Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
First passenger train on the first Restoring Your Railway reopening runs on Wednesday, 17 November, ahead of public services resuming on Saturday, 20 November
Restored in just 9 months, and delivered £10m under budget, transforming a mothballed former freight railway to regular services.
Reopening is the first of the Government’s Restoring Your Railway schemes to return to service, fulfilling a manifesto commitment.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today dispatch the first passenger train to run on the Dartmoor Line for over 50 years, as the line once again becomes part of the UK rail network for passengers.
This has been made possible thanks to over £40 million of Government investment through the Restoring Your Railway programme.
The line links Okehampton to Exeter and will officially reopen to the public for regular year-round, all-week passenger services on 20 November.
The first train runs this Wednesday, travelling from Okehampton, and will carry local school children, campaigners, railway staff, and supporters who all helped make the project happen.
The Department for Transport, Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) have worked together to reopen this line ahead of time and under budget. Benefitting from the application of Rail Project SPEED approaches, the Dartmoor Line has been transformed from a mothballed former freight railway with occasional Summer Sunday services to a full seven days per week passenger operation in a mere nine months since confirmation of funding, coming in more than £10m under budget.
A service will run every two hours, with plans to expand to an hourly service in 2022. This will benefit students heading to colleges in Exeter as well as tourists travelling towards Dartmoor, easing congestion on local roads and helping boost local economies,
Since 1997, the line has only been open during some Sundays in Summer after regular services were withdrawn in 1972.
news.gwr.com/news/railway-restored-regular-trains-to-run-on-dartmoor-line-for-first-time-in-50-years
First passenger train on the first Restoring Your Railway reopening runs on Wednesday, 17 November, ahead of public services resuming on Saturday, 20 November
Restored in just 9 months, and delivered £10m under budget, transforming a mothballed former freight railway to regular services.
Reopening is the first of the Government’s Restoring Your Railway schemes to return to service, fulfilling a manifesto commitment.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today dispatch the first passenger train to run on the Dartmoor Line for over 50 years, as the line once again becomes part of the UK rail network for passengers.
This has been made possible thanks to over £40 million of Government investment through the Restoring Your Railway programme.
The line links Okehampton to Exeter and will officially reopen to the public for regular year-round, all-week passenger services on 20 November.
The first train runs this Wednesday, travelling from Okehampton, and will carry local school children, campaigners, railway staff, and supporters who all helped make the project happen.
The Department for Transport, Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) have worked together to reopen this line ahead of time and under budget. Benefitting from the application of Rail Project SPEED approaches, the Dartmoor Line has been transformed from a mothballed former freight railway with occasional Summer Sunday services to a full seven days per week passenger operation in a mere nine months since confirmation of funding, coming in more than £10m under budget.
A service will run every two hours, with plans to expand to an hourly service in 2022. This will benefit students heading to colleges in Exeter as well as tourists travelling towards Dartmoor, easing congestion on local roads and helping boost local economies,
Since 1997, the line has only been open during some Sundays in Summer after regular services were withdrawn in 1972.
news.gwr.com/news/railway-restored-regular-trains-to-run-on-dartmoor-line-for-first-time-in-50-years
