Tarka Line
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The Tarka Line (named after the animal hero in Henry Williamson's book Tarka the Otter) is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Yeo and the River Taw for some of its route. At Coleford Junction there is a branch to Okehampton, which has recently reopened to passenger trains as the Dartmoor Railway.
The towns and villages served by the line are listed below:
- Exeter
- Newton St. Cyres
- Crediton
- Yeoford
- Copplestone
- Morchard Bishop
- Lapford
- Eggesford
- King's Nympton
- Portsmouth Arms (a pub!)
- Umberleigh
- Chapelton
- Barnstaple
Beyond Barnstaple, the railway used to continue to Ilfracombe or Instow and Bideford. Part of the latter route is preserved as the Bideford & Instow Railway, while sections of both routes have been reopened as cycleways on the Tarka Trail.
Passenger services on the line are operated by First Great Western using Class 150 or Class 153 diesel multiple units. During the summer months a Sunday-only service operates (on behalf of Devon County Council) between Exeter Central and Okehampton.
