North Devon Line Rail Promotion Group

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We are talking with GWR to explore options for temporary additions calls at Portsmouth Arms station to easy the impact of the diversion due to A377 closed for 3 months near Umberleigh Station

Take the train during the Road closure on the A377 at Tescos roundabout in Crediton.

🚧 Is the A377 road closure going to affect your journey to Barnstaple by train? We want to hear from you.

From 14 September until 18 December, the A377 between High Bickington and Umberleigh will be closed for major highway works. This means many people will face a lengthy diversion to reach Umberleigh Station.

We’ve already heard from a number of concerned parents whose children travel daily to North Devon College, as well as commuters worried about getting to work and passengers travelling to hospital appointments and other essential services.

The North Devon Line Rail Promotion Group believes there is a practical solution.

We’ve asked Great Western Railway to consider making temporary additional train calls at Portsmouth Arms during the road closure, providing a more convenient alternative for affected communities.

Will these roadworks affect you or your family?

* Do you travel to Barnstaple or Exeter for work?
* Are you a student or parent of a student travelling to North Devon College?
* Do you rely on the train for healthcare or other essential journeys?

If so, we’d really like to hear your story. Your experiences will help strengthen our case with the railway industry.

Please comment below or send us a private message explaining how the closure will affect your journeys.

Together we can make the case for a practical, community-focused solution that keeps people connected while these essential roadworks take place.

Please share this post with anyone who may be affected.

This week the NDLRPG committee are meeting and we are seeking you feedback on things that are your on your mind regarding the railway.

Here are some suggestions we already have:

1. Connections at Exeter St David’s
2. Sunday service cancellations
3. Booking office closures on Sundays
4. Through trains to London
5. Station information points

We acknowledge ongoing issues with capacity and weather related issues that resulted in significant line closures. In campaigning with the industry we can see improvements coming, but we can’t take our eye of this and will hold GWR & NR to ensure delivery

Do you use Barnstaple Station on a Sunday ? Do you purchase tickets or find out about train times ?

Then this may become more difficult with rumours that the ticket office will be closing on Sundays from early July.

This maybe just temporary, but we are seeing a recruitment freeze in ticket offices across the region . We have asked GWR for an update.

If this affects you we would like to hear your thoughts.

Another problem at St David’s (Saturday) the 18.55 to Oxford is showing on-time from Exeter St David’s but doors not open at 18.54, so on closer questioning from the staff on the platform this train is being delayed.

I ask the platform staff why the information screens weren’t being updated to reflect what has been known for sometime. I wax told they are unable to inform actual platform information screens (which is not true!) so passengers are being let down again!

These are simple things that help passengers and staff, let’s get them right!