Devon Metro

Last updated
Devon Metro
Exeter St Thomas - GWR 150244 Exmouth service.JPG
A Class 150 bound for Paignton on the Riviera Line calling at St Thomas station in 2018.
Overview
Owner GWR, SWR, Network Rail
Area served Exeter travel to work area
Locale Devon
Transit type Urban and suburban rail
Number of lines5 lines [note 1]
4 services [note 2]
Number of stations40 [note 3]
Operation
Operator(s) GWR, SWR
Infrastructure manager(s) Network Rail
Character Commuter rail service undergoing incremental rapid transit style upgrades
Train length2 - 4 cars on most lines, 6 cars on most East Devon Line services.
Technical
System length112.5 mi (181 km)
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
System map

Devon Metro Network Map.png

Construction at Marsh Barton station in 2021, part of the Devon Metro project. Marsh Barton - GWR 150247+150261 passing the new station works.JPG
Construction at Marsh Barton station in 2021, part of the Devon Metro project.

The Devon Metro is the name given to the urban railway network in Exeter and its environs, which since 2011 has been undergoing a metroisation scheme by Devon County Council to provide a rapid transit-style service through incremental upgrades to the existing system. [1] This includes increasing the frequency of trains on existing lines, [2] opening new lines and stations, [3] [4] and improving integration between lines and other modes of transport. [5] Through these upgrades the network is to gradually become a "turn-up-and-go" service [6] without having to refer to a timetable, like more conventional metro systems.

Contents

The network is primarily made up of 5 lines with a total of 40 stations radiating from the city centre across the Greater Exeter Area, including the neighbouring districts of East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge, [1] [7] but in some instances extends beyond this with Barnstaple and Okehampton as termini for the Tarka and Dartmoor lines respectively.

History

Background

Due to the historical development of railways by competing companies in Exeter, which acts as the gateway to the rest of the South West Peninsula, the city has enjoyed an unusually extensive railway network for its size being the meeting point of various lines. [8] Despite substantial sections of Exeter's railway infrastructure being selected for closure as a part of the Beeching Axe, such as St Thomas station or the Avocet and East Devon Lines, [9] most of the network survived but underwent significant economies to justify their retainment including the singling of previously double-tracked routes. [10]

In the years since Exeter has gone through substantial expansion and has become one of the fastest growing cities in the country, [11] with growth particularly large in the eastern suburbs of the city. This has led to Exeter becoming one of the most congested cities in the UK. [12] The need to reduce congestion on the roads led to the reopening of Pinhoe and Digby and Sowton [13] stations in 1983 and 1995 respectively, and the construction of a new passing loop at Axminster in 2009 to increase the frequency on the East Devon Line [14] . These enhancements in the east of the city were intended to attract more commuters to travel to and from the city centre by train instead of car. The local rail routes subsequently experienced rapid growth in passenger numbers forcing them to operate near or at maximum track capacity with the limitations of the single-track lines left after Beeching. [8] This impacted reliability due to the lack of leeway available if a train was slightly delayed causing problems to cascade, often requiring trains to be cancelled to regulate the service. Compounded with the continuing high levels of congestion and population growth, this led to Devon County Council to submit an expression of interest to the government for funding towards what it dubbed the "Devon Metro scheme" in 2010. [15]

Initial proposals

Initial proposals of the Devon Metro scheme were laid out as part of the Future of Transport in Exeter consultation, which took place in March and April of 2010. [16] This set out short to medium term plans for new stations "related to areas of new development or existing employment sites in the city". New stations at Marsh Barton, Newcourt and Monkerton were explicitly mentioned. The proposal also included longer term goals such as a new station at Cullompton and increased train frequencies, however it also mentioned that increased train frequency would depend on the construction of new passing loops on single track lines. [17]

In the final report written at the conclusion of the consultation, 84% of respondents indicated support for the rail enhancements under the Devon Metro scheme, with only 5% expressing opposition. [18]

A further briefing was published in 2011 outlining the scheme in more detail, including an implementation plan for 2011-2026. [1] In the short term they included:

The briefing also included longer term plans, including:

Several improvements were also ruled out at this stage:

Completed enhancements

Cranbrook station

Cranbrook railway station opened in 2015. [19]

Newcourt station

Newcourt railway station opened in 2015.

Riviera Line timetable changes

As part of the Devon Metro project, frequency on the Riviera Line between Exeter and Paignton was increased to two trains per hour, [2] [20] which has also had the effect of increasing the frequency of the Avocet Line to Exmouth.

Also as part of the project, in the 2020 timetable change, the Tarka Line service between Barnstaple and Exeter was segregated from the service on the Avocet and Riviera Lines from Exmouth to Paignton via Exeter. It has been proposed that the Tarka Line could now be extended east from Exeter to Honiton along the West of England Main Line.

Dartmoor Line

Prior to its reopening, the Dartmoor Line had not seen regular passenger service since 1972. It was used from then as a freight and heritage railway line, with trains carrying stone from Meldon Quarry and a heritage passenger service between Meldon Viaduct and Sampford Courtenay. From 1997, Devon County Council commissioned a "Dartmoor Sunday Rover" to be operated by First Great Western from Okehampton to St James Park in Exeter via St Davids during the summer period.

By 2020 both the quarry and the heritage railway had ceased operations. With the stone freight and heritage traffic gone, and the summer sunday service showing some success, this provided an opportunity for the full reopening and reintegration of the Dartmoor Line with the rest of the network.

In 2021, Network Rail acquired the line and laid new track from Colyford Junction to Okehampton funded by the Government's Restoring Your Railway programme. In November the same year regular passenger services recommenced, with 2tph from Okehampton to St Davids calling at Crediton. On weekday peaks, 5 trains a day also continue to Central and a select few continuing further to St James Park on match days. This was increased to an hourly service in 2022.

Sampford Courtenay, which was previously served by the GWR summer sunday service until 2019, has all trains pass through non-stop despite having a new platform surface installed when Network Rail took ownership and there are no plans to bring it back into passenger use.

Marsh Barton station

Construction work started at Marsh Barton in April 2021. [21] The station was added to the National Rail timetable in May 2022, eventually opening for passenger services in July 2023.

Ongoing Works

Okehampton Interchange

Following the reopening of the Dartmoor Line in 2021, plans and funding were announced for a 'West Devon Transport Hub' east of Okehampton in November 2023. Funding was approved by the Government in June 2024 as part of their "Levelling Up" policy and the station is expected to be opened in 2025, with Design scoping and ecological survey work currently taking place. [22]

Proposals

Plans to create a Devon Metro also include new stations at Edginswell, Cullompton and Monkerton. Furthermore, the council wishes for the Dartmoor Railway to be extended to serve the town of Tavistock, which would revive a connection provided until 1968 by the Exeter to Plymouth railway of the LSWR. A Tavistock rail link is funded by the Restoring Your Railway funds via the Tamar Valley Line and could be constructed. This is currently having a business plan made for the restoration of the line by Network Rail.

Notes

  1. ↑ These are the physical branches that train services run on.
  2. ↑ These are the services which are run as a single continuous route, but can run on multiple physical branch lines.
  3. ↑ Includes stations on the East Devon Line, which extends beyond Devon onto the West of England line with most trains continuing to London Waterloo. The East Devon Line is the brand name for the section located within Devon between St Davids - Axminster and is considered as a part of the Devon Metro project despite being a "main line".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okehampton</span> Town in Devon, England

Okehampton is a town and civil parish in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is situated at the northern edge of Dartmoor, and had a population of 5,922 at the 2011 census. Two electoral wards are based in the town. Their joint population at the same census was 7,500.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dartmoor line</span> Railway line in Devon, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarka Line</span> Local railway line in Devon, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riviera Line</span> Railway line in Devon, England

The Riviera Line is the railway between the city of Exeter, towns Dawlish and Teignmouth, and the English Riviera resorts of Torbay in Devon, England. Its tracks are shared with the Exeter to Plymouth Line along the South Devon sea wall. It is part of the Network Rail Route 12.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter to Plymouth railway of the LSWR</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cranbrook railway station (Devon)</span> Train station in Devon, England

Cranbrook railway station serves the new town of Cranbrook near Exeter in Devon, England. The station is on the West of England Main Line between Whimple and Pinhoe stations, 166 miles 15 chains (267.5 km) down the line from London Waterloo. It is the newest station on the line, having opened in December 2015. Despite being the closest station to Exeter Airport, there is not yet a public transport link between the two, but in 2015 a direct bus route was expected to be introduced after the station's completion, to help improve the town's poor level of bus service.

Okehampton Interchange is a proposed railway station in Okehampton on the Dartmoor Line. The station would be part of the Devon Metro and has been described as a priority station. The station is to be sited off Exeter Road, by the Business Park and close to the junction with the A30, in the Stockley Hamlet area of Okehampton. It will also serve 900 new homes to be built nearby.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Devon Metro Briefing - fulfilling the potential of rail" (PDF). Devon County Council Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Half hourly Paignton services to be restored". 21 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Dartmoor Line". Network Rail. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  4. ↑ Clark, Daniel (2023-02-05). "Devon plan for new 'fast-track' train stations". Devon Live. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  5. ↑ "Devon's integrated vision". www.modernrailways.com. 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  6. ↑ "Budget 2021: Funding backs reopening of Cullompton Railway Station". BBC News. 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  7. ↑ "Greater Exeter Strategic Plan" (PDF). Mid Devon District Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  8. 1 2 "DEVON METRO – A SUMMARY" (PDF). AVOCET LINE RAIL USERS GROUP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  9. ↑ The Reshaping of British Railways (PDF). London: British Railways Board. 1963. p. 113.
  10. ↑ "History – Avocet Line Rail Users Group" . Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  11. ↑ "Exeter: Consultations held over city's 20-year future". BBC News. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  12. ↑ "Highway Issues in Exeter". Exeter Civic Society. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
  13. ↑ Abbott, James, ed. (July 1995). "Three new stations in summer timetable". Modern Railways . 52 (562): 388.
  14. ↑ Network Rail (2 Feb 2009). "REDOUBLING AT AXMINSTER BEGINS" (Press release). Archived from the original on 7 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "The future of transport in Exeter" (PDF). Devon County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "Future of Transport in Exeter Consultation". web.archive.org. 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  17. ↑ "Future of Transport in Exeter Display Panels" (PDF). Devon County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "Future of Transport in Exeter Consultation and Discussion Final Report" (PDF). Devon County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  19. ↑ "Cranbrook train station opens today". Express & Echo. Exeter. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 14 December 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  20. ↑ https://committees.exeter.gov.uk/documents/s37205/Transport%20Initiatives%20and%20Issues%20Update%20Appx%201%20Final.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  21. ↑ "Work starts on Exeter's Marsh Barton station". Modern Railways Online. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  22. ↑ Okehampton Interchange, Dartmoor Line. "Okehampton Interchange". The Dartmoor Line. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
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