Major progress at £15 million Okehampton Interchange with new construction work

Okehampton’s newest railway station has taken a big step forward with a lift shaft, staircase and footbridge now installed.

The £15 million Okehampton Interchange, which is due to open in summer 2026, will be the newest addition to the Dartmoor Line.

The project is being delivered by Network Rail and its contractor Octavius, with funding from the Government, Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council.

Once open, the fully accessible station will provide an hourly service linking Okehampton with Exeter, and provide better connections to West Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall.

Over three nights of work, a 350-tonne crane lifted the new structures into position.

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The footbridge, measuring 25 metres long, was installed in two sections six metres above the railway, and will connect the 200-space car park with the 100-metre platform, which is now supported by 107 coping stones.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy described the progress as “an exciting step forward for the local community.” Network Rail programme director Bogdan Lupu said the works showed the project was “really coming together.”

ABOVE: The new lift shaft, staircase and footbridge at Okehampton Interchange (Credit: Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership)

Local councillors have also welcomed the milestone, with West Devon Borough Council’s Councillor Caroline Mott saying the Interchange would benefit residents and businesses by improving access and supporting tourism.

Devon County Council’s Councillor Jacqi Hodgson said the station would be “a huge asset” for the wider area, helping to cut congestion and reduce carbon emissions.

The interchange will sit alongside Okehampton’s existing station, which reopened in 2021 after strong community campaigning.

That reopening proved highly successful, with passenger numbers more than doubling early forecasts.

Organisers believe the new interchange will build on that success and improve travel options across Dartmoor and beyond.

Work will continue through 2025 to complete the station buildings, car park and final platform surfacing, with the first trains expected to call in summer 2026.