South West MP urges Government to fund Tavistock-Plymouth rail link to cut congestion

South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith has renewed her support for reinstating the Tavistock-Plymouth railway line, saying the project is vital to ease congestion and ensure fairer transport investment in the region.

The line, which originally closed in 1962, would reconnect Tavistock with Plymouth by rail for the first time in over six decades. 

Large portions of the original trackbed remain intact, making reinstatement technically possible, and National Rail has estimated the cost of rebuilding the line at around £150 million.

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Smith acknowledged that this is a significant figure, but pointed out it represents only a fraction of the billions being spent nationally on major infrastructure projects such as HS2.

“I want to see our region get its fair share of transport investment and fully support efforts to reinstate the Plymouth to Tavistock line. Congestion in Tavistock only strengthens this case,” she said.

Local campaigners have long argued that reopening the line would help cut traffic through Tavistock and surrounding villages, provide greener travel options, and strengthen links between communities across West Devon and Plymouth.

A Tavistock resident commented on The Moorlander’s Facebook the impact a rail link would have on the growing population of the town: "If they are going to build more houses then transport infrastructure has got to be improved. For example a railway. Most other major towns have got alternative means of transport to divert people away from the roads.”

Smith said she will continue to press the Government to prioritise the scheme, despite tight national budgets. “As the MP for South West Devon, I will continue to lobby Labour Ministers to get this project off the ground and fund the business case,” she added.

The campaign to reinstate the line has been under discussion for years, with feasibility studies and public consultations exploring potential routes and costs. 

Supporters hope that renewed political backing, combined with rising concern over congestion and climate change, could give the project fresh momentum.

If successful, the Tavistock-Plymouth line could mark one of the most significant rail reopenings in the South West in a generation.