I RECENTLY travelled to Exeter from Crediton by bus and on to Exeter Marsh Barton using a “Park and Ride” service to attend a model railway exhibition at the Exeter Livestock Centre.

On my return to Crediton I used the 5A service which continued on to Okehampton, leaving Exeter I was very surprised to find that this service no longer went via Exeter St David’s Station, but carried on to Crediton, serving the town’s station.

Thinking this may have been a mistake I checked, only to find that the 5A indeed does not go to St David’s.

Stagecoach services 5, 5A,B and C and other services all serve Crediton Railway Station and Redlands Health Centre, but only service 5B serves both Crediton and Exeter St David’s railway stations.

If your journey is beyond Exeter by train and you live in Crediton, or close to it, it is simpler to get a bus to Crediton Railway Station and change there and take the train onwards for your journey, now that both Okehampton and Barnstaple have a regular hourly train service.

Crediton has two trains per hour to and from Exeter.

I have worked out the times of the train services to Okehampton from Exeter and the Stagecoach bus service, both of which leave Exeter at the same time so the services do not connect at Crediton from Exeter by train.

The Barnstaple service leaves before the Okehampton service.

So by using that service and changing at Crediton it is possible to connect with a 5A bus service to Okehampton at Crediton Station.

Devon County Council has produced the following public transport timetable booklets: North Devon and Torridge, West Devon, Mid Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, East Devon, Exeter City.

Plymouth and Torbay are not included as they are unitary authorities.

The current booklets are likely to remain in-issue until spring 2024.

The train times are only valid until December 9, 2023, in these booklets.

However, after that date only the main line services from Exeter are likely to alter. The services to both Okehampton and Barnstaple are likely to remain the same.

These public transport booklets can be obtained in full from Exeter Bus Station.

In Crediton I have seen copies of the Mid Devon booklet at Crediton Library, Crediton Town Council Office and the Post Office. 

For those who have computer access Devon County Council’s website is: www.devon.gov.uk/travel .

Having lived in Crediton since 1977 public transport between Crediton and Exeter has never been as comprehensive as it is now.

It only gets confusing if you wish to go further, however the Mid Devon booklet together with the other publications can make getting around Devon using public transport interesting and less demanding on the environment than always using the car.

If however, as many people do, you live in a rural area where, in the main, public transport is infrequent or non existent, then the car is the only alternative. I appreciate that, being a car owner, I only drive when I have to.

G J Palin

Crediton