New Station for Okehampton

[The exile]

“

Definitely opening on the 1st August. Everything is in place for it. No idea why nobody has updated the Dartmoor line website!

“Fred’s in Lanzarote this week”.

 

[BrianW]

The Oakhampton Times now has the opening, so locals are informed, with official opening Friday, and trains from Saturday

Okehampton Interchange passenger services to begin this weekend

The Okehampton Interchange station will be formally opened tomorrow, Friday, July 31, with passenger services starting the following day (August 1), Network Rail has revealed.

www.okehampton-today.co.uk

Wondering who will be at the Official Opening. The local MP, Sir Mel Stride, with his small majority may wish to claim credit for the Conservative Government's commitment to 'restoring Britain's railways'; or perhaps an opportunity for the MP for the neighbouring constituency of Torridge and Tavistock, Sir Geoffrey Cox, may wish to add his stentorian voice ... Maybe the still in position Secretary of State for Transport may come down from Swindon?

EDIT- so locals are 'informed' but not 'invited'; and Network Rail has 'revealed' not 'announced', let alone 'is delighted (relieved?) to announce ...'. Presumably the timetable for connecting Bus 118 is published too? Too much to hope for 'Guaranteed Connection'?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Someone needs to tell GWR:

Station Message​

New station - not open yet This new station is expected to open this summer. More information will be published here when it becomes available.

Source: GWR website

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2026 ==

Nor on the ORR website which usually has a press release when opening is authorised. For example:

All clear for Cambridge South passengers​

19 June 2026
The new Cambridge South railway station has been authorised to open by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the rail regulator, clearing the way for passengers to travel to and from the station from Sunday 28 June 2026.

Source

 

[Brush 4]

Still nothing on the Dartmoor Line website either. So, is this just lack of co-ordination or, it is not opening on Saturday? The official opening tomorrow could happen without any public opening...

 

[REVUpminster]

New video

 

[stevieinselby]

Intriguing that they're calling it Okehampton Interchange when it appears that it will just be a Parkway station.
The main station has buses stopping right outside the door, typically 2 departures connecting with each hourly train. That's what I call an interchange!
By contrast, it looks as though no buses will be stopping at the new station - at least, not in the short term, there's nothing registered for now, and I can't see any obvious routes to divert to the new station ... so what opportunities does it offer for interchange?

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Intriguing that they're calling it Okehampton Interchange when it appears that it will just be a Parkway station.
The main station has buses stopping right outside the door, typically 2 departures connecting with each hourly train. That's what I call an interchange!
By contrast, it looks as though no buses will be stopping at the new station - at least, not in the short term, there's nothing registered for now, and I can't see any obvious routes to divert to the new station ... so what opportunities does it offer for interchange?

All the connecting buses (Bude, Launceston and Tavistock) will be moving to Interchange in due course. The west side of the new station is easily accessible from Exeter Road (the old A30). The approach to the current station can be difficult at times with parked cars on Station Road - it is likely it will cease to have any buses at all although there is talk of a 'town' service.

 

[Xavi]

All the connecting buses (Bude, Launceston and Tavistock) will be moving to Interchange in due course. The west side of the new station is easily accessible from Exeter Road (the old A30). The approach to the current station can be difficult at times with parked cars on Station Road - it is likely it will cease to have any buses at all although there is talk of a 'town' service.

Only the Tavistock 118 is moving to the Interchange station from 30 August. Launceston 306, Bude 6, and Exeter 66 will all continue to serve the existing station. In addition the Bideford 317 will be extended to the existing Okehampton station.

 

[BrianW]

Only the Tavistock 118 is moving to the Interchange station from 30 August. Launceston 306, Bude 6, and Exeter 66 will all continue to serve the existing station. In addition the Bideford 317 will be extended to the existing Okehampton station.

Hopefully which buses are going to/ calling at which Okehampton station(s) will be clear in time for the Okehampton Model Railway Exhibition on Saturday 8 August, 10-4 at the Parklands Leisure Centre, EX20 1EP

 

[Xavi]

Hopefully which buses are going to/ calling at which Okehampton station(s) will be clear in time for the Okehampton Model Railway Exhibition on Saturday 8 August, 10-4 at the Parklands Leisure Centre, EX20 1EP

It's all been published on National Public Transport Information including revised schedules from 30/8.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Selection of Moorlander pictures from the opening ceremony.

Interesting quote from the local MP.

Among those attending was Central Devon MP Sir Mel Stride, who described the opening as an important moment for the town.
He told The Moorlander: "It's an amazing and really important day for Okehampton and Devon. A lot of hope and aspiration was lost when the trains stopped, and this is a great tribute to all those who have worked so hard to make this happen.
"How many communities of this size can boast two train stations? You can already see the impact that improved connectivity has had. This is a town on the way up that's doing well, and it underlines why this kind of infrastructure is so important.
"We're very interested in where this line goes next. Tavistock is a town that's not in my constituency but should be thinking about its rail future too, so there will be other campaigns going on."

.

 

[davetheguard]

In addition the Bideford 317 will be extended to the existing Okehampton station.

Good news - do you have a start date for that please?

 

[Xavi]

Good news - do you have a start date for that please.

30th August

 

[BrianW]

30th August

So, end of school holidays then? Hardly an Atlantic Coast Express bus replacement service!

 

[A S Leib]

I wouldn't put any money on an Okehampton-Tavistock service. Tavistock's future lies with Plymouth

It's "Devon Coast and Country" rather than Plymouth, according to the (current) local government reorganisation plan.

(Slightly tongue-in-cheek; I suspect you're right, and that Tavistock definitely has more to do with Plymouth than with Tiverton or Seaton).

 

[REVUpminster]

It's "Devon Coast and Country" rather than Plymouth, according to the (current) local government reorganisation plan.

(Slightly tongue-in-cheek; I suspect you're right, and that Tavistock definitely has more to do with Plymouth than with Tiverton or Seaton).

What I meant by Plymouth is that jobs and commuting is the future of Tavistock just as Exeter is the commuter city for Okehampton, Barnstaple, Exmouth, Torbay/Teignmouth/Dawlish, Crediton/Axminster, Wellington and Cullompton. GWR know they will have to offer more than hourly services but don't know how to do it. Torbay-Exmouth might have to become a 20 minute service in the next ten years.

Torbay discovered this when the Kingskerswell by-pass opened offering to bring jobs to Torbay, but the complete reverse happened enabling people to live in Torbay and work in Exeter.

 

[H&I]

Access to platform is still blocked. Looks like I’ll have to wait outside.

 

[Kite159]

..

So, end of school holidays then? Hardly an Atlantic Coast Express bus replacement service!

Although if anybody from Exeter wanted to travel to Bideford, wouldn't they be better off going via Barnstaple considering there are 3 buses an hour between Barnstaple & Bideford compared to a bus every 3 hours between Okehampton & Bideford

 

[H&I]

It’s the one hour mark until the first train but no staff has turned up yet! Usually, people in orange high vis would have opened up the temporary fencing by now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Aug 2026 ==

Staff did turn up and I boarded the first train!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It’s the one hour mark until the first train but no staff has turned up yet! Usually, people in orange high vis would have opened up the temporary fencing by now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Aug 2026 ==

Staff did turn up and I boarded the first train!

Like they weren't going to, eventually

 

[REVUpminster]

The service today to Okehampton as elsewhere let the side down.

Two hour gaps to Okehampton; a three hour gap at Barnstaple.

 

[Brush 4]

I looked at the site yesterday at just after 6pm. Quiet car park but, some would have gone home by that time.
Signs like this don't really help though.
They must have been told to put the sign where the older one is, so they did.......

Devon Council have been informed, with the same photos

 

[BrianW]

I looked at the site yesterday at just after 6pm. Quiet car park but, some would have gone home by that time.
Signs like this don't really help though.
They must have been told to put the sign where the older one is, so they did.......

You couldn't make it up ...

 

[Brush 4]

Went to Okehampton (Town) yesterday to see if there had been any reduction in passengers. The girl in the buffet said yes, morning commuters had reduced to 3 or 4 coming in for coffee from around 20ish.
Leisure travel is holding up though, as these pics show. The 15.23 dep with 158 769. First, the arrivals, then the departures.

She said they will have a kiosk at Interchange by the end of the month. They were told they would have 2 weeks notice of opening but, had 2 days notice so, not enough time to organise it. This tallies with the lack of info on the Dartmoor Line website. They must have been unsure until the last moment.

When colleges return in September, it will be interesting to see what happens there. Most may go to Interchange, only those who live nearby will stick with Oke.
Winter will also be revealing, as leisure travel will drop quite sharply, although I have seen hardy backpackers there in the depths of winter.

The rerouting of the buses will also have an effect on numbers.

Still, it is good that the cafe people will gain income at Interchange

 

[dk1]

Went to Okehampton (Town) yesterday to see if there had been any reduction in passengers. The girl in the buffet said yes, morning commuters had reduced to 3 or 4 coming in for coffee from around 20ish.
Leisure travel is holding up though, as these pics show. The 15.23 dep with 158 769. First, the arrivals, then the departures.

She said they will have a kiosk at Interchange by the end of the month. They were told they would have 2 weeks notice of opening but, had 2 days notice so, not enough time to organise it. This tallies with the lack of info on the Dartmoor Line website. They must have been unsure until the last moment.

When colleges return in September, it will be interesting to see what happens there. Most may go to Interchange, only those who live nearby will stick with Oke.
Winter will also be revealing, as leisure travel will drop quite sharply, although I have seen hardy backpackers there in the depths of winter.

The rerouting of the buses will also have an effect on numbers.

Still, it is good that the cafe people will gain income at Interchange

Yes good to hear they are providing an outlet at Interchange. These things tend to settle down eventually but it will certainly lead to a reduction at the Town station but hopefully growth overall especially with all the new housing that will follow.

 

[swt_passenger]

You couldn't make it up ...

I can believe a council has separate teams to put signs up and take signs down, and they don’t ever communicate. See also yellow line painters who show up a couple of days before road repairs start…

 

[Kite159]

When colleges return in September, it will be interesting to see what happens there. Most may go to Interchange, only those who live nearby will stick with Oke

This is when the students living near Interchange will board an inbound service to get a seat for the trip to Exeter, assuming their season tickets will be issued from Okehampton

 

[BrianW]

Went to Okehampton (Town) yesterday to see if there had been any reduction in passengers. The girl in the buffet said yes, morning commuters had reduced to 3 or 4 coming in for coffee from around 20ish.
Leisure travel is holding up though, as these pics show. The 15.23 dep with 158 769. First, the arrivals, then the departures.

She said they will have a kiosk at Interchange by the end of the month. They were told they would have 2 weeks notice of opening but, had 2 days notice so, not enough time to organise it. This tallies with the lack of info on the Dartmoor Line website. They must have been unsure until the last moment.

When colleges return in September, it will be interesting to see what happens there. Most may go to Interchange, only those who live nearby will stick with Oke.
Winter will also be revealing, as leisure travel will drop quite sharply, although I have seen hardy backpackers there in the depths of winter.

The rerouting of the buses will also have an effect on numbers.

Still, it is good that the cafe people will gain income at Interchange

So, 'the cafe' has to open, and supply, and staff, an 'additional 'outlet to serve customers displaced from the existing cafe, AND hope to keep open the existing cafe?
Perhaps, as must be hoped, the traffic increase will be sufficient to justify both.

 

[The exile]

Plenty of people going on beyond Interchange today. One very “poor show” at the new station. As the Exeter-bound service arrived at Interchange, the PIS screens were still showing the First train as being the outbound working from about 1/4 hour previously and that the Second train was the Exeter service and running on time (which it wasn’t). If the screens can’t be accurate, they should be switched off. False information is far worse than no information at all.

 

[VT 390]

Plenty of people going on beyond Interchange today. One very “poor show” at the new station. As the Exeter-bound service arrived at Interchange, the PIS screens were still showing the First train as being the outbound working from about 1/4 hour previously and that the Second train was the Exeter service and running on time (which it wasn’t). If the screens can’t be accurate, they should be switched off. False information is far worse than no information at all.

It was the same last Monday when I visited the station, the PIS screen was still showing the Okehampton service after I alighted from the Exeter service that was on time and formed on the unit of that Okehampton service.