Exeter MP backs campaign for faster, more reliable rail link to North Devon

Exeter MP Steve Race has voiced his support for a campaign to secure major funding for improvements to the rail line connecting Exeter with Barnstaple, as passenger numbers on the route continue to hit new highs.

The Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance, made up of 16 delegates from 12 partner and stakeholder organisations, met in Exeter to begin work on a funding bid aimed at delivering a faster, more frequent service between the two cities, including an ambition for a half-hourly service getting from Barnstaple to Exeter in 45 minutes.

The first stage of the funding process, a Strategic Outline Business Case, is expected to cost around £150,000, with campaign group Railfuture already committing £10,000 towards it.

Roger Blake, Railfuture's national Board Director for Infrastructure & Networks and Convener of the Alliance, said: "We all need to find our own ways of putting some money where our mouths are. Central government tends to sit up and take more notice when 3rd-party sources contribute, however small or large their individual sum, and from across a broad spectrum of representative organisations."

In a letter to the Alliance and now shared with Exeter Today, Mr Race, who was unable to attend the meeting in person, referenced the impact of recent storms on the region's railways, including closures on the Dawlish line, the Taunton to Exeter St Davids line, and the Barnstaple line.

He wrote: "In March, last time this group was convened, the sustained frequency of storms and their impacts on the railways were on the agenda... The following week, alongside colleagues, I met with the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss long-term resilience for the railway in the South West. In this, we continued to push for a combined Strategic Rail Plan, the need for which we felt was well understood by the Transport Secretary."

He added that after writing to the Minister for Rail, Lord Hendy, the minister had visited the Dawlish line to see resilience works taking place. Mr Race also raised concerns about the impact of recent heatwaves on the railway, writing: "I know the effect this will have on the railways - particularly on the banks on the Waterloo line - and those who work to maintain them."

Mr Race said he had continued to work alongside other South West MPs, including Fred Thomas, Luke Pollard, and Cornish colleagues, to press central government for further investment.

He wrote: "In June, I questioned the Transport Secretary in the Commons about investment in our local and regional railways, as well as the need for our existing railway to be more frequent, reliable and resilient." He concluded: "I'd like to commend you for your ongoing commitment and cooperation in tackling our shared challenges. I will continue to convene colleagues and push for the South West to get its fair share of funding and strategic focus."

Workshop participant Tim Steer, Chair of Railfuture's Devon and Cornwall regional branch, said the benefits of the scheme would extend well beyond North Devon. He said: "We all have to be in it to win it. It's a long slog but the size of the prize, not just for northern Devon but actually for most of Devon's current districts, given the wider network benefits, is incalculable."