Fantastic news – communities and passengers are to benefit from the reopening of the railway between Okehampton and Exeter as a result of the Government’s ‘Restoring your Railway’ initiative.
Following confirmation of government funding, services are expected to restart later this year on the 14-mile stretch of railway – known as the Dartmoor Line – for the first time in almost 50 years, providing a regular, daily passenger rail service between Okehampton and Exeter. Read more
An amazing 75 sketches were submitted by professionals and hobbyists alike in our competition to design Direction of Travel signs for Lelant and Carbis Bay stations.
These are the shortlisted entries. Keep scrolling to see who won!
A huge thanks to everyone who took part and to our team of judges. Read more
A Swedish family who love the Looe Valley Line in Cornwall have come up with a unique Covid-safe way of remembering the area from their home in Sweden.
Dad Knut Hauge contacted Gill Bridges from the Polraen Country House Hotel in Sandplace requesting a copy of the hotel’s breakfast menu so he could surprise his wife Hanne and two sons, Simen and Ola, with a traditional English breakfast at home. Read more
St Ives Bay Line by WestBahnFilms
Train services are unchanged and continue running as we enter the new national restrictions, but there are new rules about travel. Here’s a quick explainer:
You can travel for the following reasons (taken from Gov.uk Read more
The Exeter – Barnstaple Tarka Line now has the best service of its entire 165 year existence and in this post I’m going to take you back to show why that is true.
First off, what does “Best ever” mean here? Read more
The GWR timetable change – what does it mean for you?
This Sunday (15 Dec 2019) sees the biggest timetable change on the Great Western Railway network since 1976. Journey times will change, with more frequent trains and more seats.
Find out what it means for you with our quick summary below. Read more
A high tech heritage project born in Plymouth has picked up a national award.
The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, based at the University of Plymouth, teamed up with city digital agency Elixel to encourage more visitors to explore the branch line in South East Cornwall between Liskeard and Looe. Read more
A trio of Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership projects in South East Cornwall have been recognised at the national Community Rail Awards.
The Looe Valley Line Heritage Project which celebrates the history of the Liskeard to Looe branch line won two awards. Read more
CASE STUDY | Find out about our inter-generational tea parties on the train to explore memories of the railway and bring people together. The project won the "Best Community Engagement" category at the national Community Rail Awards.
CASE STUDY | We worked with the local community to tell the hidden stories of the past 160 years on the Looe Valley Line. We produced video documentaries, a mobile phone app, interpretation boards and more to bring history to life.
CASE STUDY | The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership worked with the local community to replace damaged and decrepit tiles at Gunnislake with creative and durable new works of art.
The Friends of Penmere Station have installed a new insect friendly rockery at the station thanks to help from the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and funding from the Community Rail Development Fund, a joint initiative of the Department for Transport and ACoRP, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships. Read more
New for 2019, have a summer Sunday day out on Dartmoor thanks to a new bus connecting with trains.
Every Sunday until 8 September, the bus will run between Okehampton station and Lydford, Lydford Gorge, Brentor, Tavistock and Gunnislake station.
It will link in with some Exeter–Okehampton and Gunnislake–Plymouth trains and pass the main entrance to Lydford Gorge. Read more
Barnstaple railway station now has free wi-fi throughout the station thanks to a partnership between the Tarka Rail Association, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and GWR.
The wi-fi equipment has been supplied by local company Lineal Software Solutions of The Strand, Barnstaple. Read more
The clock on platform 2 at Truro station was in need of TLC, having stopped being a reliable timekeeper (and hence having to be stopped) and with its casing filthy from decades of diesel fumes.
GWR Station Manager Lee Goodson and his staff were determined to get the clock restored inside and out and asked the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership for help with funding. Read more
Funding from Great Western Railway’s Customer & Communities Improvement Fund will see a new Looe Valley Line Heritage Centre created at Liskeard station, following a successful bid by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.
The centre will be established in three rooms on Platform 3 at Liskeard station, currently used by the Partnership as a summer information point and shop. Read more
There are more seats on the scenic Looe Valley Line which links Liskeard and Looe. All trains will now be formed of two coaches throughout the year, instead of a single coach outside of the peak Summer holidays.
The two coach trains have all been recently refurbished by train company GWR and have free Wi-Fi, power sockets, space for wheelchairs and buggies and a toilet which has been adapted for use by the disabled. Read more
We’re excited to be holding a premiere evening on Friday 26th April to show off the fantastic songs and films created as part of the Looe Valley Line heritage project. It’s a free event, but booking is required on our Eventbrite page:
Book tickets
The project has been funded by Great Western Railway’s Customer and Communities Improvement Fund and the Designated Community Rail Development Fund, a joint initiative of the Department for Transport and ACoRP, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships. Read more
A new national rail promotion of Devon & Cornwall has been launched by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and CrossCountry.
The centrepiece of the promotion is a "Devon & Cornwall – visit by train with CrossCountry" leaflet.
If you have an idea for a project at or relating to the East Devon Line or one of its stations, help is available, including money.
The East Devon Line is the section of South Western Railway’s Waterloo – Exeter route in Devon and includes Axminster, Honiton, Feniton, Whimple, Cranbrook and Pinhoe stations. Read more