Smart thinking: on 22 October 2021, GWR Class 150 No 150239 awaits departure east from Okehampton back to Exeter on a driver training run. GSM-R testing was undertaken on some of these turns, saving time and money on the project. Andy Roden
The first daily timetabled passenger train to serve Okehampton for almost 50 years is due to arrive at around 07.10 on 20 November from Exeter. The scheme is the first of the Government’s Restoring your Railway initiatives to be completed – in less than nine months from its formal funding announcement and at a cost of £40 million.
Trains will run every two hours to and from Exeter St David’s/Central (the latter on five weekday services until 11 December with more than half of weekend services calling there from 12 December) until May 2022, when Great Western Railway will increase the frequency to hourly.
