Q1. What are your authority’s policy priorities for local rail transport? Do you support rail as a key transport element?
Please provide an on-line link to any relevant source document, e.g. annual report; adopted policy, transport strategy, planning policy etc.
Our local rail transport policies are detailed on our public website as part of the Local Transport Plan
Q2. Has your authority adopted a policy to support or advocate the reinstatement of any passenger rail services falling within the categories shown below? If you have route mileages, cost estimates or Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) for any such rail routes please provide information/links to any such policy documents.
(a) Express service (fast, high speed, long distance, Inter City, Eurostar etc.)
(b) Regional service (semi-fast, limited stop, inter-urban, commuter etc.)
Devon County Council is a partner within the Peninsula Rail Task Force (PRTF) and has set out a 20 year plan for rail.
(c) Local service (stopping, commuter etc.)
Reopening of the Tavistock – Bere Alston rail line
Regular weekday running / reinstatement of services between Okehampton and Exeter
Reopening of Northern ‘Dartmoor’ route between Okehampton and Tavistock
(d) Metro (suburban, stopping, commuter, overground etc.)
(e) Subway/Underground/Tube (urban, stopping, part underground)
(f) Light Rail/Tram/Tramtrains etc (urban, stopping, bus equivalent)
(g) Heritage/tourist (steam, diesel, electric – please state if narrow not standard gauge)
(h) Other (please provide further information).
We hold no information on these further categories.
Q3. Has your authority adopted a policy to support or advocate the reinstatement of any local freight rail services falling within the categories shown below? If you have route mileages, cost estimates or Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) for any such rail routes please provide information/links to any such policy documents.
(a) Intermodal (container) freight (e.g. freightliner shipping containers, waste trains)
The Exeter Strategy of the Local Transport Plan 3, page 65, includes confirmation that we will investigate locations for freight consolidation centres. In recent years, the County Council and East Devon District Council promoted potential for rail freight in the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point area, namely served off the Exeter to Waterloo line at the proposed Inter Modal Freight Terminal (see https://www.devon.gov.uk/ldfpaper-freight-2.pdf). Subsequently, this was abandoned due to a number of factors including the inability for rail freight to negotiate unfavourable gradients between Exeter St David’s and Exeter Central when transferring from the Paddington mainline to the Waterloo mainline.
(b) Trainload haul (e.g. bulk like metals, oil, construction materials, coal, biomass)
(c) Cars or other vehicles (e.g. BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, including international)
(d) General freight (e.g. timber, packaged goods e.g. such Asda and Tesco rail, vegetables etc.).
We hold no information on these further categories
Q4. Has your authority adopted a policy to support or advocate the reinstatement of, or new-build construction of, any railway stations on existing rail lines (i.e. those currently operational)? If so, please provide information/links to any such policy documents.
Newcourt Rail station, Exeter – constructed 2015 Authorised £2.5 m cost.
Cranbrook Rail station – constructed 2015. £5m.
Marsh Barton station, Exeter – planned. Funding for £7.4 million authorised.
However rising costs (current estimate £13million) have delayed commencement of project
Q5. Has your authority adopted a policy to support or advocate the reinstatement of, or new-build construction of, any local freight facilities (such as freight sidings or inland freight terminals), whether on reopened or newly built rail lines? If so, please provide information/links to any such policy documents.
No
Q6. How much funding is your authority providing and/or has it authorised funding for:
(a) Rail infrastructure (e.g. new track, pointwork, signalling, bridges, platforms, stations, refurbishment)
In 2018/19, DCC committed the following capital funding for rail projects
Newton Abbot Rail Station Bridge design £25K
Axminster station bus waiting facilities £25K
Devon Metro Wi-Fi at Stations £50K
Bere Alston to Tavistock design £125K
Newcourt Railway Crossing design £15K
Marsh Barton Station design £500K (included in figures in Q8)
Okehampton Railway Station and Car Park design £75K
(b) Rail vehicles (locomotives, coaches, wagons)
(c) Rail services
Okehampton summer Sunday service – £96,209
(d) Railway enhancement (e.g. station refurbishment, bus and cycle facilities, CCTV, heritage refurbishment)?
In 2018/19, DCC committed £79,605 to improving Electric Bike Hire facilities at Exeter Central, Exeter St David’s, Pinhoe and Digby and Sowton Stations
This will be implemented between 2018 and 2020 and has been funded using National Productivity Investment Fund (Government grant)
If so, please confirm whether the service is jointly funded by any other public authority or public body.
Q7. In respect of any projects for new rail services being supported by your authority:
(a) Please give the title and rail route of each project and (anticipated) date of completion;
(b) Please confirm whether any Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) has been derived for each project, and if so, what value(s) have been attributed;
(c) Please state the budgeted expenditure of each project;
(d) If possible, please provide a breakdown of the categories of expenditure. Please include sources.
(e) Please confirm the amount of funding being provided by your authority, or which could be provided, and the activity being supported;
(f) Please state the total track mileage of each rail route project;
(g) Please state each terminus and station on the route;
(h) For new project(s), please indicate whether the stations are new, re-opened, renovated etc.
(i) Please indicate whether each project will use pre-existing infrastructure;
(j) If so, please provide further details
Business case details for the new rail stations (to be confirmed)
Q8. Do you have or have you had access to other funds from Government, EU, public or private funds? If so, which? (e.g. LEP funding, EU development funds, the UK Coastal Communities Fund, where relevant)
Newcourt Station £2.5m
New Stations Fund (DfT) – £0.8million
Developer contributions (Seabrook Orchards) – £1.7 million (expected 2021)
Cranbrook Station £5m
Developer contributions (Cranbrook) – £3.0m
Devon County Council – balance (Local Transport Plan)
Marsh Barton Station £8.27m secured
Exeter City Council CIL £1.3m
Teignbridge District Council CIL £1.3m
Devon County Council Local Transport Plan £1.3m
Growth Deal £4.37m
Q9. Has your authority adopted any policy to favour the provision of restored or new passenger services by:
(a) Direct local authority service contract (as with say, bus services) – for example, with a modern operating company of a current heritage railway operation?
No
(b) A special independent ‘microfranchise’ contract, but simpler, less costly and more focused than national or regional franchises – as originally proposed by the Government?
No
(c) A Community Rail Partnership or sub contract of an existing larger franchise operation?
No