West Devon Borough Council has announced that it has been successful in a £13.4 million bid to develop a new railway station and integrated transport hub on the eastern edge of Okehampton.
The West Devon Transport Hub will further build on the fantastic success of the Dartmoor Line, which reopened with great success in November 2021.
Together with our principal partners Devon County Council and GWR and Network Rail, the Government’s Levelling Up Fund award is for a brand new, purpose built station and car park, which will be easily accessible from the nearby A30.
The station’s platform will include a passenger lift with greater accessibility for all travellers as well as cycle facilities and electric vehicle charging points to promote active and green travel. These actions will help to meet the Council’s climate change objectives to reduce carbon across the Borough by 2050.
The Borough Council are confident this will bring huge benefits to West Devon’s economy and particularly to Okehampton and its surrounding area.
The funding application which was judged as ‘strong’ by the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) was the result of close collaboration and good quality work with Devon County Council and the support of Mel Stride MP and the ongoing hard work of the OkeRail Forum.
West Devon Borough Council’s Leader, Cllr Neil Jory, said: “This is a huge achievement for West Devon and we’re absolutely delighted!
“It’s fantastic news for Okehampton, and the Borough, providing an interchange from the A30 to Exeter and the strategic rail network. Okehampton has so much to offer and this transport hub, which builds on the success of the Dartmoor Line, will make travelling to the town even easier.
“The new integrated travel links include a new station, specifically designed for the town. A car park with EV charging points and cycling facilities, which are essential for this town with the hugely popular Granite Way cycling nearby, and walking route on its doorstep, along with the northern edge of Dartmoor and all its walks.
“This is really wonderful news and I’d like to thank Devon County Council, Cllr Andrea Davis, Mel Stride MP, OkeRail and our own Economy team who have given their support to this project.”
Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “This is brilliant news for the people of Okehampton, and a boost to the regeneration of the town. The Dartmoor Line to Okehampton has been hugely successful with more than 250,000 passenger journeys in the first year. The development of the West Devon Transport Hub with an additional station will be another positive step for the local economy while reducing carbon emissions.”
