- Dartmoor Railway
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Coordinates: 50°43′55″N 3°59′46″W / 50.732°N 3.996°W
Dartmoor Railway 
Okehampton railway station, on the Dartmoor Railway Locale Devon, England Commercial operations Name British Rail Built by London and South Western Railway Original gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Preserved operations Owned by Aggregate Industries Ltd Operated by Dartmoor Railway CIC [1] Length 15.5 miles (24.9 km) Preserved gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Commercial history Opened 1865/1879 Closed 1968 (West of Meldon to all traffic) 1972 (to regular passenger services from Okehampton to Exeter) Preservation history 1997 Regular passenger services restarted by Dartmoor Railway Dartmoor Railway Legend
miles 
Tarka Line to Exeter 
0.00 Crediton through services on summer Sundays 
Salmon Pool Level Crossing 
3.75 Yeoford served by Tarka Line trains 
Coleford Junction Tarka Line to Barnstaple 
8.50 Bow closed 11.75 North Tawton closed 14.50 Sampford Courtenay 18.25 Okehampton 
20.25 Meldon Quarry 
Meldon Viaduct 
Closed LSWR route to Padstow and Bude 
Closed LSWR route to Plymouth via Bere Alston 
Meldon Viaduct, DevonThe Dartmoor Railway is a 15.5-mile (24.9 km) long railway line in Devon, England. From Crediton the line parallels the Tarka Line to the site of the former Coleford Junction. Heading west it then serves Sampford Courtenay, Okehampton and Meldon Quarry. The route is owned from Coleford to Meldon by Aggregate Industries. Freight trains serve the ballast quarry at Meldon. The line is leased to and maintained by the Dartmoor Railway CIC,[1] who operate heritage railway services on certain days. A public service between Exeter and Okehampton is run on summer Sundays operated by First Great Western. Ballast trains are operated by one of the national freight operating companies.
The route was originally part of the London and South Western Railway West of England Main Line from Exeter to Plymouth, which opened between 1865 and 1879. In 1968, British Rail closed the line beyond Meldon as part of the Beeching cuts. The Exeter to Okehampton passenger service was withdrawn by British Rail in 1972. Between 1972 and 1997 the line was used for railway ballast traffic from Meldon Quarry and occasional freight traffic to the remaining goods yard at Okehampton before its closure. Occasional Charter and Special trains operated to Okehampton and Meldon Quarry during the passenger closure period. The railway reopened to regular passenger services in 1997 with the creation of Dartmoor Railway.
Contents
Public train services
Devon County Council sponsor the Sunday Rover trains between Exeter and Okehampton. These have run since the 1997 reopening and operate again in 2011 with services running from late May to mid September.
The service consists of five return trips between St James Park station in Exeter and Okehampton. These trains connect with bus services and heritage railway services at Okehampton, and Tarka line rail services at Crediton.
Devon & Cornwall Railways Ltd (a subsidiary of British American Railway Services Ltd) announced its intention to operate through services from Okehampton to Exeter in 2010, having made a track access application to Network Rail on 18 March 2010[2] to operate four return services each weekday between Okehampton and St James Park and a further two (plus one on Sundays) as far as Exeter St Davids. This service would run under an "open access" licence. It was initially hoped services could start in May 2010. In the event this date was not realised and the application continues to await approval by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).Heritage activities
Heritage services use a variety of rolling stock including a Class 205 "Thumper" unit restored to its original livery and number. Services also operate using restored diesel locomotives in push-pull trains and top and tail mode with a variety of coaching stock. Steam services operate occasionally. Volunteer support for the railway is provided by Dartmoor Railway Supporters Association (DRSA). Volunteers assist the railway operation in many of its activities.[3]
British American Railway Services Ltd, a new company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago, became the new owner of the Dartmoor Railway CIC on 4 September 2008. The company intends to develop freight, passenger and tourist services on the railway.[4]
A proposal was made to restore and reopen the disused down platform at Yeoford. It has not been possible to agree arrangements with Network Rail who own Yeoford Station and the section of line from near the site of the former Coleford Junction.[5] If eventually achieved it could allow the extension of Dartmoor Railway passenger services and provide the possibility of interchange with the Exeter - Barnstaple "Tarka line".
Locomotives
- Diesel Locomotives
- Diesel Multiple Units
- BR Class 205 units 205028 (1128) and 205032 (1132). Unit 1132 (205032) Under Repair. Unit 1128 (205028) Awaiting Restoration.
- Electrical Multiple Units
External links
References
- ^ a b "About the railway". Friends of Dartmoor Railway. http://www.friendsofdartmoorrailway.org/railway.php. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
- ^ "Dartmoor Railway Applies to Run to Exeter" - Broadbent, S; RAIL Magazine news article, Issue 641, 7–20 April 2010, p.18
- ^ "Volunteers". Dartmoor Railway. http://www.dartmoor-railway.co.uk/volunteers.html. Retrieved 3 October 2009. Dartmoor Railway website Volunteers page
- ^ Heritage Railway, Pub. Heritage Railway Magazine. Issue 116, 2 October 2008 - 29 October 2008. P. 18.
- ^ "News". Dartmoor Railway. http://www.dartmoor-railway.co.uk/news.html. Retrieved 2 October 2009. Dartmoor Railway website Newspage
Categories:- Heritage railways in England
- Rail transport in Devon
- Scenic railway lines in Devon and Cornwall
- Dartmoor
- Standard gauge railways in England
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