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Home , Barnstaple, Copplestone, Exmouth railway station, Honiton railway station, Ilfracombe, Lapford

Strategy for the to Rail Line

2016—2025

Strategy for the future development of the Exeter to Barnstaple secondary mainline

Produced and published by the

Tarka Rail Association

April 2016

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Background

3 Population and Employment growth

4 Assessing Demand

5 Other Factors

6 Aspirations

Appendix 1 Current state of 2013 strategy aspirations

Appendix 2 Line journey figures 2001-2015

Appendix 3 ORR estimates of station usage

Appendix 4 Barnstaple Station draft plan

Appendix 5 Possible Barnstaple— timetable

Appendix 6 Comparative journey times

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 ‘A Strategy for the Exeter – Barnstaple Rail Line’ was published in 2013. A copy can be viewed on the Association’s website (www.tarkarail.com). The aspirations con- tained within that document and their current status are set out in APPENDIX 1. It will be seen that little progress has been made so far, although there are a num- ber of commitments in the GWR franchise.

1.2 However, circumstances alter and there has been a step change not only in passen- ger usage (see APPENDIX 2) but also in the strategic importance of the line in re- lation to economic growth, particularly in northern , as well as considerable housing development.

1.3 This revised strategy looks forward for the next 10 years or so and sets out our as-

pirations for service and station developments.

SUMMARY OF OUR ASPIRATIONS

The figures in brackets refer to the relevant paragraph in this document where more detail or justification is given.

SHORT TERM 2016 - 2019

1 The need for additional passenger carrying capacity (6.2)

2 The need for additional early and late trains (6.3)

3 Barnstaple line trains to be extended to Axminster (6.4)

4 The desirability and passenger demand for through trains to London (6.5)

5 Reduction of the Barnstaple – Exeter journey time to 55 minutes or less. (6.6)

6 Intermediate stations platform extensions (6.7)

7 Car parking provision at and (6.8)

8 Umberleigh, and Copplestone to have scrolling passenger information screens (6.9)

9 Special winter fares offer (6.10) LONGER TERM 2019 – 2025

1 Twice hourly daytime service (6.11)

2 Interim peak hour/shopping service from – Exeter or Cranbrook (6.12)

3 Six-coach trains at periods of peak demand (6.13)

4 Need for hourly Sunday service (6.14)

5 Barnstaple station to be enlarged to cater for demand and to re- flect its importance as a gateway to northern Devon (6.15)

6 Crediton station to have a staffing presence (6.16)

7 Railhead stations to have Ticket Vending Machines (6.17)

8 Introduction of rail-borne freight (6.18)

2 BACKGROUND

2.1 Much of the background information given in the 2013 Strategy remains valid and, amended where necessary, is repeated below.

2.2. The Tarka Rail Association was formerly known as the Rail Users Group. We have around 200 members and a Committee of volunteers represent- ing users along the whole 39 mile route of the Exeter – Barnstaple railway line. We are the longest established users group in the south-west of and are widely respected in the industry, not least because of our dedication and very positive and pro-active stance.

2.3 As well as performing a watchdog function, we have in recent years been instrumen- tal in influencing , Network Rail and erstwhile First Great Western (FGW) to expand and develop the timetable, especially in successfully campaigning for additional Sunday morning and Friday late evening trains. We have developed, with financial support from FGW, a local station floral competition which has transformed the appearance of the stations, and returned them to the heart of the local communities. We have also produced award winning walks books and brochures and carried out physical works to the station and the currently un- used second platform at Barnstaple. 2.4. We have also worked with Devon & Rail Partnership on some of the above issues as well as their ongoing twice yearly passenger counts and surveys. . 2.5. Statistical evidence on line performance is available in the table at APPENDIX 2. This shows considerable year on year growth over the last decade, with five out of the last 10 years achieving growth of greater than 10% and three of those being greater than 15%. APPENDIX 3 shows how the situation has changed at individ- ual stations during the past 10 years or so. Whilst the intermediate stations still account for some 28% of passengers, Barnstaple continues to dominate, and has achieved approximately 70% of the growth since 2003/4. However, with the in- creased development and potential use by passengers from North Devon, Barnsta- ple can be expected to grow to account for up to 80% of passengers in the medium to longer term.

2.6. Again, in association with Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership we have worked with FGW on a strategy which has seen excellent value fares introduced throughout the far south west and which has played no small part in the tremendous renaissance of local train services, particularly in Devon and Cornwall.

2.7. We are, therefore, well placed to inform about the future needs of the line, based on many years of experience and with extremely detailed knowledge of the infra- structure and the constraints it imposes. Furthermore, we can and do provide very good customer feedback as to passenger requirements. We are, therefore, a very good link between any train operator and their customers.

2.8 The basis for the service is the track and the infrastructure on which the trains de- pend. The line is single track with just two passing places – at Crediton and Egges- ford. The maximum line speed is 70mph although there are many stretches below this, such as 55mph north of Copplestone and 60mph north of Umberleigh. Apart from the lack of passing places, the other constraints include Salmon Pool and Um- berleigh level crossings, bridges and other bridges where track is mounted on longitudinal timbers all of which have an impact on line speeds. Indeed it is be- cause of the latter that there is a 30mph limit north of Coleford Junction for loco- motive hauled trains. 2.9. The current timetable is the best ever, with fourteen return journeys Mondays to Saturdays (fifteen on Fridays) and seven on Sundays (most operating to/from Ex- mouth), yet there is severe overcrowding on certain services and not just in the summer peak. This has been recognised, and to their credit FGW/GWR have pro- vided relief where possible but more rolling stock, lengthier and, in the longer term, more frequent trains are the only effective way of curing the problem. In many cases the situation is just as bad as the well recognised problems in the area. This is because Exeter is a rapidly expanding city with a buoyant economy and bus- tling shopping and leisure facilities drawing people from a wide catchment area, within which the Barnstaple line, (as well as the other elements of the proposed Devon Metro), is playing an increasingly important part.

2.10. It is not uncommon for passengers to be forced to stand for an hour or more, often among large quantities of luggage and buggies. There is also a very limited capacity for the carriage of cycles, surfboards and other bulky items on these trains despite Tripadvisor‘s 2015 survey having voted in North Devon as the Best Beach in the UK.

2.11. One of our priorities is to reduce the end to end journey time within the standard off peak stopping pattern. This is to maintain the competitiveness of the train ser- vice and to ensure it remains an attractive alternative to other modes of transport. Network Rail has replaced much of the jointed track with continuously welded rail but there has been no increase in speed limits, and thus no reduction in journey times.

3 POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

3.1 Road and rail each have an important role to play in meeting the transport needs of the area served by the Barnstaple line. In northern Devon, the A361 North Devon Link road is the main highway, but it suffers from lack of capacity and a poor acci- dent record (although steps are being taken to address these issues). However, whilst it gives access to the M5, the railway line gives access directly to the city of Exeter and its environs. Whilst there are several bus links serving the communities along the line, these are often slow by comparison with the railway where they run broadly in parallel, such as service 5C from Exeter as far as .

3.2 Barnstaple station is the railhead for the whole of the northern Devon growth area. The town is the main focus for employment, shopping and leisure opportunities and provides a range of higher order services for commercial, cultural, health, education, recreation and social activities. College provides opportunities for further and higher education for the whole of northern Devon.

3.3. The 2011 Census shows the population of the area covered by the combined Tor- ridge and North Devon Local Plan as 158,300.

3.4. The other major town served by the line is Crediton with a 2011 population of 7,835.

3.5. Elsewhere the line passes through largely rural areas with a relatively static popula- tion although certain settlements in the catchment area such as Bow and are seeing some additional housing and Copplestone itself will shortly have a number of additional dwellings.

3.6. The local plans incorporate policies which make provision for additional housing as follows:

North Devon (embracing Barnstaple and northwards towards Also Fremington, /Northam areas and some rural) looking towards Barnstaple Station (2011 – 2031) 13,810 dwellings

Torrington & and some rural looking towards

Umberleigh Station 2,659 dwellings

Crediton (with its own station) 570 dwellings*

TOTAL 17,039 dwellings

Note: * The figure for Crediton is likely to be somewhat low as there is already considerable pressure for additional housing on sites to the north east and south east of the town – the latter within walking distance of the station. Also at Cop- plestone, the district council is considering additional housing sites, one of which would adjoin the proposed Parkway station car park. 3.7. Using the conventional 2.4 persons per dwelling conversion factor, this equates to some 40,893 people.

3.8. Overall this represents an increase in the total population of North Devon & Tor- ridge of some 22%. For Crediton this equates to approximately 5.6%, although see note * at the end of point 3.6.

3.9. The destination of passengers is also important, especially in the light of what is hap- pening within and to the east of Exeter. Whilst the local plans for Mid Devon and North Devon/Torridge make provision for some employment development, there can be no doubt that Exeter and its environs will continue to exert a major influ- ence as an educational, employment, shopping and entertainment centre in addition to giving access to elsewhere on the national rail network. Exeter is unique among provincial cities in having no less than ten existing or proposed stations (as shown on the accompanying map) and therefore accessibility by rail to the residential and employment areas as well as the City centre is extremely high.

Pinhoe

St James Park Exeter St Davids Polsloe Bridge

Exeter Central

Monkerton (proposed)

Exeter St Thomas Digby &

Marsh Barton (under construction)

Newcourt

3.10. Whilst there are expected to be some 12,000 additional houses constructed within and to the east of Exeter, this must be seen against the large number of employ- ment jobs likely to be created which total somewhere in the region of 23,000. Many of these additional jobs will be within the catchment areas of and the new Cranbrook stations as well as the established Digby & Sowton and new New- court stations on the branch and the new Marsh Barton station This will inevitably affect the pattern of demand for train services in the area, including from and to the Barnstaple line and especially given the potential benefits of the Exeter Plus Bus scheme.

3.11 We have looked closely at the potential role Barnstaple line trains could play in serving this extensive area of development and in linking it with the nearby town of and Axminster for some of whose residents it will provide employment. Using journey planner and some of our own research, we have produced Appendix 6. This shows that there would be considerable time savings over driving and using a combination of train and bus by extending Barnstaple line trains to , and have demonstrated in Paragraph 6.4 and Appendix 5 we believe that this can be achieved most economically by extending services to Axminster.

3.12 It is vitally important to recognise the role Exeter plays as the key driver of the Devon economy and so it is absolutely crucial that jobs and growth continue. How- ever, the local rail network, including the Barnstaple line, will become even more important because the road network cannot accommodate all the extra journeys that will be generated. There are no plans to improve the historic road network which also does not lend itself to bus priority schemes. Nor are there any plans to increase significantly city centre parking although a new Park & Ride scheme is being developed for the south west of the City. Consequently we strongly support Devon County Council’s strategy to develop the local rail network and construction of new stations.

3.13 All of the above combine to show that there is a compelling case for extending Barnstaple line train services beyond Exeter to also serve East Devon.

4 ASSESSING DEMAND

4.1. Assessing demand and making growth predictions is, inevitably, difficult. In doing so we have looked at previous usage patterns as well as the following: a) The proposed significant increase in population resulting from the develop- ment described above. b) Continued inward net migration, including the increasing permanent occupa- tion of erstwhile second homes. c) The continued success of northern Devon as a tourist destination. d) The Exeter – Barnstaple line is some 40 miles long therefore a round trip to Exeter is 80 miles and the choice of travel mode will, inter alia, be depend- ent on the price and availability of fuel plus the cost of parking. e) Increasing road congestion, especially on the approaches to and within Exe- ter and Barnstaple and on the A361 North Devon Link Road. f) Continuing growth in demand from the rural hinterland. g) People are increasingly aware of their green credentials and there is clear evidence that rail is being chosen over road in an increasing number of cases. h) The effect of any further Park and Ride initiatives which might be established. i) Potential line speed enhancements and, longer term, any additional infra- structure will encourage both local and longer distance passengers. Reduc- tion of end to end journey time is seen as a key objective and is re- flected in our aspirations. j) Passenger growth has outstripped population growth and there is no reason to believe this will not continue, provided capacity keeps up with demand. k) Rail, as a percentage of all travel, continues to increase. Again there is no reason to believe that this will not continue to rise provided service and fare levels are kept on an even keel.

4.2. In the 2013 Strategy, we looked at three growth rates – 5%, 10% and 15% year on year. 5% is near the industry norm and we saw this as an absolute minimum. Although there have been some dramatic increases, we did not see 15% as achievable over the longer term, not least because of the uncer- tainties over timing of capacity increases.

4.3. Reference to APPENDIX 2 will show how passenger numbers have grown over the last twelve years or so, consistently above the national average and at an average of around 9% per annum although with some quite dramatic variations. For example, the 2014 figure was affected by the dramatic weather which led to the closure of the sea wall at and which had a knock on effect to the Barnstaple line. The lack of capacity on many trains has caused the growth in passenger numbers to slow down. Nevertheless, based on all of the foregoing and provided capacity keeps up with demand, we can be reasonably confident that passenger numbers will continue to grow to some 1.6m journeys by 2023/4 as demonstrated on this diagram as kindly supplied by GWR and Network Rail.

5 OTHER FACTORS

5.1 Without good quality and secure car parking, the Barnstaple line will not fully achieve its growth potential. Additional spaces or greater control over non-railway users will be essential at Barnstaple; additional spaces are needed at Umberleigh where spare land, believed to be in the ownership of Network Rail, is available and can serve both Torrington and South Molton; land ownership and financial issues are blocking the provision of a car park at Eggesford where there is a known frustrated demand; and at Copplestone apart from securing the designation in the forthcoming local plan no pro- gress has been made on the creation of the Mid Devon Parkway concept.

5.2 Barnstaple station is an integral part of the Seven Brethren redevelopment area. This comprises most of the land to the south of Terrace and bounded by the railway to the west and the to the east. North Devon District Council are formulating plans for the redevelopment of much of this area, and have recognised the importance of the station as a principal gateway into northern Devon. It is recognised that the station and its environs are rapidly becoming unsuitable in terms of the both layout and size. The major redevelopment of the area does present opportunities to overcome the present vehicular and pedestrian problems associated with the station as well as the inadequacies of the building itself. We have produced a possible enhancement scheme as illustrated in APPENDIX 4. This illus- trates how a bold new approach to the station could be tackled whilst at the same time improving the interchange facilities for the various modes of transport serving the station.

5.3 The demands of tourism cannot be underestimated whereby the local population of northern Devon is almost doubled during the tourist season with the area having some of the highest number of bed nights in the South West. This has an impact in terms of arrivals and departures on holiday but also days out to places such as Exeter, , , Salisbury etc.

5.4. Tiverton Parkway is seen as an alternative option for people travelling from northern Devon to the Midlands and the North, or towards London, mainly because it is seen as a quicker option and also offers earlier and later travel opportunities especially for those on business trips. However, it de- pends on road access along the increasingly congested A361 and expensive car parking charges at the station. Therefore it is important to look at other measures to overcome the shortcomings of lack of early and late trains cou- pled with the additional time and distance penalty of using the Barnstaple Line. Already the fare is the same and a further key improvement for future service planning would be better connectivity at Exeter St Davids.

5.5. has been proposed as the destination for a through service from Exeter. At present various studies are identifying how this may be achieved in the future, including as part of a diversionary route for when there is disruption along the coastal route. However, given the dire eco- nomic situation in the town and the need for residents to access the Exeter jobs market, a direct service to and from the City is seen as a possibility, al- beit probably with a limited service initially until demand builds.

5.6. Therefore, we base our aspirations on all of the above factors and at a realis- tic continued growth rate of around 10% year on year, reaching some 2.2 million passengers by 2027.

6 ASPIRATIONS 6.1 We have given very careful consideration to all of the above and, in devising our aspirations, have tried to take a realistic approach having regard to na- tional policy, the structure of the industry and the likely availability of finance for the various projects. Wherever possible we have looked at making maximum use of existing assets and commitments. We have also structured our aspirations into short term and longer term. Above all we have striven to demonstrate the way in which the Barnstaple Line should lose its branch line status and become a secondary main line given its length, growth in pas- senger numbers and its potential to serve a much greater population than it does now.

SHORT TERM - 2016 – 2019 6.2 The biggest issue remains capacity, and we are very pleased that GWR pro- pose to use four coach Class 158 trains on our line. These will have more seats and an enhanced ambience more suited to our secondary main line status. There is also the welcome commitment to providing a regular hourly service throughout the day, eliminating the current ninety-minute-plus gaps in service in the mornings and early evenings. However, with the known de- lays in the Great Western electrification we must maintain the need for this capacity as an aspiration at this time. Nevertheless, a short term gain would be to extend the units, which currently stand idle for around 40 minutes in New Yard at Exeter St Davids, to and from Crediton. Time could be saved if the signalling system would enable these trains to run straight into the up platform. This would provide a service of two trains per hour enabling passengers to avoid the GWR trains which are often over- crowded by the time they arrive at Crediton. It would also provide Mid Devon with a through service to London.

6.3 As noted above, one of the reasons why Tiverton Parkway remains popular is because of a lack of early and late trains on the Barnstaple Line giving scope to reach London, Birmingham etc. for business or leisure purposes. Consequently, we feel that the provision of the following local services would address that problem as well as providing a better service for other users:

 An earlier Monday to Saturday service from Barnstaple at around 0530. As well as providing a connection to London for an arrival at around 0900, this would also enable the large number of shift workers to use the train for their journey to work in Exeter.

 A later Monday to Saturday service at around 2300 from Exeter in both cases timed to connect with long distance trains at Exeter St Davids.

 An earlier Sunday service timed to enable shop workers to arrive at their place of work in Central Exeter by around 0930 - 0945.

 A later last train on Sundays.

6.4 We strongly support the Devon Metro concept of which our service forms an integral part. With the introduction of a regular half hourly service from Exmouth to planned for 2018, the current proposal is for Barnsta- ple Line trains to terminate at Exeter Central. As stated above, there is a compelling case for extending eastwards from Exeter and a much more effi- cient operation would be for Barnstaple Line trains to be extended to Axminster. Not only would this facilitate the introduction of the half hourly service envisaged in the Devon Metro scheme, but it would also be a very efficient use of rolling stock and train crew. APPENDIX 5 shows a part of the suggested timetable and demonstrates how the complete service could be operated by just four trains/diagrams. We understand that work is progressing on the provision of an additional passing loop between Pinhoe and Honiton which would be required to operate this service. In the mean- time, every other train could be extended to and from Axminster in the spare path that exists over that section.

6.5 Given the operating characteristics of the Class 158s used by GWR and the Class 159s used by SWT, we see no compatibility issues. We also see no operating problems in shared operation of the Barnstaple Line between the two companies which, inter alia, would facilitate the provision of through trains to London Waterloo. Our aspiration is for an initial two through trains in each direction per day which could increase in accordance with de- mand. We suggest that, as well as the 0530, the current 0943 or its Decem- ber 2018 successor would be ideal as it would also provide up to six car ca- pacity for local trips as well as for journeys beyond Exeter. A complemen- tary service could also be provided making use of the new Hitachi trains to be introduced by GWR whereby a five car unit could be detached from and attached to two Plymouth/Penzance services each day at Exeter St Davids to give a service via Reading to London.

6.6 As noted in APPENDIX 5 that timetable takes no account of possible line speed enhancements. Discussions are ongoing with both GWR and Net- work Rail over raising speed limits on sections of recently re-laid track. Coupled with passing trains between Cowley Bridge Junction and Exeter St Davids and the renewal of Umberleigh and Salmon Pool level crossings, it is completely realistic to aim for an overall Barnstaple – Exeter St David’s journey time of 55minutes or less. We also consider this to be realistic as the current constraint of operating over the very tightly timed Exmouth branch means that the 5 or so minute safety net of the wait at Crediton will no longer be necessary.

6.7 The other infrastructure issue is that of platform length. The railhead platforms (Barnstaple, Umberleigh, Eggesford, Copplestone (as Mid Devon Parkway) and Crediton to be extended where necessary to accommodate six 23m coaches to cater for future growth. (The limited services at other stations to be catered for by selective door opening [SDO]).We understand that Network Rail have this in hand, but in the meantime, this remains an as- piration.

6.8 With Copplestone set to play a more important role, we urge Devon County Council to pursue the provision of a new car park as soon as possi- ble and also Network Rail to ensure that the platform is resurfaced when any lengthening works are undertaken. Similarly we also urge the provision of additional parking space at Umberleigh.

6.9 The current Passenger Information System (PIS) at intermediate stations re- lies on old technology and is notoriously unreliable, often displaying a blank screen or failure message. We appreciate that to provide every station with a scrolling screen would be expensive (albeit that all stations on the line, many having no more than four trains per day, and also on the Heart of ales line, are all so equipped). Accordingly, therefore, we seek this provision at railhead stations not presently equipped, i.e Umberleigh, Eggesford and Copplestone. 6.10 In view of its success in filling empty seats in the winter of 2014/5, we would aspire to having the scheme whereby half fares apply on trains travelling towards Barnstaple before midday (with return any time after 1400) intro- duced each winter between October and March inclusive.

LONGER TERM 2019 – 2025 6.11 In order to cater for the predicted increase in demand, we see the need for a weekday and Saturday twice hourly service, at least until early evening and hourly thereafter. This does imply the provision of additional track ca- pacity and we are happy to work with the then Train Operating Company, Network Rail and Devon County Council to identify the scale of these works and how they might be achieved.

6.12 In the meantime, we see the need for an interim peak hour Crediton – Exeter or Cranbrook service linked to the adjoining Park and Ride site and fed by the existing bus services 5A and 5B from Okehampton and Tor- rington via and North Tawton.

6.13 Where necessary, and again, to cater for growing demand, we see the need for six coach trains at peak times – peak in this context including sum- mer Saturdays, school holidays, shopping etc.

6.14 Growing demand, will also necessitate an hourly Sunday service within this time frame, at least from around 0700 until 1900.

6.15 Barnstaple station is becoming less and less suitable to meet the demands put upon it. Consequently we see the need for it to be substantially ex- tended not only for practical capacity reasons, but also because it is a major gateway to the whole of northern Devon. Indeed this should form part of any wider development programme related to surrounding land to the east.

6.16 We would like Crediton station to have a staffing presence. We see this as an opportunity when the present café owner retires or ceases trading to offer a wider range of services, including rail ticketing and enquiries as part of a wider private enterprise. This could, for example, be run on a simi- lar basis to Gobowen in . 6.17 We believe that all railhead stations (ie Umberleigh, Eggesford, Copplestone and Crediton) should be provided with Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) in order to assist on train staff in ensuring all passengers have valid tickets and also to reduce the queues that build up at Exeter Central when, as often happens the conductor does not have sufficient time or is physically pre- vented from attending to all passengers.

6.18 TRA strongly support the development of rail freight on the line, and have designated a freight facility within their own land at the Seven Brethren area of Barnstaple. This could be developed as part of the enabling works for the planned significant high value redevelopment of the rest of this very sizeable estate as substantial amounts of aggregates will be needed for flood prevention work. For the wider northern Devon area po- tential users are the supermarkets (we believe alone with its five su- perstores plus several convenience stores in the wider area, equates to a freight train per day), the Port of Bideford, shipping Jetty, and No- rbord at South Molton amongst others.

Another factor is that the only suitable HGV route into North Devon is the North Devon Link Road (A361), which is heavily congested at peak times and can often be closed due to accidents. Its remoteness on the southern edge of makes it susceptible to closure due to snow during winter. It should be noted that whilst we fully support the proposed upgrades to the Link Road, it will soon have ever more HGV's on it as northern Devon grows. Transferring a proportion of HGV journeys from the Link Road to rail freight is a key part of fully unlocking the benefits of the upgrades and would improve the environment.

Rail freight could thus become part of our key logistical infrastructure for the area. The added benefit for our passenger services is that over time, infra- structure improvements such as additional passing loop(s) and 24/7 opening of Crediton signal box would enable greater operational capacity and longer opening hours for the line and contribute to the line’s running costs.

APPENDIX 1

CURRENT STATUS OF 2013 STRATEGY ASPIRATIONS

A Whilst there has been some progress in reduc- ing overcrowding, the situation remains critical on certain trains, days of the week or seasons. The current long gaps in the timetable remain, although GWR have a commitment to provide an even interval hourly service from December 2018 using four coach trains throughout the day. We understand that Network Rail has a programme of platform lengthening in hand.

B No progress has so far been made on these is- sues. Indeed the barrier scheme for Salmon Pool and Umberleigh crossings has slipped to 2018.

C We are aware that various schemes for flood alleviation in the Exeter area, including Cowley Bridge, have been evaluated and a programme of work has been devised. However, at the time of writing nothing has been done at Cowley Bridge, although extensive works have taken place to the south of the City Centre.

D Network Rail have refused our bid for a late Saturday train although this is the one evening where demand is likely to be highest.

E This earlier Sunday morning train has not been provided although GWR recognise the need for it. The earliest it could be provided would appear to be December 2018.

F This continues to be a very lightly used station, although so far no progress has been made in reducing the service.

G These have been provided and have been welcomed by passengers.

H We are very pleased that the northern entrance has been opened, but are disap- pointed that the taxi rank has not been relocated nor the traffic problems resolved.

I This was very successfully introduced over the 2014/5 winter period, but failed to materialise in 2015/6 despite indications by GWR that the initiative would be re- peated.

J No progress has been made on the car park at Eggesford Station.

K The commitment by Devon County Council to promote the Mid Devon Parkway scheme at Copplestone negates the need for this improvement in the longer term. In the meantime, users are often frustrated by the actions of a local resident obstructing the use of railway land for parking.

L A recent review of booking office opening hours does not meet this aspiration.

M Very little progress has been possible on ticketing, notwithstanding the buses serv- ing the railway station offer an excellent or potentially excellent connectional op- portunities which will need to be developed as northern Devon expands economi- cally and as the additional housing comes on stream.

N No progress has been made so far. Although the use of four car trains is promised from December 2018, there has been no movement on the other issues.

O No progress so far although some provision for platform lengthening is being made by Network Rail (see A above).

P Again, no progress, although our aspirations are widely known, including at Govern- ment level.

Q This scheme has seen no positive development work, even though the TRA have produced a draft scheme to improve the interchange facilities at the Station. This is at APPENDIX 4 and is illustrative and not to scale.

R & S The proposed Torrington – South Molton bus service has been abandoned. Work continues towards the expansion of the car park at Umberleigh but not Barnstaple.

T These aspirations are more fully developed in this document (paragraph 6.11)

U The issue of potential freight movements emerge from time to time, but against the background of virtually no rail freight at all to and from the West Country, the pros- pects look as far away as ever. APPENDIX 2 27-Jan-16 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 2008 2006 Compiled by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership 2001 2003 2004 2005 2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2008 2009 2010 2012 2013 2014 2015 199.295 225.352 239.997 250.102 306.169 347.893 387.015 446.795 543.519 597.162 614.808 666.504 Journey Figures Calendar year - by four week periodsPeriod Figures supplied by W essex Trains/First Great W estern 1 (4 Jan - 31 Jan 15)2 (1 Feb - 28 Feb)3 (1 Mar - 31 Mar)4 (1 Apr - 2 10.000May)5 (3 May - 30 May)6 (31 11.000 May - 27 Jun) 12.7387 (28 13.000 Jun - 25 Jul)8 (26 Jul - 14.870 22 13.436 Aug)9 16.086 (23 Aug 16.007- 19 Sep) 14.389 18.83810 (20 Sep - 17 Oct) 15.18711 (18 19.714 15.431 Oct - 14.768 14 Nov)12 14.613 18.780 21.913 (15 Nov 16.618 - 12 Dec) 20.35913 (13 Dec 21.212 - 9 Jan 14.329 20.273 16) 15.329Total 17.800 18.036 24.437 16.635 14.338 19.396 22.319 13.418 22.050 18.942 18.436 21.915 18.376 11.864 21.340 16.088 14.131 21.932 25.405 21.538 16.967 26.461 22.545 22.239 14.837 22.253 21.982 16.890 20.931 26.014 23.560 16.797 23.900 26.146 24.560 26.198 25.442 18.689 26.780 25.793 21.000 15.519 199.295 27.892 31.064 16.619 29.615 32.967 30.455 28.857 30.271 18.765 34.507 225.352 26.841 16.737 24.343 29.916 34.216 23.849 32.735 40.095 38.849 33.042 24.872 36.909 32.218 27.920 38.031 19.469 38.558 239.997 35.818 29.220 34.296 45.043 44.540 21.229 39.657 42.250 37.203 30.414 41.982 250.102 25.676 45.849 44.356 29.649 36.540 39.708 43.617 28.342 46.367 43.983 45.082 306.169 42.163 26.782 34.917 49.151 48.273 36.588 50.893 48.484 43.910 347.893 46.388 46.069 34.194 54.560 46.153 31.366 50.716 50.458 51.486 51.158 56.063 387.015 50.648 50.167 31.748 49.435 27.021 52.440 50.811 47.107 51.610 446.795 48.147 51.353 49.381 40.578 52.938 543.519 52.662 50.500 54.755 53.406 46.367 597.162 51.899 55.600 43.043 614.808 666.504 Full y ear APPENDIX 3

ORR ESTIMATES OF STATION USAGE

STATION 2003/4 2011/12 2013/14 2014/15 2015/6*

Barnstaple 178,865 372,148 384,234 427,394 465,859

Chapelton 509 190 232 192 209

Umberleigh 9,980 23,786 34,210 37,608 40,992

Portsmouth Arms 571 936 844 1,510 1,649

Kings Nympton 3,895 3,008 3,748 3,422 3,729

Eggesford 11,114 26,906 26,160 29,106 31,725

Lapford 4,120 2,374 2,354 2,704 2,947

Morchard Road 4,770 11,458 11,416 11,822* 12,885

Copplestone 1,058 12,680 14,058 13,476* 14,668

Yeoford 7,495 14,166 15,558 17,128 18,669

Crediton 21,953 48,988 50,342 52,492 57,216

Newton St Cyres 1,059 3,212 2,760 2,510 2,735

TOTAL 245,389 519,852 548,916 599,364 653,306

NOTES: 1 The combined total for Morchard Road and Copplestone (shown *) is 25,298 which forms the planning total for Mid Devon Parkway Station at Copplestone, even though there would be some residual peak hour traffic from and to Mor- chard Road.

2 The above figures are best estimates and exclude use of tickets such as rovers and rangers, staff passes etc, or, indeed ticketless travel.

3 Barnstaple accounts for approximately 72% of journeys with the other railhead stations accounting for the bulk of the remainder.

4 The 2015/6 figure is a projection based on 9% growth which may be slightly on the low side. Of course, most if not all of the minor stations will not achieve this, but the railhead stations and Barnstaple, in particular, can be expected to compensate for these small figures. In support of this we already know that the figure for the calendar year 2015 is in excess of 666,000 passengers (see Appen- dix 3). APPENDIX 4

APPENDIX 5 * *3 SWT **16 **32 1048 1101 1106 1111 1117 1122 1129 1133 1144 1150 1155 1207 1208 1222 1231 2B14 10 01 10 06 10 11 10 17 10 22 10 29 10 35 10 46 10 55 11 07 11 08 11 22 11 31 0948 2B13 0848 0901 0906 0911 0917 0922 0929 0933 0944 0950 0955 1007 1008 1022 1031 2B12 07 48 08 01 08 06 08 11 08 17 08 22 08 29 08 35 08 46 08 55 09 07 09 08 09 22 09 31 2B 11 0729 0733 0744 0750 0755 0758 0806 0808 0818 0824 0834 2B4 0633 0634 0645 0713 0714 0728 0738 2B3 05 40 05 51 05 57 06 01 06 13 06 14 06 28 06 38 2B 2 A 0455 0506 0535 0545 5B1 A xm inster H oniton Feniton W him ple C ranbrook Pinh oe Exmouth Junc TB Exeter St Davids Exeter St Davids Cre d ito n Copplestone Morchard Road Eggesfo rd Eggesfo rd Portsmouth ArmsU m berle igh C hapelton Barnstap le SWT **34 **55 **06 104 3 105 1 110 7 111 9 112 3 113 1 114 0 114 2 114 9 120 0 120 6 121 3 122 4 2A 12 0943 0951 1007 1019 1029 1039 1042 1049 1100 1106 1113 1124 2A 11 084 3 085 1 090 7 091 9 092 3 093 1 094 0 094 2 094 9 100 0 100 6 101 3 102 4 2A 4 0743 0751 0807 0819 0829 0839 0842 0849 0900 0906 0913 0924 2A 3 0 643 0 651 0 658 0 703 0 711 0 726 0 729 0 734 0 744 0 747 0 756 0 758 0 805 0 813 0 818 0 825 0 836 2 A 2 0550 0558 0614 0625 0635 0645 0647 0654 0702 0707 0717 0728 2A 1 A - ECS from DepotMakes no provisionAssumes for line car speed park0550 improvements,at Copplestone connects with isbut theconstructed assumes Armada trains -to otherwise give pass a London between Morchard arrival Cowley Road at 0900. stopand St should This Davids train be inserteddoes not offcall peak. at Tiverton Parkway. 0721 Exeter Central 063007260826092610261126 Barnstaple C h apelton U m b erleigh Portsmouth ArmsKings Nympton Egge sfo rd EggesfordMorchard Road Copplestone 0614Yeo ford 0716 0808Cred ito 0908 n Newton 1008 St Cyres 1108 Exeter St Davids Exeter St Davids Exeter CentralExmouth Junc TB Pinhoe 0650Cranbrook 0801 084409441044W him ple Feniton 1144H oniton 065908100854095410541154A xm inster D uty LapfordN otes: Kings Nympton 0813 APPENDIX 6

COMPARATIVE JOURNEY TIMES FROM NORTH AND MID DEVON TO CRANBROOK

The following information has been obtained from a number of journey planners – Traveline, The AA, RAC and Green Flag. They all relate to off peak journey times for consistency, so obviously peak times will take longer. In the case of trains which call at all stations, this amounts to an extra three or four minutes, traffic congestion can affect road journeys (both bus and car) by anything up to 20%, but more usually around 10%.

BARNSTAPLE – CRANBROOK

The starting point is Barnstaple Square, and the end is Younghayes Road at Cranbrook.

Driving:

Barnstaple – Cranbrook via A361 and M5 52.53 miles 63 minutes Barnstaple – Cranbrook via A361 and A396 46.91 miles 73 minutes Barnstaple – Cranbrook via A377 48.34 miles 86 minutes Barnstaple – Cranbrook via A3124 & A30 56.66 miles 82 minutes

Bus:

Walking & Bus service 155 and 4A 188 minutes

Bus and train:

Walking, train to Exeter then walk to Bus Station then bus 4A 168 minutes

Train

Change at Exeter St Davids (includes wait of 37 minutes at St Davids) 111 minutes Net travel time on present timings if through train: 74 minutes (potentially 68 minutes) This strategy document has been compiled and presented by the joint efforts of the Committee of the Tarka Rail Association and builds on the original aspirations document published in 2013.

President

Mel Stride MP

Vice Presidents

Peter Heaton-Jones MP Geoffrey Cox QC MP Dr Ian Harrison BSc PhD CEng Sir Andrew Leadbetter

Chairman

Mike Day

Vice-Chairman

John Burch

Comments/queries relating to this document may be made to the main author of the document:

Timetable Officer

John Phillips

[email protected]

Representing users of the Barnstaple to Exeter rail line

www.tarkarail.org

© Authors And Publishers, Tarka Rail Association, 2016

Printed by North Devon Print, Bideford