Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
Concerns over unreliable rail services across Devon and the wider South West were raised in Parliament this week, with MPs warning that poor connections to London are impacting local communities and economic growth.
Opening the debate, Richard Foord, MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, pointed to ongoing issues on rural routes, particularly the West of England line serving Honiton, Feniton and Axminster. He highlighted a significant gap in performance compared to the wider region.
He said: “Across south-west railways, 82% of trains arrived at their destinations within three minutes of their advertised time, but on the west of England line it was just 61%.”
Mr Foord noted that some delays had even been attributed to “soil moisture deficit”, rather than more typical seasonal disruption.
While raising concerns, he also welcomed progress on plans to reinstate Cullompton railway station, describing it as a key opportunity to strengthen links to Londo…
