OKERAIL’s historic "Royal Oke" train service between Okehampton and London arrived just 30 minutes late in spite of the passengers having to change trains at Exeter due to a technical problem with the line.

Not only was it fixed by the time that they made their return trip in the evening but OkeRail found that what had started as a local news item was promoted to headline news on the BBC and in other media.

Just before 8am the "Royal Oke" pulled out of Okehampton bound for Crediton, Exeter and London Paddington.

However within a few minutes, near Bow, the carriage wheels developed track adhesion problems due to the lack of use of the track.

Remarkably, GWR had a replacement train ready for passengers at Exeter so only minutes were added to the journey time.

There was reported to be an extraordinary atmosphere on the train.

A total of 500 people had travelled from across the South West to join the train.

They were going to London for an amazing range of reasons.

Visits were made to the Shard, the Science Museum, the London Eye, Westminster, the David Hockney exhibition, to visit relatives and to find out about orchids at Kew Gardens!

They went to do all the sort of things that ordinary people expect to do routinely but currently seldom can if they live in North Devon or Cornwall as it can take up to 10 hours traveling by car and train.

Crucially interviews on the train revealed that many people would use a hoped-for restored service to get to work in Exeter and Bristol, get their children to Exeter College and of course to travel to London on business.

Once in London a delegation of OkeRail members supported by Mel Stride, the MP for Central Devon, who travelled on the train, met the Under Secretary of State, Paul Maynard MP, who welcomed the train at Paddington.

He indicated that he found the argument for the line reopening “compelling”.

Hundreds of passengers signed up to take part in signing petitions, seeing their MPs and pressurising their local councillors to get regular services running between Okehampton and Exeter once again.

It was 50 years ago that the last direct High Speed train travelled from Okehampton to London.

OkeRail says it cannot wait another 50 years before another such venture takes place and added that the lack of regular trains not only spoils the track, it isolates communities and businesses in the region.

The group is asking people to join the campaign on "Facebook" at www.facebook.com/okerail , on Twitter @okerailoffical or visit the website: www.okerail.2day.uk .