Devon Metro
| Devon Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | GWR, SWR, Network Rail | ||
| Area served | Exeter travel to work area | ||
| Locale | Devon | ||
| Transit type | Urban and suburban rail | ||
| Number of lines | 5 lines[note 1] 4 services[note 2] | ||
| Number of stations | 40 [note 3] | ||
| Operation | |||
| Operator(s) | GWR, SWR | ||
| Infrastructure manager(s) | Network Rail | ||
| Character | Commuter rail service undergoing incremental rapid transit style upgrades | ||
| Train length | 2 - 4 cars on most lines, 6 cars on most East Devon Line services. | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 112.5 mi (181 km) | ||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
| |||
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.
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.
Background[edit]
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 station in 1983 and Digby and Sowton station in 1995, funded by Devon County Council, in the east of the city to attract more commuters to travel to and from the city centre by train instead of car.[13] 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.[14]
Completed enhancements[edit]
Cranbrook station[edit]
Cranbrook railway station opened in 2015.[15]
Newcourt station[edit]
Newcourt railway station opened in 2015.
Riviera Line timetable changes[edit]
As part of the Devon Metro project, frequency on the Riviera Line between Exeter and Paignton was increased to two trains per hour,[2][16] 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[edit]
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[edit]
Construction work started at Marsh Barton in April 2021.[17] The station was added to the National Rail timetable in May 2022, eventually opening for passenger services in July 2023.
Ongoing Works[edit]
Okehampton Interchange[edit]
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.[18]
Proposals[edit]
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[edit]
- ^ These are the physical branches that train services run on.
- ^ These are the services which are run as a single continuous route, but can run on multiple physical branch lines.
- ^ 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".
References[edit]
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b "Half hourly Paignton services to be restored". 21 February 2014.
- ^ "Dartmoor Line". Network Rail. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ Clark, Daniel (2023-02-05). "Devon plan for new 'fast-track' train stations". Devon Live. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Devon's integrated vision". www.modernrailways.com. 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Budget 2021: Funding backs reopening of Cullompton Railway Station". BBC News. 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Greater Exeter Strategic Plan" (PDF). Mid Devon District Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ a b "DEVON METRO – A SUMMARY" (PDF). AVOCET LINE RAIL USERS GROUP. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ The Reshaping of British Railways (PDF). London: British Railways Board. 1963. p. 113.
- ^ "History – Avocet Line Rail Users Group". Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Exeter: Consultations held over city's 20-year future". BBC News. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "Highway Issues in Exeter". Exeter Civic Society. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ Abbott, James, ed. (July 1995). "Three new stations in summer timetable". Modern Railways. 52 (562): 388.
- ^ "The future of transport in Exeter" (PDF). Devon County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ "Cranbrook train station opens today". Express & Echo. Exeter. 13 December 2015. Archived from the original on 14 December 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
- ^ https://committees.exeter.gov.uk/documents/s37205/Transport%20Initiatives%20and%20Issues%20Update%20Appx%201%20Final.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Work starts on Exeter's Marsh Barton station". Modern Railways Online. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
- ^ Okehampton Interchange, Dartmoor Line. "Okehampton Interchange". The Dartmoor Line. Retrieved 2024-06-08.