Timeline

Some milestones in the history of the DartmoorLine:

2025	Meldon Aggregates established at the quarry
02/01/2024	Okehampton station footbridge lost its roof during Storm Henk
15/05/2022	Exeter service doubled in frequency to hourly
20/11/2021	Reinstatement of Exeter service
01/02/2020	British American Railway Services placed in administration
2011	Aggregate Industries ‘mothballed’ Meldon Quarry
2010	Last Meldon stone train
04/09/2008	British American Railway Services, a company created by Iowa Pacific Holdings of Chicago, took over the Dartmoor Railway from Ealing Community Transport.
20/12/2005	Thumper 205028 ran away and derailed on catchpoints at Meldon
25/10/1997	Pathfinder Railtours ‘Meldon Meanderer’ railour with Moguls 7325 (GWR) and 2968 (LMS/Stanier)
24/05/1997	Okehampton station re-opened. Seasonal services started the following day.
25/05/1996	Hertfordshire Railtours ‘Dartmoor Warbler’ with class 56 56073
1996	Meldon Viaduct became part of the Granite Way
1994	Meldon Quarry, Okehampton Station and the line to Coleford Junction sold to Camas
02/12/1989	Class 33 working Tonbridge – Meldon stone train made heavy contact with its own train near Sampford Courtenay, causing damage
06/05/1989	Southern Electric Group's 'Tortuous Tortoise' railtour.
08/07/1984	F&W's 'Devonshire Dart' railtour (F&W = predecessor of Pathfinder)
1982	Meath – Barnstaple – Exeter china clay traffic ended
20/10/1979	Wirral Railway Circle charter train to Meldon Quarry
30/10/1976	Western’s South Western’ railtour
03/06/1972	Last Exeter-Okehampton service
06/05/1968	Line to Lydford, Tavistock and Bere Alston closed
01/05/1968	Withdrawal of through passenger traffic
1968	All traffic ceased beyond Meldon Viaduct
04/03/1967	The last Brighton to Plymouth service. On this date also locomotive hauled Exeter-Plymouth services ended.
1966	North Cornwall and Bude lines closed
1965	Meldon Quarry line was singled, with traffic using the down side structure, which was stronger and in better repair.
1965	Torrington to Halwill Junction section closed to passengers
05/09/1964	Last Atlantic Coast Express ran.
23/03/1963	Publication of The Reshaping of British Railways, aka The Beeching Report
1963	Former Southern lines west of Exeter transferred to the Western Region of British Railways
1960	Okehampton Car Carrier service started. It lasted until 1964
01/01/1948	Britain’s railways nationalised
01/10/1947	50 foot Ookehampton turntable replaced by larger one further west
01/06/1943	Meldon Quarry staff involved in the rescue of crew from a crashed RAF aircraft on Dartmoor.
1935	Present signal box opened, replacing one in the centre of platform 2
1930-1932	Station rebuilt
1926	Atlantic Coast Express introduced
27/07/1925	Opening of North Devon and Cornwall Junction Railway.
1923	Railway company grouping. LSWR became part of the Southern Railway
1920s	Original Meldon Quarry halt constructed
1908	Meldon Quarry fire
1897	Meldon Quarry acquired by LSWR
1878	Meldon Viaduct doubled
12/10/1874	Meldon Viaduct opened, enabling traffic to Lydford
1872	Devon & Cornwall Railway became part of London and South Western Railway
03/10/1871	First services to Okehampton
1867	Line opened to Sampford Courtenay, then called Okehampton Road
1865	Line opened to North Tawton
1864	Okehampton Railway became Devon & Cornwall Railway
17/07/1862	Okehampton Railway authorised