Buses to replace trains from Okehampton and Barnstaple next week to allow for track maintenance work
Trains between Exeter, Barnstaple and Okehampton will be replaced by buses on Monday 20 to Friday 24 February to allow Network Rail to carry out vital improvement work.
To help maintain the important stretch of railway, Network Rail needs to replace track in the Crediton area through which services pass towards Barnstaple, and to Okehampton.
Buses will operate from Exeter St Davids to Okehampton, and Barnstaple during this time extending journey times by approximately 30 minutes. A separate shuttle bus will also run between Crediton to Yeoford.
Passengers planning to travel on the buses between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple are being advised to allow extra time, as double decker buses will not be able to operate due to a road diversion, limiting capacity on the route.
Details are online and individual journeys can be checked at www.gwr.com/check.
Mark Chorley, GWR Regional Station Manager, West, said:
“This work is important to ensure we can continue to maintain and improve resilience and we thank customers for their patience in advance.
“We have been working hard to provide as many replacement buses as we can, but we ask our customers to plan carefully and travel at quieter times to avoid peak-time services which are likely to be very busy.”
Trains will continue to run on all other routes from Exeter St Davids, including Exmouth, although a reduced service will run between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.
GWR is asking those intending to travel during this period to plan ahead and check journey times before travelling.
Dan Parkes, Network Rail Senior Programme Manager, Capital Delivery, said:
“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience and understanding next week while we complete vital maintenance to support the continued safe and reliable running of the railway.
“This is an important and highly popular stretch of railway and our work to replace some of the track in the Crediton area will ensure passengers continue to enjoy smooth journeys between Exeter, Barnstaple and Okehampton.”
Further information on these engineering works can be found at GWR.com/Upgrade.
Contact Information
Notes to editors
First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR has been awarded a National Rail Contract to continue operating the Great Western network, which shall run up to 21 June 2025, with the potential for a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion. Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us