FROM the end of this month commuters and other passengers using Okehampton station, terminus of the Dartmoor Line from Exeter, will need to pay for car parking.

When Great Western Railway (GWR) restored the passenger service from Okehampton to Crediton and Exeter as part of the Government’s ‘Reversing Beeching’ transport strategy on November 20, campaign and support group OkeRail negotiated a three-month grace period in which parking at the station would be free.

As well as providing a useful new transport link for Okehampton itself, the restored service is also being used by people from across a wide area of West and North Devon and East and North Cornwall, avoiding the need to drive for another 25 miles along the A30 to Exeter.

Now that the station car park grace period has come to an end, the parking machines are due to be activated on Moday (January 31) – though at £2 a day the parking fee is considerably less than the sum charged to park at Exeter St Davids and other South West stations. There are also season ticket options available.

There will be no charge for vehicles arriving at the station briefly to pick up and set down passengers.