Pictures: Okehampton Interchange officially opens as town celebrates major rail milestone

Okehampton's second railway station has officially opened, marking another significant step forward for rail travel across West Devon and Dartmoor.

The new Okehampton Interchange station was formally opened on Friday (31 July), with passenger services due to begin on Saturday 1 August.

Representatives from Network Rail, Great Western Railway (GWR), Devon County Council, West Devon Borough Council and other invited guests attended the ceremony, celebrating the completion of the £18 million project.

Located close to the A30, the new station has been designed as a transport hub, providing rail connections alongside bus services, cycling facilities and a 200-space park-and-ride car park.

Lifts, ramps and a footbridge linking the platforms make the station fully accessible.

£13.5 million of UK Government funding secured by West Devon Borough Council made the project possible, alongside match funding from local authorities.

The opening builds on the success of the Dartmoor Line, which returned regular passenger services to Okehampton in 2021 after more than 50 years.

Since then, passenger numbers have exceeded expectations, with more than half a million journeys recorded during its first two years.

Among those attending was Central Devon MP Sir Mel Stride, who described the opening as an important moment for the town.

He told The Moorlander: "It's an amazing and really important day for Okehampton and Devon. A lot of hope and aspiration was lost when the trains stopped, and this is a great tribute to all those who have worked so hard to make this happen.

"How many communities of this size can boast two train stations? You can already see the impact that improved connectivity has had. This is a town on the way up that's doing well, and it underlines why this kind of infrastructure is so important.

"We're very interested in where this line goes next. Tavistock is a town that's not in my constituency but should be thinking about its rail future too, so there will be other campaigns going on."

Rail campaign group Railfuture also welcomed the opening, recognising the years of work that led to the station becoming a reality.

Tim Steer, chair of Railfuture Devon and Cornwall, told The Moorlander: "This is all thanks to the years of dedicated campaigning by OkeRail, who in 2022 received the Railfuture Judges' Special Award for their work in restoring the Dartmoor Line to Okehampton.

"West Devon Borough Council must also be thanked for its successful application for national government Levelling Up funding to give Network Rail the necessary funds to deliver this new station.

"Railfuture Devon and Cornwall will continue to support Devon County Council and the new Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority to develop Devon Metro 2 for more new stations, line modernisations and rail extensions. Railfuture has already agreed to use £10,000 of our national Fighting Fund to help towards Devon Metro 2."

Joanna Grew, Route Strategy Director for Network Rail and GWR, said the new station represented another major milestone for the Dartmoor Line.

She said: "It's fantastic to see Okehampton Interchange open and ready to welcome its first passengers.

"The Dartmoor Line has already made a real difference since services returned in 2021, and this new station is another important step in making rail travel easier and more accessible for all across the region."

Devon County Council said the new interchange will improve access to rail services for communities across West Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall, while helping to reduce traffic in Okehampton through improved park-and-ride facilities and better walking, cycling and bus links.

West Devon Borough Council described the station as an investment in the future of the area, improving access to employment, education, healthcare, tourism and other services while supporting economic growth across the region.