THOUSANDS of passengers used the Sunday Rover rail service connecting Okehampton to Exeter this summer, according to a survey conducted by local railway group OkeRail.

OkeRail has brought together local authorities and community groups to promote the return of a regular passenger rail service between Okehampton and Exeter, and say its findings show there is a definite demand for an extended service.

Its survey revealed that the Great Western Railway Sunday Rover service — which operated between May 15 and September 11 from Okehampton to Sampford Courtenay and Crediton and on to Exeter — attracted more than 7,500 passenger journeys, with an average of just over 200 people using the service each week.

To show their determination to bring improved rail services to West Devon, OkeRail and the Peninsula Rail Group are also putting on a one-off First direct train from Okehampton to London on March 18, 2017.

Their survey concluded that the Sunday Rover service was used by passengers from Torridge, Mid and West Devon and North and East Cornwall.

Some 11% of passengers interviewed (from a total of 928) said they would use a daily service for commuting, 34% for weekly shopping/leisure and 12% would use a daily service to connect at Exeter with the main London-Plymouth rail line.

Passengers inter-viewed showed overwhelming support for a daily Okehampton-Exeter service. Some suggested that if there was no daily service by summer then a Saturday service should be added to the Sunday Rover.

There were some complaints, however, of overcrowding which led to some passengers refusing to travel.

But overall supporters of the service were delighted with the response.

OkeRail chairman Mike Davies said: ‘This is an absolutely brilliant response. I remember the first time I caught the train from Okehampton and there were more than 100 people ready to board the train to Exeter. It was amazing. Such was the demand that Great Western had to add a second coach.’

Mr Davies believes that with the growth of Okehampton in the future access to better rail transport for passengers is essential.

‘There are places like Bude that has no rail service and if Okehampton was connected to the main line to London with a daily service it mean more people would come through Okehampton from North Cornwall and North Devon. Also those who come to take on the Ten Tors on Dartmoor each year could then come by train instead.’

The findings are even more relevant as the Government is expected in February to announce whose bids have been successful for the rail franchise for the Exeter line and any other new routes including possible resurrection of the Exeter-Okehampton-Tavistock-Plymouth line.

The Peninsula Rail Group is a group of professionals, academics and stakeholders, who are campaigning for better regional rail services. Its chairman Richard Searight told the Times: ‘The survey proves that there is terrific interest in the service and that more people use it than on the Tarka line in North Devon and that’s just on a Sunday.

‘The survey itself is so important because it will build a business case for both the Okehampton to Exeter line and the whole proposed restoration of the northern rail line (Exeter-Okehampton-Tavistock-Plymouth).

‘The first phase is the Okehampton-Exeter line and we hope to have regular services operating by the end of next year. It could even see services on Saturdays and Sundays and spread to the whole of the regular services.’

Mr Searight hopes that the figures will be the ‘litmus test’ to attracting possible rail service providers as the high number of passengers using the existing Rover line will prove to franchisees that the Okehampton and northern rail options are lucrative.

He added: ‘We want to create a buzz about the success of the results of this survey especially at this moment when the franchises are to be announced in the near future.’

Mr Searight urged as many people as possible to write to their MP, local councillor, newspaper, OkeRail and/or the Peninsula Rail Group in support of securing a permanent Okehampton-Exeter service and a northern line for Plymouth to Exeter.

MP for Central Devon Mel?Stride voiced his backing for revamped rail services for the county.

He told the Times: ‘The Government’s invitation to tender for the South Western franchise was published on June 30, with the preferred bidder set to be announced in February 2017.

‘I have been in correspondence with OkeRail regarding the potential of restoring a regular all year service between Okehampton and Exeter and have pressed the train operators bidding for the franchise to carefully consider the benefits that such a move would have locally.

‘I am also continuing to gather local support for the service — only yesterday I met Mid Devon District Council leader Clive Eginton in Crediton to ask for his support from a Mid Devon perspective, which he has pledged.

‘While I continue to follow developments closely, I am also delighted that OkeRail and the Peninsula Rail Group have organised a train from Okehampton to London next March and hope to be available to travel on it!’