Tarka line vs Devon & Somerset railway when deciding on closures

[brad465]

Both the two routes into Barnstaple were/are similar in length (39 for the Tarka vs 45 miles Taunton-Barnstaple) and passed through rural country with few major intermediate settlements. However the D&S route would have fed better into London and Bristol, especially considering the rationalisation of the LSWR route to Exeter and over Dartmoor, so if one route to Barnstaple was able to survive Beeching, what caused this one to close over the less direct Tarka line?

 

[The exile]

Traffic to London and Bristol would have been a relatively small proportion of revenue - with Crediton and Exeter probably far more significant. Through London trains could also pick up Exeter traffic which they couldn’t on the Taunton route.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The main passenger flow has always been towards Exeter, whereas Taunton would have generated few trips. Long-distance flows 'up-country' were also much less then. The D & S line was also very slow - 105 mins Taunton to Barnstaple Junction.

The Tarka (and Okehampton) lines narrowly escaped closure in 1965 when the bridges at Cowley Bridge were life-expired - BR did briefly consider retaining the D & S instead. Fortunately, political pressure was brought to bear and the bridges were replaced, albeit single-track.

 

[Cowley]

The main passenger flow has always been towards Exeter, whereas Taunton would have generated few trips. Long-distance flows 'up-country' were also much less then. The D & S line was also very slow - 105 mins Taunton to Barnstaple Junction.

The Tarka (and Okehampton) lines narrowly escaped closure in 1965 when the bridges at Cowley Bridge were life-expired - BR did briefly consider retaining the D & S instead. Fortunately, political pressure was brought to bear and the bridges were replaced, albeit single-track.

I suppose to add though, really it’s the section from Coleford Junction to Barnstaple that was actually retained. The route to Okehampton and Meldon Quarry wasn’t going despite the through route to Plymouth eventually closing.

 

[DelW]

Connectivity and travel patterns in the 1960s were very different from today's. The M4 and M5 had barely been started, and the A30 and A303 were single carriageways passing through the middle of towns and villages en route. I think that few folk from rural North Devon would have often gone as far as Bristol let alone "that there London". Exeter however would have been the natural centre for anything that couldn't be done or supplied in Barnstaple.

 

[Taunton]

I'm probably one of the few here who rode on the D&S, multiple times, on my own, as it was an interesting day trip from Taunton, once going right through to Ilfracombe and back. It carried a few from Taunton to Wiveliscombe, and again a few from South Molton to Barnstaple. Other than that it was about one passenger per car - in a 2-car dmu. A particular characteristic was at what appeared to be its few worthwhile settlements the station was far removed down country roads. Even these two busier sections had a competing bus service which did a far better job, running down the main streets of course.

Yeo Mill Halt actually provided a few on the return, coming home from shopping in Barnstaple (South Molton was nearer for regular items, but the station was about 45 minutes walk from the town) the station still had oil lamps as there was no electricity there, and the few nearby farmhands cottages were apparently still the same into the 1960s. At a number of the stops nobody got on or off at all. It was a very sparsely populated area.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I'm probably one of the few here who rode on the D&S, multiple times, on my own, as it was an interesting day trip from Taunton, once going right through to Ilfracombe and back. It carried a few from Taunton to Wiveliscombe, and again a few from South Molton to Barnstaple. Other than that it was about one passenger per car - in a 2-car dmu. A particular characteristic was at what appeared to be its few worthwhile settlements the station was far removed down country roads. Even these two busier sections had a competing bus service which did a far better job, running down the main streets of course.

Yeo Mill Halt actually provided a few on the return, coming home from shopping in Barnstaple (South Molton was nearer for regular items, but the station was about 45 minutes walk from the town) the station still had oil lamps as there was no electricity there, and the few nearby farmhands cottages were apparently still the same into the 1960s. At a number of the stops nobody got on or off at all. It was a very sparsely populated area.

Dulverton - junction for the Exe Valley - was pretty hopeless too, and very remote from the 'town'. There was a large railway hotel which has since been converted to apartments. Morebath Junction Halt (opened 1928) was far more convenient for the said settlement than, er, Morebath Station!

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Would Exeter being in the same county and Somerset a different have mattered?

 

[30907]

Would Exeter being in the same county and Somerset a different have mattered?

Certainly have had some effect on passenger numbers.

Exeter was better for traffic to South Devon, Plymouth and Cornwall (yes, you could have gone via Halwill but....).

 

[35B]

Would Exeter being in the same county and Somerset a different have mattered?

Almost certainly. People I know in Barnstaple now still have a very strong Devon identity, and their focus is towards Exeter as the county town. The North Devon Expressway (built over parts of the D&S) and the M5 have opened up access to Bristol by car, but it's still the best part of 2 hours' drive.

 

[Cowley]

Almost certainly. People I know in Barnstaple now still have a very strong Devon identity, and their focus is towards Exeter as the county town. The North Devon Expressway (built over parts of the D&S) and the M5 have opened up access to Bristol by car, but it's still the best part of 2 hours' drive.

The previous main road route being the one that runs parallel to the railway - the A377 from Exeter.

 

[35B]

The previous main road route being the one that runs parallel to the railway - the A377 from Exeter.

To Exeter, yes. For Taunton, it's the B3227 east of South Molton (a far more interesting drive than the Expressway!)

 

[Taunton]

The Expressway is not only the speedy road to Taunton etc, but also to Exeter by turning the other way on the M5 motorway. It was deliberately designed to serve both these purposes by meeting the motorway at the halfway point, and when being built BR resited Tiverton Junction station a couple of miles north right next to this road junction. It's now a significant railhead, especially to London, for much of Devon (and separately for much of Cornwall as well). It's faster from there to London by train, but notably faster from there the other way to places like Newquay, or even Penzance, by road, and certainly from Barnstaple.

Both the old roads were very twisty and tedious, which was a significant part of retaining some sort of rail service to Barnstaple.

 

[Bevan Price]

I did Taunton to Barnstaple Junction one way in 1965, and I remember traffic was very light - no surprise that the line was closing. I had a "spare" week between changing jobs, and got a Western Region rover. Also managed Ilfracombe and Torrington in the same week, but failed to do North Cornwall line due to a missed connection. .

 

[35B]

The Expressway is not only the speedy road to Taunton etc, but also to Exeter by turning the other way on the M5 motorway. It was deliberately designed to serve both these purposes by meeting the motorway at the halfway point, and when being built BR resited Tiverton Junction station a couple of miles north right next to this road junction. It's now a significant railhead, especially to London, for much of Devon (and separately for much of Cornwall as well). It's faster from there to London by train, but notably faster from there the other way to places like Newquay, or even Penzance, by road, and certainly from Barnstaple.

Both the old roads were very twisty and tedious, which was a significant part of retaining some sort of rail service to Barnstaple.

Understood and agreed. My point was just to clarify that the A377 is the Exeter road.

 

[yorksrob]

Shame really, but always struck me as being lightly populated between Taunton and Barnstaple.

If I had my time machine, I think retaining Minehead, Ilfracombe and Bideford would have been more worthwhile.

 

[35B]

Shame really, but always struck me as being lightly populated between Taunton and Barnstaple.

Virtually empty.

If I had my time machine, I think retaining Minehead, Ilfracombe and Bideford would have been more worthwhile.

Possibly, but none of them are large places or were that well placed.

 

[Taunton]

Shame really, but always struck me as being lightly populated between Taunton and Barnstaple.

It's on the south slopes of Exmoor, and although mostly farmland there's hardly a village between Wiveliscombe and South Molton. There were also two substantial viaducts, over the rivers Tone and Exe, which latterly both had to be traversed at walking pace, so those were a potential substantial repair cost.

The line had its finest hour around 1957, when the Royal Train from London went this way to Barnstaple. Two of Taunton's stalwart 43xx, 6327 and 6372, were actually sent to Newton Abbot works and repainted green for the occasion, which they retained until withdrawal. They were all that was allowed over the spindly viaducts, but the train had to stop before both, the pilot uncoupled and run across, then the main train, coupling up to continue. One can imagine how many members of officialdom had to tramp to these remote locations to oversee all this! Of course, Paddington would NEVER have taken the train to Exeter and handed it across to the Southern ...

 

[yorksrob]

Virtually empty.

Possibly, but none of them are large places or were that well placed.

Minehead station's excellently located for the resort (I know, I've been there on the train) - Bideford was just over the river from the town centre. Not sure about Ilfracombe.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Feb 2026 ==

It's on the south slopes of Exmoor, and although mostly farmland there's hardly a village between Wiveliscombe and South Molton. There were also two substantial viaducts, over the rivers Tone and Exe, which latterly both had to be traversed at walking pace, so those were a potential substantial repair cost.

The line had its finest hour around 1957, when the Royal Train from London went this way to Barnstaple. Two of Taunton's stalwart 43xx, 6327 and 6372, were actually sent to Newton Abbot works and repainted green for the occasion, which they retained until withdrawal. They were all that was allowed over the spindly viaducts, but the train had to stop before both, the pilot uncoupled and run across, then the main train, coupling up to continue. One can imagine how many members of officialdom had to tramp to these remote locations to oversee all this! Of course, Paddington would NEVER have taken the train to Exeter and handed it across to the Southern ...

Were they wooden viaducts, or had they progressed by then ?

It's interesting to note the difficulty that the railway seems to have finding a balance between regional identity and over centralisation.

 

[The exile]

Would Exeter being in the same county and Somerset a different have mattered?

Certainly in terms of people travelling to get “official things” done.

 

[35B]

Minehead station's excellently located for the resort (I know, I've been there on the train) - Bideford was just over the river from the town centre. Not sure about Ilfracombe.

Minehead is ill-placed for residents - but brilliantly for day-trippers. Ilfracombe was on the edge of town and high above it. Bideford is central, but with poor parking.

 

[yorksrob]

Minehead is ill-placed for residents - but brilliantly for day-trippers. Ilfracombe was on the edge of town and high above it. Bideford is central, but with poor parking.

Some sort of Bideford Parkway may have been worthwhile.

 

[Gloster]

Some sort of Bideford Parkway may have been worthwhile.

Probably the only possibility would have been to move the station slightly north to adjacent to the old goods yard and use the goods yard site for parking. However, that would have required investment and in 1965 who was going to spend money on railways. Give the money to the road builders! And, in 1965, what on earth was a ‘parkway’?

 

[35B]

Some sort of Bideford Parkway may have been worthwhile.

It is. It's called Barnstaple - and it serves a load more besides.

 

[yorksrob]

Probably the only possibility would have been to move the station slightly north to adjacent to the old goods yard and use the goods yard site for parking. However, that would have required investment and in 1965 who was going to spend money on railways. Give the money to the road builders! And, in 1965, what on earth was a ‘parkway’?

Maybe if Speller had succeeded later on.

 

[Taunton]

Minehead station's excellently located for the resort (I know, I've been there on the train) - Bideford was just over the river from the town centre. Not sure about Ilfracombe.

"Just over the river" is a West Country specialism. Bideford, Barnstaple Junction, Looe, Dartmouth, maybe others. And Ilfracombe was a comparable specialism, like Lynton on the L&B, Okehampton, Tavistock North, all not only the furthest-out building of the town but also way higher up a hillside.

The Bideford to Barnstaple line was a classic, with both main end stations on the wrong side of the river - and the intermediate Fremington station as well ! How on earth did they expect with a service frequency less than hourly to compete with the Southern National bus every 10-20 minutes, which of course ran up the main streets of all these places.

 

[yorksrob]

"Just over the river" is a West Country specialism. Bideford, Barnstaple Junction, Looe, Dartmouth, maybe others. And Ilfracombe was a comparable specialism, like Lynton on the L&B, Okehampton, Tavistock North, all not only the furthest-out building of the town but also way higher up a hillside.

The Bideford to Barnstaple line was a classic, with both main end stations on the wrong side of the river - and the intermediate Fremington station as well ! How on earth did they expect with a service frequency less than hourly to compete with the Southern National bus every 10-20 minutes, which of course ran up the main streets of all these places.

To be fair with regard to Barnstaple, they did have a perfectly good station on the correct side of the river - it went with the closure programme.

For Biddeford, the station looks no further a walk to the town centre than Maidstone East is from the centre of Maidstone.

 

[35B]

For Biddeford, the station looks no further a walk to the town centre than Maidstone East is from the centre of Maidstone.

It is. The problem is the other way round, thinking of it as a starting point for journeys.

To be fair with regard to Barnstaple, they did have a perfectly good station on the correct side of the river - it went with the closure programme.

A station that wasn’t readily reached from the Bideford line, and where neither Town nor Junction were well placed for much of the town’s population. Ironically, and going back to the OP, Victoria Road would now be better placed for much of the urban growth of Barnstaple.

But in all three cases, once in the car, it is very often easier to just keep going than park up and get the train - especially if the destination isn’t close by the station at the other end.

 

[yorksrob]

It is. The problem is the other way round, thinking of it as a starting point for journeys.

A station that wasn’t readily reached from the Bideford line, and where neither Town nor Junction were well placed for much of the town’s population. Ironically, and going back to the OP, Victoria Road would now be better placed for much of the urban growth of Barnstaple.

But in all three cases, once in the car, it is very often easier to just keep going than park up and get the train - especially if the destination isn’t close by the station at the other end.

Realistically no station is going to be perfectly sited for every one in any reasonably spread out town. Town, together with Junction would have given reasonable access for both motorists and pedestrians.

The current situation, with just a stub, not really reaching into the urban areas is extremely sub-optimal, compared to having the route continue through to Ilfracombe and Bideford, however you try and present it.

Bideford, as mentioned previously, some sort of parkway would have been useful eventually.

 

[stuu]

Looe is on the same side as the town centre?