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Bideford and Barnstaple to Exeter

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:01:14 +0000

- For the most up-to-date videos see Stephen Bennett Railways:

+ For the most up-to-date videos see:
~ Stephen Bennett Railways:

- "I Took the Tarka Line - Here’s What Happened" (2026)

+ "I Took the Tarka Line - Here’s What Happened" (2026) and
~ Geoff Marshall: "Let's Ride - The Tarka Line to Barnstaple" (2026)

Events

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 11:35:40 +0000

Devon and Cornwall Branch

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 17:01:50 +0000

- We welcomed the flood resilience works ~~being undertaken~~ by the River Culm at Hele, on the Exeter-Taunton route about 4 miles south of the new station for Cullompton.

+ We welcomed the funding for flood resilience works by the River Culm at Hele, on the Exeter-Taunton route about 4 miles south of the new station for Cullompton. Subsequently Network Rail have been examining nature-based solutions to reduce flood risk.

-
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Devon & Cornwall ACE Rail campaign - Facebook absorbed by Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance, below (see also BRHC Ace Rail)

Ashburton RUG (contact via Exeter & Teign Valley Railway)

Avocet Line RUG (ALRUG)

Combe Rail

Connect Bude - also Facebook

Dartmoor Railway Association

Exeter & Teign Valley Railway

Heathfield Rail Link Association

Ivybridge Rail Users Group

Launceston Town Council

North Devon Line - Rail Promotion Group (formerly Tarka Rail Association)

Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance - see Bideford and Barnstaple to Exeter

Northern Route Working Group

OkeRail

Salisbury-Exeter Rail Users Group (SERUG)

TavyRail (formerly Peninsula Rail Group)

Torbay RUG - buzzer12 at btinternet.com (Roger Dixon)

Totnes RUG - plagerson at bridgetown.eclipse.co.uk

and in Railfuture's Regional Lists of Rail User Groups, and Reopening Campaigns. The Regional List of RUGs, and the list of all RoCs, can be viewed, or downloaded in PDF format here.

+
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Devon & Cornwall ACE Rail campaign - Facebook absorbed by Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance, below (see also BRHC Ace Rail)

Ashburton RUG (contact via Exeter & Teign Valley Railway)

Avocet Line RUG (ALRUG)

Combe Rail

Connect Bude - also Facebook

Dartmoor Railway Association

Exeter & Teign Valley Railway

Heathfield Rail Link Association

Ivybridge Rail Users Group

Launceston Town Council

North Devon Line - Rail Promotion Group (formerly Tarka Rail Association)

Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance - see Bideford and Barnstaple to Exeter

Northern Route Working Group

OkeRail

Salisbury-Exeter Rail Users Group (SERUG)

TavyRail (formerly Peninsula Rail Group)

Torbay RUG - buzzer12 at btinternet.com (Roger Dixon)

Totnes RUG - plagerson at bridgetown.eclipse.co.uk

and in Railfuture's Regional Lists of Rail User Groups, and Reopening Campaigns. The Regional List of RUGs, and the list of all RoCs, can be viewed, or downloaded in PDF format here.

Railfuture in the news

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 21:10:13 +0000

+

+ See "Relieving Castlefield" with report.

New stations

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 17:51:46 +0000

- >
West Wales Parkway, at Felindre, north of Swansea is being advocated; see also Swansea Bay Metro. In 2022 open access company Grand Union proposed Carmarthen-Paddington services and included the new station.>
Beeston and Tarporley, first announced as one of the 15 schemes in November 2020's Spending Review and National Infrastructure Strategy, received DfT approval of its Outline Business Case in October 2023.
St. Anne’s Park in Bristol.
Flaxby Parkway , on the Harrogate-Knaresborough-York line, is intended to serve around 3000 new homes in the Flaxby Park development on the former golf course.
Surrey Canal Road in Lewisham on the London Overground line between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays, which opened in December 2012 and included provision for a new station at Deptford Park / New Bermondsey / Surrey Canal Road. In November 2021 detailed plans were submitted and approved the following month.
Chard Parkway, on the site of the former Chard Junction station between Axminster and Crewkerne and closed since March 1966, is being championed by Somerset County Councillor for Chard South, Connor Payne, also his party's environment spokesman. The current Local Transport Plan Somerset's Future Transport Plan runs to 2026.

+
Beeston and Tarporley, first announced as one of the 15 schemes in November 2020's Spending Review and National Infrastructure Strategy, received DfT approval of its Outline Business Case in October 2023.

+
Chard Parkway, on the site of the former Chard Junction station between Axminster and Crewkerne and closed since March 1966, is being championed by Somerset County Councillor for Chard South, Connor Payne, also his party's environment spokesman. The current Local Transport Plan Somerset's Future Transport Plan runs to 2026.

-
facebook.com/reel/170~~95846602~~23281" rel="external">Laira - Laira Halt, by Laira Shed now Depot, and at end of Brandon Road; closed in 1930. In 2026, local MP advocating ~~case for~~ new station in his vision for a city Metro.

Recent successes

+
yorkpress.co.uk/news/17346655.historic-goldsborough-railway-station-near-york-reopen/" rel="external">Flaxby Parkway , on the Harrogate-Knaresborough-York line, is intended to serve around 3000 new homes in the project/flaxby-park-north-yorkshire/" rel="external">Flaxby Park</a> development on the former golf course.
724dg241xo" rel="external">Laira - Laira Halt, by Laira Shed now Depot, and at end of Brandon Road; closed in 1930. In 2026, local MP advocating case for new station in his vision for a city Metro.
St. Anne’s Parkstrong> in Bristol.
Surrey Canal Road></strong> in Lewisham on the London Overground line between Clapham Junction and Surrey Quays, which opened in December 2012 and included provision for a new station at Deptford Park / New Bermondsey / Surrey Canal Road. In November 2021 >detailed plans were submitted and approved the following month.
West Wales Parkway, at Felindre, north of Swansea is being advocated; see also Swansea Bay Metro. In 2022 open access company Grand Union proposed Carmarthen-Paddington services and included the new station.
Recent successes

London Metro

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 15:35:21 +0000

+

Herts and Beds

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 19:39:35 +0000

-
August 2026 edition view or download.
+ >
September 2026 edition view or download.>
August 2026 edition view or download.

Bideford and Barnstaple to Exeter diary

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:09:17 +0000

-
August - "Devon rail campaigns gain support from new partners" reports the Midweek Herald, on the 28th. Roger Blake, Acting Convener of the Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance, welcomes an additional stakeholder member for the Railfuture-instigated Alliance, the Devon Association of Local Councils, while Railfuture's chair of its Devon & Cornwall regional branch Tim Steer welcomes a new Teignbridge-based affiliated member for Railfuture.
+
August - TIDAL magazine, Autumn 2026 edition 012, carries an advert for the Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance and Railfuture on page 12, published on the 29th.
August - "Devon rail campaigns gain support from new partners" reports the Midweek Herald, on the 28th. Roger Blake, Acting Convener of the Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance, welcomes an additional stakeholder member for the Railfuture-instigated Alliance, the Devon Association of Local Councils, while Railfuture's chair of its Devon & Cornwall regional branch Tim Steer welcomes a new Teignbridge-based affiliated member for Railfuture.
+
September - TIDAL magazine, Autumn 2025 edition 008, carries an advert for the Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance and Railfuture on page 12, published on the 2nd.

Railfuture in the news 2025

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:01:36 +0000

+
+ 2nd September - TIDAL
+
+ Railfuture appears in an ad on page 12 of the Autumn 2025 edition 008.

New station successes

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:05:17 +0000

-
Okehampton Interchange (previously Okehampton East or Parkway, most recently West Devon Transport Hub), part of Devon Metro was planned to open in Spring 2026. The official opening was on Friday 31 July, public opening Saturday 1 August. Based on a bid in 2022 by West Devon Borough Council to the Levelling Up Fund's Tranche 2, the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing & Communities on 18 January 2023 announced "£13.5 million for a new railway station on the eastern edge of Okehampton - the West Devon Transport Hub - complete with high quality cycle facilities and EV charging points on site to better connect communities and promote active travel", confirmed by Network Rail and GWR. On 13 May 2024 the station's new name was confirmed. In January 2026 the opening was confirmed for Summer 2026, then public opening date confirmed as Saturday 1st August.
+
Okehampton Interchange (previously Okehampton East or Parkway, most recently West Devon Transport Hub), part of Devon Metro was planned to open in Spring 2026. The official opening was on Friday 31 July, public opening Saturday 1 August. Based on a bid in 2022 by West Devon Borough Council to the Levelling Up Fund's Tranche 2, the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing & Communities on 18 January 2023 announced "£13.5 million for a new railway station on the eastern edge of Okehampton - the West Devon Transport Hub - complete with high quality cycle facilities and EV charging points on site to better connect communities and promote active travel", confirmed by Network Rail and GWR. On 13 May 2024 the station's new name was confirmed. In January 2026 the opening was confirmed for Summer 2026, then public opening date confirmed as Saturday 1st August. "Beyond the Journey: Episode 1 - Opening Okehampton Interchange" was the first video of a series, released by GWR on 14th September and featured Railfuture's Tim Steer, regional branch chair for Devon and Cornwall. He had been invited to the official opening on 31st July.

Devon & Cornwall	ACE Rail campaign - Facebook absorbed by Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance, below (see also BRHC Ace Rail)
	Ashburton RUG (contact via Exeter & Teign Valley Railway)
	Avocet Line RUG (ALRUG)
	Combe Rail
	Connect Bude - also Facebook
	Dartmoor Railway Association
	Exeter & Teign Valley Railway
	Heathfield Rail Link Association
	Ivybridge Rail Users Group
	Launceston Town Council
	North Devon Line - Rail Promotion Group (formerly Tarka Rail Association)
	Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance - see Bideford and Barnstaple to Exeter
	Northern Route Working Group
	OkeRail
	Salisbury-Exeter Rail Users Group (SERUG)
	TavyRail (formerly Peninsula Rail Group)
	Torbay RUG - buzzer12 at btinternet.com (Roger Dixon)
	Totnes RUG - plagerson at bridgetown.eclipse.co.uk