CAMPAIGNERS behind a successful attempt to bring back trains to Okehampton say they are ready to help their neighbours down the road.

Kevin Ball, a member of Okerail’s executive board, said they would be prepared to offer advice on pulling off a similar coup at railway-less Tavistock.

The offer from Cllr Ball, who represents Okehampton on West Devon Borough Council, came as the town was celebrating the imminent return of its rail service following an announcement it will reopen on November 20.

Cllr Ball has been involved in a campaign to restore Okehampton’s regular passenger service to Exeter, which closed in 1972, for around 12 years.

Currently, Devon County Council are waiting for an announcement on a bid for Government money to help fund a business case for re-opening the Bere Alston to Tavistock section of the main line across north Dartmoor, which was closed piecemeal during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

A separate, more ambitious, bid by highly-experienced railway supporters’ group Tavistock Okehampton Reopening Scheme (TORS) to restore the entire northern route is being considered by the Department for Transport. That plan would see Tavistock linked with the railway at Bere Alston and eastwards to Okehampton.

Cllr Ball said the restoration of the entire main line was an aspiration, but said he felt that plan should be taken in stages.

He said: ‘We have got an aspiration for the line to be connected all the way through to Plymouth on the north of the moor, but you have got to recognise that it’s got to be done in steps. Getting Okehampton connected was the first step. We have reached our first goal, but our work isn’t finished. We recognise that it’s going to take even more effort. Other groups and organisations are already doing work and it’s really important we try to work together, because one lesson we have learned is that speaking with one voice certainly matters.’

He added: ‘Absolutely, we would give other groups advice on what we have learned. We’re not saying that we would necessarily need to become involved, although we would be happy to offer our support.’

Cllr Ball said different groups sometimes had the same objective, but had different aspects within that objective that they wanted to see happen.

He said: ‘You have got to find things you agree on and work on that. The other things you can worry about later. For instance, we were adamant we wanted a parkway station (planned for the eastern edge of Okehampton) before the line re-opened, but we had to agree to compromise on that.’

TORS, who are seeking Restoring Your Railways funding to examine the case for full reopening of the route were quick to welcome the news of Okehampton’s reopening.

Director Andy Roden said: ‘Huge congratulations to everyone involved for their tireless campaigning over many years, and to the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Great Western Railway for delivering this reopening so quickly and at such low cost. This reopening will transform Okehampton and reawaken awareness of rail’s tremendous environmental, social and economic benefits. In the longer term, there is huge potential for full reopening of the ‘Northern Route’ to transform people’s access to work, education, health and leisure across a huge area of Devon and Cornwall – and for it to unlock the tremendous demand for rail freight to take lorries off our congested roads across the region.’