In a rural area like ours, transport links are a vital lifeline for many people, connecting them to family, work and amenities. That is why I chose to be a leading voice in the successful campaign for a regular passenger rail service between Okehampton and Exeter via Crediton, alongside OkeRail and local councillors. The Dartmoor Line has since delivered a massive economic boost through increased tourism and better access to jobs and education. It makes life easier for students going to Exeter, tourists headed for Dartmoor, and it eases congestion on local roads as well.

Last week work also began on the new Okehampton Interchange station, due to be completed and opened next year. The station will be on the edge of the town and close to the A30, with a larger car park than the existing Okehampton station and improved bus links. It will be a very welcome addition to the Dartmoor Line.

Earlier this month I sat down with Tracey Norman, project manager for the Devon Railway Heritage Project in Crediton Library to talk about the campaign for bringing the line back into service.

The line was first reinstated in November 2021 and was the first project to be supported under the Conservative government’s ‘Restoring Your Railways’ programme, which was an important pledge in our 2019 manifesto. As I explained to Tracey, when the previous government announced the funding for railway restoration projects, I was determined to make sure we in Devon benefited. I have long been an advocate of reversing some of the Beeching cuts of the 1960s and 70s.

It was therefore disappointing to hear last year that on coming into government the Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided as one of her first steps to cancel the Restoring Your Railways initiative. It is a shame that further projects like the one we have benefited from in our area will not be supported. Investing strategically in transport infrastructure such as this can more than pay for itself when the project is one which will bring significant economic benefits from improved connectivity.

We are getting confusing messages from the Government on this. Ministers have said they believe in investing for economic growth, and they have announced a significant amount of extra capital spending since coming into office. But transport does not seem to have been much of a focus for this spending, in fact projects have been cancelled and funding withdrawn in a number of cases. Often the rhetoric seems positive but the substance does not seem to match the words. If the Government wants growth, transport should surely be a more important part of its agenda.

I will continue to back our local railways and other transport links because I know how important it is to the lives of the residents in my constituency that they can get around quickly and reliably. Not only does it improve quality of life, it drives prosperity and job creation. The Government should be doing a lot more to recognise that.

Mel Stride is Conservative MP for Central Devon.