[8] Despite substantial sections of Exeter's railway infrastructure being selected for closure as a part of the Beeching Axe, such as St Thomas station or the Avocet and East Devon Lines,[9] most of the network survived but underwent significant economies to justify their retention, including the singling of previously double-tracked routes.

[12] The need to reduce congestion on the roads led to the reopening of Pinhoe and Digby and Sowton[13] stations in 1983 and 1995 respectively, and the construction of a new passing loop at Axminster in 2009 to increase the frequency on the East Devon Line.

The local rail routes subsequently experienced rapid growth in passenger numbers forcing them to operate near or at maximum track capacity with the limitations of the single-track lines left after Beeching.

[15] Initial proposals of the Devon Metro scheme were laid out as part of the Future of Transport in Exeter consultation, which took place in March and April 2010.

[17] In the final report written at the conclusion of the consultation, 84% of respondents indicated support for the rail enhancements under the Devon Metro scheme, with only 5% expressing opposition.

With the stone freight and heritage traffic gone, and the summer sunday service showing some success, this provided an opportunity for the full reopening and reintegration of the Dartmoor Line with the rest of the network.

Sampford Courtenay, which was previously served by the GWR summer sunday service until 2019, has all trains pass through non-stop despite having a new platform surface installed when Network Rail took ownership and there are no plans to bring it back into passenger use.

Funding was approved by the Government in June 2024 as part of their "Levelling Up" policy and the station is expected to be opened in 2025, with Design scoping and ecological survey work currently taking place.