THE last issue of the Courier devoted much of its front page to a proposal by two North Devon residents, describing themselves as the "North Devon Public Transport Users' Group", suggesting that slashing the number of intermediate stations on the Tarka Line would cut 15 minutes off Barnstaple to Exeter journey times.

Their proposal was branded as "simply quite crazy" by Councillor Nick Way (Crediton Rural, Devon County Council), while Mel Stride, MP for Central Devon, expressed himself as "very concerned about this proposal."

The Tarka Rail Association (TRA), a volunteer-led group with a membership of more than 200 individuals, entirely concurs with the strongly negative reactions expressed by Nick Way and Mel Stride.

The TRA has no wish whatever to see local stations closed.

Far from advocating their closure, the group has worked diligently in recent years to improve services at such local stations as Yeoford, Copplestone and Morchard Road and, as a result, passenger footfall has increased significantly.

The Tarka train is the only public transport service linking North Devon with Mid-Devon and Exeter which operates in the evenings and on Sundays.

The Tarka Line is also enjoying remarkable growth. For the first time in the line's 158 year history, passenger journeys in 2011 exceeded half-a-million.

The line is now the sixth fastest-growing Community Line of some 80 such lines operating around the UK.

Last month, passenger surveys conducted by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership revealed that 36.9 per cent of all passenger journeys were to or from one of the 11 intermediate stations along the line - and this at a time when sleet and snow were falling and leisure usage by hikers and visitors was at its yearly low point.

Closing intermediate stations, will NOT result (as the two North Devon residents claim) in a 15-minute reduction in the Barnstaple-Exeter journey time.

The current Tarka Line timetable is constrained by the simple fact that there are only two places along the 39-mile single-track route, where trains travelling in opposite directions can pass: Crediton and Eggesford.

Even with closure of eight intermediate stations and a different operating pattern, the fastest achievable journey time would be 55 minutes.

Such a service would, however, be less reliable and Tarka Line passengers would face longer connection times at Exeter. 

TRA's aim is to achieve faster overall journey times, while maintaining broadly the same pattern of station calls.

To that end the TRA is pressing for increased investment in track renewal to increase line-speed and also to reduce the delays caused by the three unstaffed level-crossings along the route. 

The TRA is working hard to secure even more improvements including more frequent and longer trains.

The group's aspirations for the future can viewed on its website: http://www.tarkarail.org">www.tarkarail.org .

If anyone feels the rail link is under threat, please consider joining the TRA. The more members we have the greater our influence.

Annual membership is £7 for adults; £5 for students and seniors.

For further details, visit http://www.tarkarail.org">www.tarkarail.org or contact the TRA Membership Secretary at 20 Barton Meadow Road, High Bickington, Umberleigh, EX37 9AN.

John Burch

(Chairman)

John Phillips

Peter Craske

From the Tarka Rail

Association

by email