WORKING day and night, Network Rail engineers have finished laying more than 11 miles of new track to Okehampton, linking up with what had previously been laid as far as Coleford Junction in preparation for the opening at the end of this year of the new station at Okehampton and regular passenger services between Okehampton and Exeter.

This is the first of the government’s Restoring Your Railway initiatives, seeing Devon receive £40 million to bring back the regular, daily passenger rail service to between Okehampton and Exeter.

A total of 24,000 concrete sleepers have been installed using an innovative NTC (new track construction) machine, fascinating to see at work, dropping sleepers into place, lay the track and then clamp it into place all at the same time.

People might have seen the sleepers and ballast being brought in by rail, curious trains that have trundled through Crediton and Yeoford with Yeoford station yard used as a small compound and where many of the old sleepers and rail have been stored.

The sleepers have been taken along the Dartmoor Line using a Class 56 locomotive that has pushed about a quarter-of-a-mile long set of wagons containing on average 2,430 sleepers each journey at a speed of five mph.

Then comes the ballast, 29,000 tonnes transported by special wagons that drop the required amount onto the track then along comes the tamping machine to compact the ballast and lift the track so that it is level.

More than four miles of lights had been put up, powered by the sort of generators used at Glastonbury Festival because it is the most environmentally friendly. You can have a conversation beside them. Various options were looked at before this was chosen.

Becky Tipper, Network Rail scheme project manager, said: “We are delighted with the progress the team has made and this is credit to the hard work and dedication of our engineers involved in this project.

“It has also been really comforting to see such interest and support from the local community. We are committed to reopening this important railway line as quickly and safely as possible.”

Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “It’s brilliant that so much progress has been made already in this project. Network Rail engineers have done an incredible job, bringing us closer to seeing regular passenger services restored later this year.”

Richard Burningham MBE, Manager of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, added: “Hats off and many thanks to all involved in this tremendous feat.

“To have laid 11 miles of track already is fabulous and it’s been great to see video of the very innovative piece of kit which has helped on the Dartmoor Line. Thanks too to the Government for funding all this work.” 

Matt Barnes, GWR regional development manager, commented: “Once reopened, the Dartmoor Line will form a vital rail link for Okehampton and the surrounding areas so we are pleased to see the progress Network Rail is making to upgrade the infrastructure.

“With daily trains running every two hours by the end of the year and hourly services expected to start in 2022, the new line will help extend the social and economic benefits of the railway to the area and the communities it will serve.”

For more information and the latest updates on the Dartmoor Line, please visit: www.dartmoorline.com .