Devon Metro

Devon Metro
A Class 150 bound for Paignton on the Riviera Line calling at St Thomas station in 2018.
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 4 services
Number of stations	40
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
System map

Construction at Marsh Barton station in 2021, part of the Devon Metro project.

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. This includes increasing the frequency of trains on existing lines, opening new lines and stations, and improving integration between lines and other modes of transport. Through these upgrades the network is to gradually become a "turn-up-and-go" service 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, but in some instances extends beyond this with Barnstaple and Okehampton as termini for the Tarka and Dartmoor lines respectively.

History

Background

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. 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, most of the network survived but underwent significant economies to justify their retainment including the singling of previously double-tracked routes.

In the years since Exeter has gone through substantial expansion and has become one of the fastest growing cities in the country, 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. The need to reduce congestion on the roads led to the reopening of Pinhoe and Digby and Sowton stations in 1983 and 1995 respectively, and the construction of a new passing loop at Axminster in 2009 to increase the frequency on the East Devon Line. These enhancements in the east of the city were intended to attract more commuters to travel to and from the city centre by train instead of car. 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. 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.

Initial proposals

Initial proposals of the Devon Metro scheme were laid out as part of the Future of Transport in Exeter consultation, which took place in March and April of 2010. This set out short to medium term plans for new stations "related to areas of new development or existing employment sites in the city". New stations at Marsh Barton, Newcourt and Monkerton were explicitly mentioned. The proposal also included longer term goals such as a new station at Cullompton and increased train frequencies, however it also mentioned that increased train frequency would depend on the construction of new passing loops on single track lines.

In the final report written at the conclusion of the consultation, 84% of respondents indicated support for the rail enhancements under the Devon Metro scheme, with only 5% expressing opposition.

A further briefing was published in 2011 outlining the scheme in more detail, including an implementation plan for 2011-2026. In the short term they included:

• Increased frequency on the Riviera Line to 2tph to ease overcrowding
• Introduction of longer 4 car trains through cascading of rolling stock
• New Riviera line stations in Exeter at Marsh Barton and Newcourt, as well as at Edginswell in Torquay.
• New East Devon line station at Cranbrook.

The briefing also included longer term plans, including:

• Increased frequency on the Avocet line to 4tph, reliant on new passing loops being installed at Lympstone and Digby and Sowton.
• New Avocet line station at Monkerton to serve the Met Office headquarters at Exeter Business Park, reliant on an extra passing loop being installed.
• New station at Cullompton on the Bristol–Exeter line, reliant on a new local train service being introduced due to being located on the main line.
• Increased frequency on the East Devon line to 2tph, reliant on a new passing loop being installed at either Cranbrook or Whimple.

Several improvements were also ruled out at this stage:

• A new station at Exminster just south of Exeter was deemed not possible as the high levels of traffic on the South Devon main line, which overlaps with the majority of the Riviera line, only made a single additional station practical without further infrastructure improvements. (Marsh Barton was chosen instead as the station to be prioritised, eventually opening in 2023)
• Reactivating the Dartmoor line was not considered viable due to the high capital cost of the re-opening and the revenue cost of the operation. (Despite this the Dartmoor line was later reopened as a part of the Devon Metro in 2021, with funding from the Restoring Your Railway programe)
• Realigning the section of railway from Dawlish to Teignmouth to prevent disruption from sea water and weather damage was said to not justify the large costs.

Completed enhancements

Cranbrook station

Main article: Cranbrook railway station (Devon)

Cranbrook railway station opened in 2015.

Newcourt station

Main article: Newcourt railway station (England)

Newcourt railway station opened in 2015.

Riviera Line timetable changes

As part of the Devon Metro project, frequency on the Riviera Line between Exeter and Paignton was increased to two trains per hour, 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

Main article: Dartmoor Line

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

Main article: Marsh Barton railway station

Construction work started at Marsh Barton in April 2021. The station was added to the National Rail timetable in May 2022, eventually opening for passenger services in July 2023.

Ongoing Works

Okehampton Interchange

Main article: Okehampton Interchange railway station

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.

Proposals

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.