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The Tarka Line (named after the animal hero in Henry Williamson's book Tarka the Otter) is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Yeo and the River Taw for some of its route. At Coleford Junction there is a branch to Okehampton, which has recently reopened to passenger trains as the Dartmoor Railway.

Communities served

The towns and villages served by the line are listed below:

• Exeter
• Newton St. Cyres
• Crediton
• Yeoford
• Copplestone
• Morchard Bishop
• Lapford
• Eggesford
• King's Nympton
• Portsmouth Arms (a pub!)
• Umberleigh
• Chapelton
• Barnstaple

Route

Parts of the line are single track, meaning that trains travelling in opposite directions must sometimes wait for each other. The full journey from Barnstaple to Exeter takes just over 1 hour, on-par with the journey time in a car.

Beyond Barnstaple, the railway used to continue to Ilfracombe or Instow and Bideford. Part of the latter route is preserved as the Bideford & Instow Railway, while sections of both routes have been reopened as cycleways on the Tarka Trail.

Services

Passenger services on the line are operated by First Great Western using Class 142, Class 150 or Class 153 diesel multiple units. During the summer months a Sunday-only service operates (on behalf of Devon County Council) between Exeter Central and Okehampton.

Passenger volume

v t e Tarka Line
Legend
Exeter–Plymouth line to Penzance & Riviera Line to Paignton West of England line to Basingstoke & Avocet Line to Exmouth Exeter St Davids ¾ Red Cow Level Crossing Riverside Yard Cowley Bridge Junction Bristol–Exeter line to Taunton River Exe Newton St Cyres 4¼ Crediton 6¾ Crediton Level Crossing Salmon Pool Level Crossing Yeoford 10½ Coleford Junction 11½ Dartmoor line to Okehampton Copplestone 13½ Morchard Road 15¾ Lapford 17½ Eggesford Level Crossing Eggesford 21¼ Kings Nympton 25¼ Portsmouth Arms 28¼ River Taw Umberleigh Level Crossing Umberleigh 32¼ River Taw Chapelton 34¾ Langham Lake River Taw Pill Bridge Devon and Somerset Railway to Taunton GW Line Junction Barnstaple 39¾ Ilfracombe Line Junction Ilfracombe branch line to Ilfracombe North Devon Railway to Bideford

The majority of passengers travel to or from Barnstaple – about three times the number of all the other stations north of Exeter. Chapelton is the quietest station in Devon. Many of the smaller stations have seen a decline in passenger numbers during the last few years, although there have been significant increases at Umberleigh and Eggesford, and on the line overall. Comparing the year from April 2006 to that which started in April 2002, passenger numbers at Barnstaple have increased by 35%.

The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Community rail

The Tarka Line is one of the railway lines supported by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, an organisation formed in 1991 to promote railway services in the area. The line is promoted by many means such as regular timetable and scenic line guides, as well as leaflets highlighting leisure opportunities such as walking or visiting country pubs.

The Tarka Line rail ale trail was launched in 2002, the first of several such schemes which encourages rail travellers to visit pubs near the line. The trail originally covered 16 pubs, became as many as 19, but is currently just 18 pubs. There are five pubs each in Exeter and four in Barnstaple, with one each at Newton St Cyres, Crediton, Yeoford, Copplestone, Morchard Road, Lapford, Eggesford, Portsmouth Arms, and Umberleigh. 5, 10 or 18 stamps collected in the Rail Ale Trail leaflet entitle the participant to claim special Tarka Line Rail Trail souvenir merchandise.

Wessex Trains covered Class 150 2-car DMU number 150241 in coloured pictures promoting the line and named The Tarka Belle. It is still in service with First Great Western and works throughout its network, not just on the Tarka Line,

The line was designated by the Department for Transport as a community rail line in September 2006. This aims to increase revenue and reduce costs. Among possible options are increasing the car parking at stations, looking at ways to increase the train frequency, and assisting the Dartmoor Railway to operate a connecting service between Yeoford and Okehampton.

See also

• Tarka Trail

References

1. "Station Usage". Rail Statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Retrieved 2008-06-30.

• Nicholas, John (1992). The North Devon Line. Sparkford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86093-461-6.
• Department for Transport, Rail Group (2006), Route prospectus for the … Tarka Line'

External links

• Great Scenic Railways in Devon and Cornwall.
• North Devon Rail Users Group.

v t e Railway lines in the South West
Primary	Cross Country Route Bristol Cheltenham Great Western Main Line Bristol Bath Spa Chippenham Swindon (fast services principal stations only)
Secondary	To London South West Main Line (from Weymouth) Reading–Taunton line (from Taunton) West of England line (from Exeter) Others Atlantic Coast Line Avocet Line Bristol–Exeter line Cornish Main Line Cotswold Line Dartmoor line Exeter–Plymouth line Gloucester–Newport line Golden Valley line Heart of Wessex Line Henbury Loop Looe Valley Line Lostwithiel to Fowey Maritime Line Portishead branch Riviera Line St Ives Bay Line Severn Beach line Tamar Valley Line Tarka Line Wessex Main Line
Heritage	Avon Valley Railway Bristol Harbour Railway Bodmin and Wenford Railway East Somerset Railway Dartmouth Steam Railway Dean Forest Railway Helston Railway Plym Valley Railway South Devon Railway Swanage Railway Swindon & Cricklade Railway West Somerset Railway

• Rail transport in Devon
• Scenic railway lines in Devon and Cornwall
• Community railway lines in the United Kingdom