AS a question mark continues to hang over the future of the Dartmoor Railway at Okehampton, Devon County Council has confirmed that work continues behind the scenes to bring a regular rail service back between the town and Exeter, writes Sarah Pitt.

The county council owns the station at Okehampton, which has been shut up since Dartmoor Railway went into administration in February.

It has confirmed that the Sunday Rover passenger service on summer Sundays from Okehampton to Exeter, subsidised by the county council, will not take place at all this summer.

However, the county council has said work continues on the long-awaited regular passenger service.

A spokesperson said: ‘Network Rail and GWR [Great Western Railway] are continuing to work in partnership to understand the feasibility of reopening the Okehampton line to regular passenger services, which has the potential to be funded by the Department for Transport’s ‘Restoring your Railway Fund’. 

‘Surveys and further development work will continue throughout the summer, which will allow a funding application to be submitted. A decision on the outcome of this funding is expected by early 2021.’