It has now been confirmed that the present through South West Trains services to Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance will end with the start of the December 2009 timetable. The service west of Exeter is not a part of the main franchise and the stock used is now required for core SWT operations.

Although SWT have been given extra Class 159s and Class 158s in recent years, this is still not enough to provide the DfT required increase in services on the Exeter-Yeovil-Salisbury to Waterloo route.

For passengers west of Exeter this service loss will see only FGW services available for trips to/from London and will see a major holiday route lost for passengers between Wiltshire, Hampshire and Surrey to the Devon holiday resorts.

Photographers are advised to use the summer of 2008/09 to obtain pictures of these colourful trains on the section of route west of Exeter.