Key Points
- Due to urgent track repairs, all lines at Exeter St Davids will be closed to trains on Friday, 13 November 2026.
- The trains operating with the Great Western Railway (GWR), CrossCountry, and South Western Railway (SWR) companies were affected.
- According to National Rail, there will be train cancellations, altered journeys, and delays up to 60 minutes.
- Initially, there were expectations of major disruption till 9am, however, National Rail informed that it will continue till 12:00.
- GWR reported that there was a report about a track defect at Exeter St Davids and that they were working together with Network Rail.
- Impacted routes included services between Plymouth and northern destinations, Paignton and Manchester Piccadilly, Penzance and London Paddington, Exeter and Barnstaple or Okehampton, Exeter St Davids and Cardiff Central, and Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo.
- SWR services between Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo will be amended to operate between Exeter Central and London Waterloo.
- Passengers of GWR can use tickets on Dartline Coaches route 369 between Exeter Central, Exeter St Davids, Newton St Cyres, and Crediton.
- Passengers of CrossCountry can use GWR services between Plymouth and Bristol Temple Meads free of charge.
- There was a request for rail replacement transport between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot; however, arrangements were being made.
- The passengers were advised to check the National Rail Journey Planner before traveling and keep their tickets and journeys’ details for possible compensations.
St Davids (Wales Times) November 13, 2026 — Urgent track repairs at Exeter uk/local/st-davids/">St Davids disrupted rail services across Cornwall and Devon on Friday morning, with all lines blocked at the station and passengers warned of cancellations, altered journeys and delays of up to an hour.
What happened at Exeter St Davids?
As reported by Kate Lockett of Cornwall’s Rewind Radio, urgent repairs to the track at Exeter St Davids meant that all lines were blocked at the station on Friday, 13 November. National Rail said the repairs caused “some lines” to be blocked, leading to services being cancelled in full, delayed by up to 60 minutes, or revised to complete only part of their journey.
The disruption affected trains operated by CrossCountry, Great Western Railway and South Western Railway. National Rail initially expected major disruption until 12:00, while Rewind Radio’s early report said disruption was expected until 9am.
As reported by the BBC, National Rail announced that urgent repairs were in progress on Friday morning at Exeter St Davids, resulting in “all lines being blocked”, with interruptions anticipated until 12:00 GMT and delays potentially reaching 60 minutes.
Which train routes were affected?
National Rail listed several affected routes across Devon, Cornwall and beyond. CrossCountry services between Plymouth and Derby, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Glasgow Central, Edinburgh and Aberdeen were affected, as were services between Paignton and Manchester Piccadilly.
GWR services were affected between Penzance and Exeter St Davids and London Paddington, as well as between Paignton and Exmouth and London Paddington. Other affected GWR routes included Exeter Central to Barnstaple and Okehampton, and Exeter St Davids to Cardiff Central.
SWR services between Exeter St Davids and London Waterloo were also affected. As reported by Rewind Radio, SWR trains were starting and finishing their journeys at Exeter Central instead.
What did GWR say?
As reported by the BBC, GWR said it had received notifications regarding a track defect in the Exeter St Davids vicinity. The operator said it was working with Network Rail to return to running its normal timetable as soon as possible.
In a travel update posted on X, GWR said:
“Due to urgent repairs to the track at Exeter St Davids some lines are blocked. Disruption is expected until 12:00. Train services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth via Newton Abbot may be cancelled, delayed or revised.”
The BBC reported GWR as explaining that, if a minor flaw in the rail expands because of repeated stress and bending from passing trains, it can lead to a break.
What alternatives were available?
GWR passengers could use their tickets at no extra cost on Dartline Coaches route 369 between Exeter Central, Exeter St Davids, Newton St Cyres and Crediton. Rail replacement transport had also been requested between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot, although arrangements were still being confirmed at the time of the initial report.
CrossCountry passengers could use their tickets on GWR services between Plymouth and Bristol Temple Meads at no extra cost. SWR passengers could continue to travel between Exeter Central and London Waterloo, although they were advised to check for further delays and alterations.
As reported by RailAdvent, CrossCountry said ticket acceptance was in place with GWR, while SWR trains would start and terminate at Exeter Central; other alterations could be needed and tickets could be used on GWR from Exeter St Davids.
What should passengers do?
Passengers were advised to check their entire journey before travelling because alternative routes could also be affected. National Rail urged travellers to check its Journey Planner for the latest updates before setting off.
Passengers whose trains were cancelled might be able to travel on alternative services, with ticket acceptance arrangements in place across participating operators. Anyone who decided not to travel, or was unable to complete their journey because of the disruption, might be entitled to a full refund.
National Rail said passengers affected by delays might also be entitled to compensation and should keep their tickets and details of their journey to support any claim.
When did services restart?
Later reporting indicated that train services had restarted after the track defect disrupted the main rail line. As reported by Yahoo News, National Rail said urgent repairs were carried out on Friday morning at Exeter St Davids, with disruption continuing until 12:00 GMT and delays of up to 60 minutes.
GWR said services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth via Newton Abbot, as well as services into Cornwall, could still be cancelled, delayed or revised. The operator said it was working with Network Rail to restore its normal timetable as soon as possible.
Background of the development
Exeter St Davids is a major railway station in Devon and an important junction for services linking Cornwall, Devon, London, the Midlands, northern England, Scotland and south Wales. The disruption affected multiple operators because services from several routes pass through or terminate at the station.
National Rail described the incident as urgent repairs to the track at Exeter St Davids, while GWR referred to a reported track defect in the area. DevonLive reported that National Rail announced the urgent repair works at around 5.15am on Friday, 13 November.
The Moorlander reported that the issue involved a track defect between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot, affecting journeys towards Paignton and Plymouth. It said stopping services between Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot and Paignton were affected, while services towards Plymouth via Newton Abbot, Totnes and Ivybridge were also affected, although GWR said these were resuming.
Prediction: How this affects passengers
For passengers in Cornwall and Devon, the development is likely to mean longer journeys, crowded replacement or alternative services, and uncertainty around onward connections during the morning travel period. Those travelling to or from Plymouth, Paignton, Exeter, Penzance, Exmouth, Barnstaple, Okehampton, Cardiff, London and longer-distance destinations should check live journey information before departure.
Commuters and students relying on morning services may need to allow extra time, particularly for journeys involving Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Plymouth or Cornwall. Passengers with non-refundable tickets should retain proof of travel and check the relevant operator’s refund and delay-repayment arrangements, as National Rail said affected passengers may be entitled to compensation.
For businesses and visitors in the South West, the disruption could affect same-day appointments, deliveries and onward travel connections. The most practical step is to monitor National Rail, GWR, CrossCountry and SWR updates, because services were resuming but further cancellations, delays or revisions remained possible until the disruption period ended.
