transport costs will be reimbursed, or
 • advise what immediate arrangements you can offer to enable this essential journey.
If alternative transport cannot be authorised, please also confirm the process for obtaining a full refund for the unused ticket.

I would appreciate a prompt response given the ongoing nature of this disruption and the impact on a child’s access to education.

Thank you for your time and assistance. I look forward to hearing from you

Due to flooding between Exeter St Davids and Crediton all lines are closed. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Train services between Exeter Central and Barnstaple via Exeter St Davids have been cancelled.

If your journey is essential, limited rail replacement services are now operating between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple only, due to road conditions we are unable to serve intermediate stations. As this is so limited and due to the conditions of the roads, these will be roughly every 2 hours at approximately half past every even hour from Barnstaple (e.g. 10:30, 12:30). - this is a direct service to Exeter st David’s no stops

And ... flooded again

He wants to addres the ridiculous amounts of rain/climate change then, not the railway....

08:35 Barnstaple to Exeter Central due 09:47
and all trains until mid afternoon

08:35 Barnstaple to Exeter Central due 09:47 has been cancelled.
This is due to flooding.

Petition launched after flooded rail line issues



A petition has been launched after commuters faced more than a week of train cancellations due to flooding.

North Devon MP, Ian Roome, who launched the petition, said ongoing problems on the Tarka Line, in Devon, were "totally unacceptable" and residents had been left with "a second class service".

Earlier in November, rail passengers and campaigners called for change on the line due to delays, cancellations, flooding, and overcrowding.

Full service on the line - which stretches from Barnstaple to Exeter - has since resumed and Network Rail said it closed the flooded line "for the safety of customers".

During the closure limited replacement buses and taxis were put on, with journey times often taking longer, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. People who regularly use the service, which has about 800,000 passenger journeys a year, said they frequently experienced delays or cancellations on the line and were calling for it to be made more resilient.

Roome said: "I am pushing for structural improvements, additional train carriages to deal with persistent overcrowding, additional drainage work, longer platforms at some stations en route, and more passing places along the single track line so the train timetable can be improved. This is one of the most successful train lines in the country in terms of passenger numbers and we will be lobbying the rail minister to put it at the top of his agenda. It's time to future proof the Tarka Line."

Great Western Railway said it was aware some trains immediately before and after the start of the college day were in demand, and with non-Exeter College travellers using the route it was over capacity on some services during peak times. It said it was looking at providing more trains and carriages with selective door opening to cater for shorter platforms and was supportive of the campaigns to upgrade the infrastructure.

On Tuesday, Network Rail said: "Water levels have receded below the closure mark on all three bridges along the Barnstaple line, which allowed specialist divers to carry out an inspection of each structure earlier today." It said divers found no damage to any of the bridges and had to run an inspection train along the entire length of the line before it could be reopened to passenger trains.

How great an effect on capacity would be achieved by creating a double track section for Okehampton and Barnstaple services between Yeoford and Crediton, and restoring the junction for Okehampton and Barnstaple lines at Coleford? This would of course mean bringing the second platform at Yeoford back into service as well, so wouldn't come cheap.


   

I know it says train crew,but would it require a guard as well,considering it had Network rail staff on board

I know it says train crew,but would it require a guard as well,considering it had Network rail staff on board

Traincrew are currently en route to Barnstaple in a taxi from Exeter to bring back the pair of 150s that have been stranded in the station since last Wednesday. This will be done under empty coaching stock conditions and will not be in passenger service as they need to do a route proving run accompanied by some Network Rail Staff before the line can reopen.

Now until next Monday

Could express coach/s be supplied at Tiverton Parkway,with a non stop service to Barnstaple?

Cancellations to services between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple
 
Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple the line is closed.

Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 02:00 17/11.

Good for any journey whose ticket has not yet been bought. It will be cheaper.

And now completely closed from Crediton to Barnstaple

Alternatively, You may use your ticket, at no extra cost, on the following local bus services between Exeter and Barnstaple:

Cancellations to services between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple
Due to heavy rain flooding the railway between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple the line is closed.
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Customer Advice
Due to flooding we are currently unable to run any trains on the Barnstaple branch line; this affects services between Crediton and Barnstaple (Currently Exeter St Davids to Okehampton services are running).

Network Rails remote monitoring equipment detected water exceeding the threshold for closure at three bridges and viaducts, triggering an automatic closure for the safety of all customers.

The safety of customers is our top priority and Network Rail will need to deploy specialist diving teams to inspect the affected structures once water levels recede before services can safely resume.

We will restore the service as soon as it is safe to do so but with heavy rain expected on Friday the closure could continue for several days. We will provide additional updates as we receive more information.

We would urge customers to only travel if necessary whilst the line is closed, and to check before travelling at GWR.com.

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What are my options:

Limited rail replacement road transport is now in place. Coaches and taxis will shuttle between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple until further notice. Please see station staff for more information.

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For any passengers at any intermediate stations, please use the help point and road transport will be arranged.
Please use journey planners to see which trains will call additionally at Newton St Cyres request stop.
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Alternatively, You may use your ticket, at no extra cost, on the following local bus services between Exeter and Barnstaple:
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Stagecoach South West route:

>5B - Exeter (Bus Station, approximately 13 minutes by foot from Exeter Central train station and 24 minutes by foot from Exeter St Davids train station), Crediton (directly opposite train station), Copplestone (approximately 10 minutes by foot from the train station), Morchard Road (approximately 5 minutes by foot from the train station), Barnstaple (directly opposite the train station)

Journey time on bus route 5B between Exeter bus station and Barnstaple is approximately 2 hours, 20 minutes

Bus service 5B runs up to seven times a day
See https://www.stagecoachbus.com/routes/south-west/5/exeter-bus-station-crediton-or-chulmleigh/XDAO005.O for more information.
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We're sorry for the delay to your journey.

We will update this message with more information when we have it.
Further Information
An update will follow within the next 2 hours.
If you require further information please speak to our staff at the station or on the train, use the Customer Help Point, message us on X @GWRHelp or call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484 950.

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:13/11/2025 07:43

Noting that two units scheduled for training, but again, only one appears in use (shortage of crew!).

175s have been up and about between Newton Abbot and Penzance for weeks now.
175007 is out and about today.

That would seem likely ... provided that sufficient crew training has been completed and there is a modicum of fixing skills/experience in place in case one fails with passengers on board.  Top priority has been stated as being to phase out the HSTs ...

So far two refurbished 2 car units are at Laira and four unrefurbished.

I suspect as soon as as refurbished 3 car comes down a HST diagram will go before being used for Barnstaple.

Don't know the lengths of the platforms between Exeter and Barnstaple,
but could a non stop service service be introduced from Exeter to Barntaple?

He added that the mix of college students and workers on the service had led to “alpha” groups pushing their way to the front, creating challenges for station staff.

Tim said Railfuture is working to speed up the deployment of longer trains on the Barnstaple to Exeter line, warning that the three- and four-carriage trains currently in use are “already proving there is a problem”.

Very tempted to come by some time during the events - when would you recommend?  I'm going to be on a FOSS ticket and note I can extend that from Tiverton without breaking the bank.

Barnstaple Town Council has organised a range of events in the town to mark next Thursday's (1 August) 170th anniversary of the opening of the line to Crediton and Exeter.   A number of organisations have and are helping including the Tarka Rail Association and ourselves, the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

The events begin with a ceremony, re-enacting elements of the 1854 original opening, at Barnstaple station at 10 45 on Thursday 1st. ....

I believe that for all accommodation bridges, underpasses, level crossings, it is the railway's responsibility to maintain the infrastructure.  The duty will usually extend back to the original Act of Parliament under which the line was built.

It would be a good idea for NR to buy-out the rights of landowners who no longer use bridges such as this, and demolish the structures, so that they no longer need maintenance. 

It’s a bridge connecting farm land either side of the track. Private use by the farmer. He’s clearly allowed it to overgrow from the roots. I’d say demolish and tough luck farmer you should have looked after it

Don't know the area very well,but is it the small bridge over the railway line?

If so,put in a speed limit and could a watch person not just observe the bridge when a train is getting near.

The stone work is only going to fall on the roof of the train>

  The Tarka rail line has broken all of its passenger records by seeing more than 800,000 journeys in one year.
The North Devon train line, operated by Great Western Railway (GWR), goes from Exeter to Barnstaple.
However, the Tarka Rail Association (TRA) said the hourly service was now reaching passenger capacity and had become "a victim of its own success".
GWR said it would continue to look at short-term solutions while lobbying for longer-term improvements.

Just seen APCOA put up a new parking charges notice at Barnstaple Railway Station
Applicable from the 17th May 2021

I think this thread needs splitting as it has digressed significantly from a review of the new Barney line trains.

Just read a 166211 operated the Barnstaple service on Sunday 27 September all day  after coming down to Exeter the day before on a Cardiff- Penzance service.

Is this a train refurbished with 2+2 seating and additional Guards panels? Did it still have first class?

143s still supposed to go at the end of year.

Sorry, you're not getting them back!  Great to see the review on Devon Live but, as you'll have noticed, the reporter travelled on a refurbished 150.  Pleased he liked that - and especially pleased he noticed the result of NR's track works - I wonder if he'll do an update when he has travelled on a 158.  Seriously though, excellent that Devon Live (website of the main local papers) has done this. 

Sorry, you're not getting them back!  Great to see the review on Devon Live but, as you'll have noticed, the reporter travelled on a refurbished 150.  Pleased he liked that - and especially pleased he noticed the result of NR's track works - I wonder if he'll do an update when he has travelled on a 158.  Seriously though, excellent that Devon Live (website of the main local papers) has done this. 

I very much hope the good people who use the Barnstaple line are happy with their ‘new’ trains in the form of 158s. If not these great DMUs will always be welcome back on the Cardiff-Portsmouth line.

The best (and worst) bits of travelling on the 'new improved' Tarka line trains

Joel Cooper went to see if the days of overcrowded, noisy, smelly trains were over - and here's what he found out...

...and if you get a 165 with retro-fitted air cooling it works well - when it works. It does seem though entirely random whether air-cooling is fitted when the partial refitting (it's too little to justify "refurbishment" as a label) occurs

Quote from: Umberleigh on Today at 02:17:18 pm
No turbos on the Barney please. We’ve been promised air-conditioning and that’s what we expect.
Sorry to disappoint but the air con on the 158’s isn’t anything to get excited about.

No turbos on the Barney please. We’ve been promised air-conditioning and that’s what we expect.

How do members feel about 166 (and presumably 165) Turbos on the Barnstaple services?