This month’s column starts with a quiz-style question. What significant event is described by the following statement: ‘A large crowd had gathered and three bands were playing’? Is it:
■ The first passenger service on the newly named Dartmoor line, Saturday 20 November 2021;
■ The final passenger service (as it was then) to Okehampton station, Saturday 3 June 1972; or
■ The formal civic celebration and opening of the Devon and Cornwall Railway, terminating at Okehampton, Tuesday 29 August 1871?
A tricky choice. And in fairness it could be any answer, as an equal amount of support and ceremony was given to each of these events –a strong indication of the level of unwavering importance the railway has had for communities in this part of West Devon spanning the last three centuries.
On the first day of the official commuter trains (2021 –I sadly have yet perfected the art of time travel), I made my own journey along the Dartmoor line, to see if I could understand first-hand what the reinstated service means to those who live and work in this part of the country. Whilst numbers heading into Okehampton were modest at 08.30, they did include cyclists – no doubt heading for The Granite Way – and overheard conv…
