A TOWN council working group is hoping to feed information into the study looking at the reinstatement of the railway through Okehampton — with the help of surrounding communities.

The Destination Okehampton group met on December 18 to discuss a number of issues, including the latest developments regarding the potential return of the railway to Okehampton.

Since the group's last meeting, the Department for Transport has confirmed that a feasibility study is to be carried out by Network Rail looking into reviving the former London and South Western Railway route from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock.

Cllr Dr Michael Ireland, the chair of Destination Oke-hampton, said the group would prepare to feed into the study in the hope its case was heard.

Destination Oke-hampton has been working hard over the past few months on a strategy to boost the chances of ensuring a rail service returns to Okehampton.

Part of this strategy has been to try and get councils from communities across Devon and parts of Cornwall to pledge their support for the return of the rail service through Okehampton and Tavistock.

It is hoped that having councils, organisations and representatives from across the region advocating the return of the Okehampton line will add weight to the argument that the return of the line could bring huge economic benefits to West Devon, Torridge, North Devon and parts of Cornwall.

Councils were contacted regarding potential contributions toward efforts to establish a case for the resurrection of the rail line, with the money to be used to commission an independent report by a professional rail consultant to prove the actual costs and the benefits of having the line reinstated.

Among the numerous councils who have pledged financial support to the project are Tavistock Town Council, Crediton Town Council and Mary Tavy Parish Council.

Now Destination Okehampton is hoping to visit Tavistock and potentially other councils to find out their detailed thoughts on the return of the railway and establish stronger bonds with those communities.

Cllr Dr Ireland said: 'We want to contact these councils and hopefully be invited to go to places like Tavistock for an information gathering meeting and to build relationships between the councils.

'We are not a lobbying group, that is not Destination Okehampton's purpose or ethos — but this is an issue with interest from many other communities.

'It is really really good that so far we have been getting the support from as far away as the Cornish coast up to mid Devon and places like Crediton. It shows the strength of interest in the area to see the rail come back and that is something we need to show, as one voice.'

The group is holding fire on commissioning its own report until members have more details on the Network Rail study and what form it will take.

Chris Bligh, a rail expert who has been a technical adviser to the Destination Oke-hampton group, said: 'This involves not just Okehampton but so many other councils. We should try and meet with the likes of Hatherleigh, Tavistock, Bude and other areas. Part of the business case to bring the railway back is relying on the input of the likes of these places.

'I think the feasibility study will not just look at the cost of bringing a rail service back, but the business case for doing so. Any business people we can get from Hatherleigh, Hols-worthy or Bude to discuss lost money due to lost time taken on travel, that information needs to be gathered if we can feed into the Network Rail study.'