THE second ministerial visit to Okehampton in a matter of weeks has brought renewed hope for a major rail line for the town.

The Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, visited Okehampton last Wednesday to meet with councillors and campaigners behind efforts to see the Okehampton and Tavistock line linking Plymouth to Exeter reinstated.

Later that day, the transport minister stated during a visit to Paignton that while the Government is intending to retain the Dawlish line as the main rail route for the region, the case to re-open the Okehampton line is being looked at. The issue has come into sharp focus over the past year after last winter's horrendous storms that destroyed part of the main line into the region at Dawlish.

Cllr Christine Marsh, Mayor of West Devon, said: 'West Devon Borough Council has written in support of the return of the railway to Okehampton and Tavistock. It is extremely important for the economy of West Devon and Devon as a whole that the railway returns.

'This has been a very important meeting. Now we need to be positive, press the issue and not give in.'

During the meeting in Okehampton, Mr McLoughlin MP visited Okehampton Station, rode on a train out to Meldon Viaduct and had a look at the rail infrastructure already in place along the proposed route. The visit came days after a delegation representing Okehampton and Tavistock visited Westminster to meet with Mr McLoughlin to discuss the re-opening of the line.

It is the second such ministerial visit to Okehampton in just a number of weeks. In August Claire Perry MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, visited the town to meet with town council working group Destination Okehampton, which has been working hard over the past few months on a strategy to boost the chances of ensuring a rail service returns to Okehampton.

The MP for Central Devon Mel Stride has been one of many staunch advocates for the return of the railway. He said that the meeting with Mr McLoughlin MP had been very encouraging and proved very productive.

'It has given us a chance to see the potential for a new line running from Exeter through Okehampton and down to Tavistock and Plymouth. The fact that the Secretary of State for Transport has taken the effort to come down to Okehampton so soon after the visit of Claire Perry, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, says a lot. It is very encouraging.

'To me it shows that the Government is very seriously looking at this as a serious option. We need to work as hard as possible to show them that it is not only an option, but it is needed here.

'It is of massive importance to Okehampton and its surrounds — Torrington, North Cornwall and Okehampton's hinterland. If you live in Bude, you have to travel 60 miles to get to Exeter St David's. It is a ridiculous situation.

'The return of the railway would have a hugely positive economic impact on the area and I am really keen to see it happen.'

County and borough councillor Kevin Ball said that the discussions with Mr McLoughlin were encouraging and that the minister was definitely listening to all that was being said.

He said: 'The fact that the minster took the time to come and see the line and meet key people, coupled with the visit from Claire Perry in August, is significant. If nothing else, it at least shows that serious consideration is being given to all the options on the table.

'This is not just about resilience for the coastal line. It is about the economic regeneration and connectivity to the rail network for West Devon, North Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall. It would be a huge boost to the entire area.

'On the day of the visit, I tried to get a bus from Okehampton to Exeter. With it being out of term time, I couldn't get one that got into Exeter before 10am.

'That sums it up really. An early train that arrives in Exeter before 9am and a train around the end of the working day opens up Exeter, Okehampton and even Crediton to commuting.

'If we get a regular service, it could also be used to take pressure off the busy Barnstaple line, by using the Okehampton trains at stations common to both routes. These are all fringe benefits of the line re-opening.'