Rail Travel in and to Cornwall

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Travelling in Cornwall by Train.

If you imagine the height of summer in Cornwall and what the roads can be like on a 'bad day' it makes very good sense to think seriously of taking the train. Thirty years ago this would have been a very good option but when the railway services were re-organised in Britain they did not spare much of Cornwall. The North of Cornwall has no train facilities at all.

What services we have left are very well worth using. Not only do you not have to worry about traffic problems, parking and the general stress of driving, you can sit back and enjoy dramatic views and spend the journey time planning your day, writing those post cards and perhaps in the back of your mind you might be thinking how environmentally friendly you are.

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Getting to Cornwall by Train.

There are three companies which serve Cornwall by Train. First Great Western, South West Trains and Virgin.

To find the latest information on train times, engineering works and fares telephone: 0345 48 49 50 which is a 24 hour service, or visit nationalrail.co.uk/service_bulletins. You will need to know approximately where you are going and when and they will be unlikely to help you if you wish to travel around Cornwall by train on a random basis.

To purchase tickets using most credit/debit cards telephone: 0345 000 125 - Mondays to Fridays 0800-2000, Saturdays and Sundays 0900-1700.

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Main Departure Points:

London Paddington, Heathrow Terminal 1, Gatwick Airport, Reading, Castle Cary and Bristol Temple Meads.

You will need to have two destinations in mind for general planning, these are Plymouth and Penzance. All Cornish train services must go through Plymouth, you can connect to other services coming into Cornwall. Penzance trains will pass through all the stations listed below.

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Main Train Stations Plymouth to Penzance:

Plymouth

Liskeard

Bodmin Parkway

Par

St. Austell

Truro

Redruth

Camborne

St. Erth

Penzance.

Other Stations:

Lostwithiel

Hayle

Looe

Newquay

Falmouth

Tamar Valley Line.

Gunnislake.

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First Great Western.

You can obtain A Guide to Services by telephoning them: 08457 000 125

"If you are planning a short break or holiday in Cornwall, Great Western can make sure your enjoyment begins with your journey. You can be relaxing with a book or enjoying a refreshing drink or meal from our excellent buffet. Available in Coach E on Saturdays, Sundays and selected services during school holidays is the Family Carriage. This is set aside for mums, dads and children with free activity packs available from the buffet to keep the children amused. there is an excellent service of Great Western '125' trains to Cornwall from London and Reading as well as a direct sleeper service, with an hourly service operating throughout much of the day. Great Western have joined forces with a number of bus companies to improve co-ordination of rail and bus services at stations with a number of key links to make the combined journey easier. Combined train/bus tickets can be issued from many stations."

Main Line services cover larger towns in Cornwall and they operate a summer Saturday service to Newquay.

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Southwest Trains.

You can obtain A Guide to Services by telephoning them: 0845 6000 650

Main routes through Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Devon, Somerset, Cornwall, Middlesex, East and West Sussex and Greater London, serving a mixture of commuters and longer-distance travellers

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Virgin

You can obtain A Guide to Services by telephoning them: 08457 222 333.

Virgin operates direct, long distance rail services from Scotland, the North East and North West. A wide range of fares and ticket types means that there should be something to suit every pocket, from the great value of Apex to the 'spoil yourself' luxury of First Class. Main Line services cover larger towns in Cornwall and they operate a summer Saturday service to Newquay.

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Organising train travel in Cornwall.

Firstly you are going to get the same problems as we had when trying to give up the car and use the train. What you don't want to do is to ring the National Rail Enquiry Services for information about travelling around in Cornwall by train. They will ask you where you want to go to and when. Unless you actually know that, they can't tell you very much, their service is not designed to assist the 'random' traveller. What you might do is contact Customer Services for the Train Companies which run in Cornwall. Cornwall County Council's Public Transport Unit have timetables and will help you plan car free travel in Cornwall. See following section.

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The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership

The Rail Partnership is a community rail partnership , one of the longest established and largest in the country. It is a non-profit organisation.

They work not just to promote travel on rural branch lines and seek improvements to services and facilities – but also to promote the places served by the branch lines and help the local economy.

The Partnership works on six branch lines:

• Exeter – Barnstaple : The Tarka Line

• Plymouth – Gunnislake : The Tamar Valley Line

• Liskeard – Looe : The Looe Valley Line

• Par – Newquay: The Atlantic Coast Line

• Truro - Falmouth: The Maritime Line

• Penzance - St Ives: The St Ives Bay Line

Trains run all year round on all branch lines.

All lines have services on Mondays to Saturdays throughout the year (except Dec 25 and 26).

The Tarka, Tamar Valley, Maritime (Falmouth) and St Ives Bay Lines have Sunday services throughout the year. Looe and Newquay Sunday trains run only between late May and early September.

New for 2007, there will be a daily through train between London Paddington and Newquay from July 2 to August 31 inclusive.

On Summer Saturdays, Newquay is served by through trains between the resort and London, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Birmingham and the North.

On Summer Sundays, Newquay has one main line through service from and to Plymouth, Exeter and London Paddington, one service to Bristol, Birmingham and the North and four local trains.

For details of train services, visit National Rail Enquiries by using the link below. You are advised to check their times locally with National Rail Enquiries before travelling - 08457 48 49 50. This is especially so if you are travelling on a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday.

Full details of train times in Britain can be obtained from National Rail Enquiries.

Timetables for Summer 2007 train services can be downloaded from First Great Western's website. Book B covers Devon & Cornwall. This also includes services to/from London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads.

 

Looe.

(Change at Par and Liskeard)

Take a trip on the Looe Valley Line and explore the beauty of South East Cornwall. Among its many attractions, Looe offers the visitor a beautiful safe and sandy beach, narrow lanes with small shops and an interesting working quayside. Why not take the opportunity to walk the splendid South west Coast Path from Looe to Polperro returning by either boat or bus.

St. Ives.

(Change at Par and St. Erth)

The best way to arrive in St. Ives is undoubtedly by train. Sit back and enjoy the dramatic views to be seen as the line sweeps alongside the golden sands of Carbis Bay and on to St. Ives with panoramic views of craggy cliffs and the colourful harbour. Explore the narrow streets of this unique town with its shops, pubs and galleries - including the acclaimed Tate Gallery.

Truro and Falmouth.

(Change at Par and Truro)

The City of Truro is Cornwall's commercial and administrative centre, with its impressive three spired Cathedral and beautiful Georgian town houses. It is also home to the Royal Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery and an excellent shopping centre. Truro is also the starting point of the Truro - Falmouth branch line. This branch line sweep down over the spectacular Perranwell viaduct to the magnificent Falmouth Harbour. Alight at 'Falmouth Town' to enjoy a walk around the attractive streets of Falmouth, or 'Falmouth Docks' for Pendennis Castle.

Plymouth.

(Change at Par)

Plymouth attractions range from Plymouth Hoe, with its award winning Plymouth Dome visitor centre, to the historic streets of the Elizabethan Barbican. It is also home of the beautiful and scenic Tamar Valley Line to Calstock and Gunnislake.

Penzance & Lands End.

Travel to the end of the Cornish main line which finishes with breath taking views across the sea to St. Michael's Mount before reaching Penzance in the magical far west of Britain. To travel on to Land's End or the Minack Theatre at Porthcurno, catch bus services 1, 1a, 1b or 10a from Penzance.

Par and Fowey.

(Change at Par for Bus Connection to Fowey)

Bus connections are available from Par Station to Fowey, one of Cornwall's historic seafaring towns with its tortuous main street clinging to the waterside, offering intriguing glimpses of boats of every description.

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Looe Valley Line.

South East Cornwall has always been regarded as a hidden jewel in the crown of the South West. Its twisting coastal roads and high hedges make it an ideal area to discover by bus and train. Liskeard, a busy market town at the head of the Looe Valley Line, offers many attractions including glass blowing studio and Lux Park Leisure Centre. Liskeard Station also offers some of the most scenic park & rides in Britain, from Liskeard to Looe along the Looe Valley Line.

This scenic line winds its way for just over 8 miles through unspoilt countryside, hugging the steep sided valley of the East Looe River before skirting the estuary edge, passing the heronry as the river becomes tidal and prepares to enter the sea. The Looe Valley Line serves 4 rural stations each of which has walked based from them. These are contained in a book entitled "Rambles by Rail No. 2: Liskeard to Looe" available at the Southeast Cornwall Discovery Centre in Looe. You can also use the line to visit the Magnificent Music Machines Museum, the Holy Well at St. Keyne, or the Stone Circle at nearby Duloe.

Once in Looe, a great starting point is the Discovery Centre giving you ideas for exploring the area and the history of this medieval fishing port. Catch a boat to nearby Looe Island, or why not visit Cornwall's second busiest fish market. One of Looe's most splendid attractions is the South West Coast Path. Immediately to the west of Looe between Looe and Polperro is a five mile section of the Coast Path offering outstanding coastal walking through an ever changing landscape of coves, creeks and cliffs. Western National operate three bus services to Polperro from Looe - Services 72, 73A and 81A, enabling you to walk to Polperro and bus back, or vice versa. Allow plenty of time for your connection as coastal walking often takes longer than you think, and make sure you wear sturdy footwear and carry a basic first aid kit.

Alternatively, another good bus link takes you from Liskeard Town Centre to both the Dobwalls Family Adventure Park with Europe's most extensive miniature railroad, and on to Trago Mill's Discount Shopping Complex. This service - No. 77 - is operated by Western National and operates hourly Monday to Saturday all year.

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Tamar Valley Line and Dartmoor Sunday Rover.

The Tamar Valley and Dartmoor Sunday Rover Network provides an easy, great value way to enjoy a relaxing day without the worries of driving and parking. Operating each Sunday from the end of May until late September, this network of 18 buses and 2 beautiful railway lines link together to form the best value Sunday bus and rail ticket in the UK. Tickets can be purchased on the bus, train or at Plymouth Station and are valid on all services. Two specially trained information Assistants travel on board both the Tamar Valley Line and Okehampton Line services most of the day with free leaflets and information on making the most of your day out. The trains to Okehampton are only operating on these Sundays whereas the Tamar Valley Line operates throughout the year with a bus link to/from Plymouth City Centre and the Barbican available.

The Sunday Rover allows you to use the Rover Network and any other Western National Service in Devon and Cornwall. On select Sundays a river-rail link is also available from Plymouth to Calstock.

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The Freedom of the South West Rail Rover.

It's as it sounds, unlimited access to all of the South West by rail for any 8 days travel in 15 consecutive days. In addition to just Devon and Cornwall, the Freedom of the South West Rail Rover is also valid on services as far as Bristol, Salisbury, Yeovil and Weymouth.

Holders of Young Persons, Senior and Disabled Railcards receive a one third discount. Also children (5-15) receive a one third discount. Each Rail Rover can be bought from home in advance by credit card allowing 5 days for delivery.

 

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The Lappa Valley Steam Railway.

The Lappa Valley Steam Railway runs on one of the oldest railway trackbeds in Cornwall. Opened in 1849 as a mineral line from Newquay to East Wheal Rose, it later became part of the Great Western Railway's Newquay to Chacewater branch line.
This was closed in 1963, and in 1974 Eric Booth, the founder of Lappa Valley, reopened part of the line as a narrow-gauge railway.

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Bodmin Town Rail Link.

The Bodmin and Wenford Railway connects with some services at Bodmin Parkway and provides convenient link to Bodmin Town Centre. Through tickets are available from stations in Devon and Cornwall. Telephone 01208 73666 for details.

 

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General Notes.

Cycles.

Carrying cycles on trains may require advance reservation, check with the Service provider.

Reservations.

Seat reservations are available on some services and compulsory or recommended on others. Usually there is a cost for this service and bookings can be made up to two months in advance.

Destination Cornwall.

If there is some aspect of travelling by train in Cornwall which you feel we should have included please let us know by email.

See also Coach and Bus Travel for services which overlap.

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Appropriate reading material:

 

Looe Valley Line Leisure Guide

Western National Timetable

Cornwall Links to the Coast Path.

Tamar Valley Line Leisure Guide

Walks from the Railway

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