A MAJOR step forward into reopening the Dartmoor Line came on July 1 when Network Rail completed the purchase of 16 miles of line from Coleford Junction to Meldon and with it Okehampton station.
Aggregate Industries has owned the line for more than 25 years, having acquired it from British Rail in 1994, and up until 2008 operated aggregate services to and from Meldon Quarry. Since then, Aggregate Industries continued to support train operations through a long-term lease to the Dartmoor Rail Company as well as supporting the Dartmoor Railway Association (DRA) in championing the reopening of the Dartmoor Line.
Partnership
Following the administration of the Dartmoor Rail Company, Aggregate Industries has worked with Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR), accommodating detailed surveys to be undertaken to understand what infrastructure and railway control system improvements are needed to bring the Dartmoor Line up to the required standards.