OKERAIL, the organisation supporting the reinstatement of rail services on the Okehampton to Exeter Dartmoor Line, has announced on its website that there will be a one day only free shuttle bus service operating in connection with the public reopening day on Saturday (November 20).

The free shuttle bus service will run only this coming Saturday, which is expected to be very busy as people travel to Okehampton station to experience the first day of regular public rail services for the first time in 50 years since British Rail ended passenger trains in 1972.

OkeRail says: "The new service starts this Saturday. GWR have laid on a free shuttle service to take pressure off Station Road. Please park in Mill Road car park if you’re driving in from outside of the town. If you live in town, please walk to one of the designated bus stops.

"This shuttle is just for Saturday 2oth November and is FREE. See above for further information."

See the pictures attached here for the timetable and route information. The train timetable shown is a special one for November 20 only, with the trains that are expected to be extremely busy marked with a green dot above.

Also from this Saturday, the 118 Dartline bus service from Tavistock, Mary Tavy and Lydford (which is not free) will begin running through to Okehampton station to connect with the new train service, and there will also be route additions and increased frequency at other times from Mondays to Saturdays. From December 12 there will also be Sunday services on the route, with one journey running through to Gunnislake to connect with the Tamar Valley Line train service to Plymouth via Calstock, Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers.See https://dartmoorline.com/2021/11/118-rail-link-bus-for-okehampton-station/ and https://www.devon.gov.uk/news/new-bus-service-being-launched-to-connect-with-okehampton-rail-services/