A new station was officially opened in Devon on 31 July, and trains started calling the following day. 

Okehampton Interchange is on the outskirts of the town, where the new £18 million station has a 200-space car park, sheltered cycle storage and a covered bus interchange, with electric vehicle charging points also planned.

The original Okehampton station was reopened in November 2021, and the services from Exeter then carried more than half a million passengers in the first two years.

Senior representatives from Network Rail, Great Western Railway , Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council were there to mark the historic occasion, including Joanna Grew, route strategy director for Network Rail and GWR, Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity for Devon County Council and Julian Brazil, leader of Devon County Council; and Cllr Mandy Ewings, leader of West Devon Borough Council.

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said: ‘The opening of Okehampton Interchange marks a major step forward for transport in the South West. Backed by £13.5 million of Government investment, this fully accessible new station will make it easier for people to get to work, education and leisure, while supporting jobs, homes and economic growth across west Devon.

‘It’s a great example of the joined-up, locally focused railway we want to see under Great British Railways, bringing together rail, bus, cycling and park-and-ride connections so passengers get better journeys and communities can thrive.’

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