ON Sunday, April 17 the Tarka Line will welcome an exceedingly rare visitor - an HST 125 train from London.

A common enough sight on the Paddington to Penzance main railway line for the past 40 years, it’s big news when one of these units is glimpsed in Mid or North Devon, and most of the rail enthusiasts expected to throng the wayside platforms and overlooking bridges would be hard-pressed to say when they last saw a Barnstaple-bound 125.

UK Railtours’ boss John Farrow has chartered the train for the special run, and some additional attractions have been laid on for the final Exeter to Barnstaple leg of the journey.

“Tarka Line Walks” author, Peter Craske, will provide a live running commentary; members of the Tarka Rail Association (TRA) will be on-hand, both on the train and at Barnstaple station, to offer the 500 visitors additional information, and The Stationmaster’s Cafe will be open.

There will be four opportunities to catch a glimpse of the train. Shortly after 11am, the special train will arrive and spend seven minutes at Exeter St David’s platform six before leaving for Crediton (11.24am) and Eggesford (11.53am) with a Barnstaple arrival time of 12.24pm.

There being, alas, no facilities for the unit to be stabled in Barnstaple, it will begin the 55 minute journey back to Exeter (without passengers) almost immediately. But, later that same afternoon, will again head north in time to form the 16:30 departure from Barnstaple to Paddington, passing Eggesford (16:58) and Crediton (17:24) for a 17.35pm arrival in Exeter.