Birthday cake and free commemorative linen shopping bags were handed out to passengers to mark Cranbrook Station’s tenth birthday.

At the celebratory event on December 15, organised by Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, Cranbrook Town and East Devon District Councillor Kim Bloxham cut a special birthday cake alongside fellow East Devon District Councillor Kevin Blakely and Andrew Ardley, regional development manager (West) for South Western Railway.

Cranbrook Station opened on Sunday, 13 December 2015. The £5 million station, funded by Devon County Council and Cranbrook New Community Partners, is situated on the East Devon Line, served by the hourly South Western Railway service between London Waterloo, Axminster, Honiton and Exeter.

The station had an estimated 120,374 users between April 2024 and March 2025, an increase of 5% on the previous year and 12% up on the last full pre-pandemic year in 2018-19.

Michael Parker-Bray, marketing and communications officer for Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, said: “The station’s tenth birthday was a great chance to highlight the vital role it plays for the local area and to bring partners together to celebrate. Community rail has a big part to play in helping to promote new stations to their local communities and to help them grow. We look forward to continuing that work with the opening of another new station in Devon – Okehampton Interchange – in 2026.”

Councillor Vikki Wright, chair of Cranbrook Town Council, said: “We are delighted to celebrate ten years of Cranbrook Station. Since its opening, it has been a vital link for our community, making travel easier, supporting the growth of our town, and promoting sustainable travel. We look forward to seeing it continue to serve residents and visitors for many years to come.”

Andrew Ardley, regional development manager (West) for South Western Railway, said: “It was great to be at Cranbrook Station to celebrate its tenth birthday. The station has a huge amount of potential with the continued growth of the town and now the plans for Marlcombe, a few kilometres to the south. This is demonstrated by how busy the car park already is and the growth in patronage in recent years.”

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