New partnership helps to deliver better bus and rail connections in South Devon

As well an improved timetable, with buses better connecting with mainline train services at Totnes, visibility of the service has been improved both on the buses and through a new marketing campaign.

Service 164 now runs seven days a week and provides the opportunity to combine a day out by bus and train – whether heading into South Devon or towards Exeter or Plymouth – or when travelling to or from London, Bristol or any part of the national rail network.

Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, Cllr Andrea Davis, said:

“This is one of a number of improvements we have been able to make using funding from government this summer. The link provides new through journeys and improved rail connections and will hopefully help this part of the county to recover after the pandemic.

“Working with Tally Ho and GWR we have been able to introduce these improvements which fit with the government’s recent Buses Back Better strategy and are an excellent example of what can be achieved by working in partnership.”

GWR Regional Development Manager, Luke Farley, said:

“Bus and rail working together to improve the availability and quality of journeys on public transport is absolutely crucial to the prosperity of local communities and an essential to delivering the environmental benefits of getting people out of their cars.

“We are absolutely delighted to be working with Tally Ho Coaches and Devon County Council to improve connections between South Devon and the rest of the country. This new service means that communities without a railway station now have a through journey by rail and bus to any part of the rail network. We are now working on developing a single through ticket to make the service even easier to use.”

Tally Ho Coaches Limited Managing Director, Don McIntosh, said:

“This is great news. When we were first approached by Devon County Council and GWR we could immediately see the benefits to rail travellers but also the opportunities for tourism and leisure that this opens up.

“It will be possible to have a day out using the bus travelling to Torbay or using the steam train and ferry to visit Dartmouth, Paignton and Totnes. You will be able to go to restaurants and pubs in Salcombe or Kingsbridge and get home without needing to drive, even when the tide is out!”

Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall said:

“Improving our transport links is a necessity for South Devon. I am particularly pleased to see the new bus service from Totnes to Salcombe links up with the national train services.

“This will play an important role in reducing traffic and air pollution as well as offering more affordable travel across the area. Devon County, Tally Ho and GWR have committed to working to improve South Devon’s transport network and I am delighted to see them deliver.”

Bus services accept cash or contactless payments and details of train fares to and from Totnes can be found at GWR.com. Timetable information for combined journeys on the 164 bus and trains through Totnes can be found at traveline.info

Notes to editors

First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR was recently awarded an extension to its direct award franchise (called DA3), which shall run up to 31 March 2023, with an option to extend for a further year. 
Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us 

GWR’s enhanced cleaning regime includes: 

• A 24% increase in cleaning hours every week since March 2020 
• Sanitising (fogging) of 1,120 vehicles every 4 weeks 
• Carrying out 2,150 on board surface tests (ATP) every four weeks, to ensure the effectiveness of our cleaning 
• 272 train cleaning processes reviewed, and many adapted 
• Hand sanitising facilities at key stations across its network.