Work which began last month on the new Marsh Barton rail station is progressing at pace, councillors have heard.

Preparatory works to the site, near to the Energy from Waste plant on the eastern edge of Marsh Barton, Exeter, are well under way, with vegetation having been cleared, existing utilities protected, and a site compound and access road created.

The new Marsh Barton station will serve communities living on the rail line in Exeter, Teignbridge, Torbay and East Devon, and is central to supporting economic growth to the south west of Exeter and to the Marsh Barton employment area itself, as well as Dawlish and Newton Abbot.

Cllr John Hart, Leader of Devon County Council, said: "The new long awaited station will improve access to one of the city's most important employment areas.

"More than 7,000 people travel to work in Marsh Barton, and the train station and improved cycle and pedestrian access will be a key part in our delivery of sustainable transport options within the city.

"This project will therefore be good for our local businesses, and good for our economy while supporting our environmental commitment to reduce carbon to zero over the coming years."

When open, the proposed station will have two platforms, with the eastern and western platforms served by trains to Newton Abbot and Exeter, respectively. Each platform will be 124 metres in length, sufficient to accommodate trains formed of up to five cars, and will be 4m wide.

Each platform will have a waiting shelter, 10m wide by 1.5m deep, containing 12 stainless steel seats with arm rests, and a perch rail for four passengers, as well as one ticket vending machine on each platform, located inside the waiting shelters.

The new station will be served by the current half-hourly service on the Paignton to Exmouth line and will be adjacent to the Energy from Waste plant at Marsh Barton, close to Clapperbrook Lane East.

No date for when the first trains will be stopping at the station has been confirmed, but Devon County Council hope it will be before the end of 2022.

The station should have been up and running in December 2016, but delays, spiralling costs and protracted discussions with the rail industry led to the plan for the new station at Marsh Barton running at shunting speed.