Cornwall Metro funding approved

[RPI]

�50m of rail improvements in Cornwall approved​

19th January 2023

A plan to improve the railways linking Newquay, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth in Cornwall has won funding of almost £50 million from the government’s Levelling-Up fund. The total cost has been put at £56.8 million, and this will include £2.71 million from the council, with the balance coming from other funders.
The Mid Cornwall Metro will provide hourly through trains on the route, which serves four of Cornwall’s largest towns.
The work will include longer platforms at two Falmouth stations to take three-car trains, as well as a second platform at Newquay and a new crossing place on the Newquay branch at Tregoss Moor.
Falmouth is Cornwall's main university town, but there is a smaller university campus in Newquay and higher education colleges in St Austell and Truro. All the sites will be within 15 minutes’ walk of Mid Cornwall Metro stations.
Other improvements include a new signalling panel at Goonbarrow on the Newquay branch, as well as a general upgrade of Newquay station, including ticket machines, platform canopies, toilets and a larger station concourse, as well as landscaping of the street outside, ebike hire and a new bus interchange which would offer direct road links to Cornwall Airport Newquay.
MP Steve Double, who represents St Austell and Newquay, said: ‘It’s great news to today have confirmation of our successful bid to the Levelling Up Fund for the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
‘We have been working together on this along with Cornwall Council for a number of years and we’d like to thank the council’s team and in particular Cabinet Member for the Economy Cllr Louis Gardner for their efforts in putting together such a strong bid. The Mid-Cornwall Metro project will allow residents of Newquay and the communities along the lines to not only have a direct route to Falmouth but also to the main line and beyond, and also provide economic benefit in allowing quicker, easier access for commuters and visitors coming into the area.’
Cornwall Council has calculated that 180,000 people would live no more than 4km from an MCM station and 280,000 within 10km, while the urban cores of Newquay, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth account for more than a fifth of the population of Cornwall between them.

Railnews - 50m of rail improvements in Cornwall approved

railnews.mobi

The Newquay line will finally get a decent service.

 

[Brush 4]

Best part is that the second platform at Newquay will be reopened, plus a passing loop along the line. I've been writing to various bodies trying to get disused platforms reopened in the west, to increase capacity and allow extra traffic. Usual silence or a negative response so this is a breakthrough, even if it is linked to something else. Barnstaple is another one. track panels from Okehampton have been stacked for about a year, waiting to be relaid in the other platform, which is still has the connection to the main line.

 

[vic-rijrode]

It is obviously good news for that part of Cornwall if and when it happens. I do however find rather puzzling the use of Metro in the title of the railway improvements. Metro is almost always associated with the provision of rapid transit in large urban areas. Mid Cornwall does not strike me as an urban area needing a rapid transit system. I can't see a turn up and go service applying to any of the towns and city in the scheme. "Metro" is a bit trendy perhaps. South Wales just about deserves the title.

But heyho, what's in a name?

 

[yorksrob]

This is excellent news.

It'll make getting around Cornwall a lot easier.

 

[RPI]

This is excellent news.

It'll make getting around Cornwall a lot easier.

It is obviously good news for that part of Cornwall if and when it happens. I do however find rather puzzling the use of Metro in the title of the railway improvements. Metro is almost always associated with the provision of rapid transit in large urban areas. Mid Cornwall does not strike me as an urban area needing a rapid transit system. I can't see a turn up and go service applying to any of the towns and city in the scheme. "Metro" is a bit trendy perhaps. South Wales just about deserves the title.

But heyho, what's in a name?

It will potentially lead to 3 trains per hour between Par and Truro though

 

[yorksrob]

It will potentially lead to 3 trains per hour between Par and Truro though

There's the Metro service.

On my visits there, it's always been noticeable how much local people use the main line to get up and down the county. I imagine this will be a boon to people heading between St Austell and Truro.

 

[RPI]

There's the Metro service.

On my visits there, it's always been noticeable how much local people use the main line to get up and down the county. I imagine this will be a boon to people heading between St Austell and Truro.

Yes the Camborne-Lostwithiel and Falmouth branch Central sort of section is almost a metro type route, with plenty of local journeys between any given stations, mainly centering on Truro as would be expected. A direct service between Newquay and Truro/St Austell will also be interesting, its a shame the "other" Falmouth service can't run through to Penzance giving 3 TPH on the Mainline West of Par.

Though it will be interesting to see where the extra stock will be coming from.

 

[Snow1964]

Though it will be interesting to see where the extra stock will be coming from.

As confirmed in another thread, GWR are apparently getting extra stock from May 2023 for enhanced MetroWest (Bristol-Gloucester) service.

Guessing it is something indirectly released by new class 196 or 197, but I would have thought they would want class 150s for Cornwall (staff are familiar, and turbos are banned from some lines). However how much extra stock, what it will be, and any associated fleet moves within GWR are all speculative at moment. Although Hansard suggests the GWR management knows and has identified extra trains

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-01-18/debates/4414182C-7053-4A4A-A2A3-54489D1BC647/TrainServicesSouthGloucestershire

 

[RPI]

As confirmed in another thread, GWR are apparently getting extra stock from May 2023 for enhanced MetroWest (Bristol-Gloucester) service.

Guessing it is something indirectly released by new class 196 or 197, but I would have thought they would want class 150s for Cornwall (staff are familiar, and turbos are banned from some lines). However how much extra stock, what it will be, and any associated fleet moves within GWR are all speculative at moment. Although Hansard suggests the GWR management knows and has identified extra trains

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-01-18/debates/4414182C-7053-4A4A-A2A3-54489D1BC647/TrainServicesSouthGloucestershire

Positive on the front of it.... unless they're going to rob Peter to pay Paul!

 

[anthony263]

Could explain why tfw trying to get the 197s i to service ASAP and said 153s will go on swanline not class 150s when I asked as the 150s would be the better units.

A lot of tfws class 150s to be fair are in better nick than gwrs.

 

[Gloster]

What is the betting that they will do all the work and then charge prices so high that most potential customers use the bus or car instead.

And what about the station at Holmbush that was talked about thirty-five years ago.

 

[RPI]

What is the betting that they will do all the work and then charge prices so high that most potential customers use the bus or car instead.

And what about the station at Holmbush that was talked about thirty-five years ago.

I bet you can find a problem to every solution.

This is great news linking at least three of the largest towns in Cornwall.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It is obviously good news for that part of Cornwall if and when it happens. I do however find rather puzzling the use of Metro in the title of the railway improvements. Metro is almost always associated with the provision of rapid transit in large urban areas. Mid Cornwall does not strike me as an urban area needing a rapid transit system. I can't see a turn up and go service applying to any of the towns and city in the scheme. "Metro" is a bit trendy perhaps. South Wales just about deserves the title.

But heyho, what's in a name?

I'd look at the Swiss rural S-Bahnen e.g. around Lausanne. They're rural and infrequent (typically an hourly base) but they employ metro style concepts of consistent hourly timetables and quality connections. It works pretty well.

 

[Phil G]

Is there any actual new line other than loops? The original BBC story said "new railway for Cornwall" but is it just a new through service with improved frequency? I don't know much about the area so this is a genuine question.

 

[DelW]

Are there still any plans in the pipeline to reinstate the line between St Dennis and Parkandillack, to give Newquay a connection to St Austell rather than Par, or has that been put permanently into the too difficult / too expensive box?

 

[RPI]

Is there any actual new line other than loops? The original BBC story said "new railway for Cornwall" but is it just a new through service with improved frequency? I don't know much about the area so this is a genuine question.

No new railway. Significant improvements to Newquay Station, passing loop at Tregoss Moor, Goonbarrow box is getting a new panel installed to control it all.

 

[Revilo]

Will that mean the end of the semaphores at Goonbarrow Junction and St Blazey?

 

[Airline Man]

Is this a new railway line or an upgrade of existing facilities?

 

[swt_passenger]

Is this a new railway line or an upgrade of existing facilities?

The latter, it’s summarised in post #16.

 

[noddy1878]

What is the betting that they will do all the work and then charge prices so high that most potential customers use the bus or car instead.

And what about the station at Holmbush that was talked about thirty-five years ago.

The rail prices in Cornwall (and Devon) are actually pretty good I feel. Especially if you have a Devon and Cornwall Railcard which anyone who lives there is entitled too. I go to work on the train if I am working a late shift and it only costs me £5.80 return from Plymouth to Torre (74 miles round trip).

 

[Starmill]

It will be interesting to see what kind of journey times can be achieved between Newquay and Truro. It's going to make-or-break this part of the project. As good as it would be it seems very unlikely that they will be able to get it to the magic 40 minutes.

Regardless of how that works though, extending Falmouth services through to St Austell is a big positive.

 

[sor]

Is it possible to read what the bid actually included? As I said in the other thread, Roche has a particular problem with a lack of pedestrian access that makes the station virtually useless, and I'm curious to see if they're addressing that here. Some news stories mention "infrastructure at Roche" but not what it means.

Google and trying to search the CC and gov.uk sites doesn't reveal anything useful

 

[willgreen]

Are there still any plans in the pipeline to reinstate the line between St Dennis and Parkandillack, to give Newquay a connection to St Austell rather than Par, or has that been put permanently into the too difficult / too expensive box?

I think that was linked to a new road using some of the old trackbed or something along those lines? Road has now been built anyway so very unlikely to happen

 

[Class172]

It is obviously good news for that part of Cornwall if and when it happens. I do however find rather puzzling the use of Metro in the title of the railway improvements. Metro is almost always associated with the provision of rapid transit in large urban areas. Mid Cornwall does not strike me as an urban area needing a rapid transit system. I can't see a turn up and go service applying to any of the towns and city in the scheme. "Metro" is a bit trendy perhaps. South Wales just about deserves the title.

But heyho, what's in a name?

Amongst the other reasons some other members have given, I think a ‘Cornwall Metro’ name is quite reasonable as it shares some commonality with the already established Devon Metro, which connects Exmouth to Paignton via Exeter. It’s not a metro in the typical big-city sense, but it is a service that is reasonably frequent, caters for short journeys and connects a number of county-level population centres, which is what this Cornwall scheme is also aiming to achieve.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Railnews - 50m of rail improvements in Cornwall approved

railnews.mobi

The Newquay line will finally get a decent service.

Thanks for sharing this @RPI . Fantastic to see such improvements to the Newquay line, although it's a shame it comes after CrossCountry have pulled out. They could have continued to run summer Saturday services this time without being at the expensive of a service serving the intermediate stations.

Another reference to three car trains, this time on the Falmouth branch, makes me feel certain they're going to try and pinch some TfW 150s and then make 150/9s with them and use a pair separately on the Maritime and a pair attached on the S.I. Bay Line.

Newquay - Penzance with a reversal at Par on the cards? I assume that's what "The Mid Cornwall Metro will provide hourly through trains on the route, which serves four of Cornwall’s largest towns." meant anyway. (Edit: Looks like Newquay - Falmouth instead! That should be interesting)

Quite funny as only a couple of months ago many were wrongly crying that the Castle withdrawal would severely impair the Cornwall route service pattern to hourly or lower!

 

[RPI]

I believe Network Rail are doing away with some crossings on the line too in a separate project, this will hopefully speed the line up a bit.

 

[Bald Rick]

Are there still any plans in the pipeline to reinstate the line between St Dennis and Parkandillack, to give Newquay a connection to St Austell rather than Par, or has that been put permanently into the too difficult / too expensive box?

No, this project was the far better value alternative to opening that line. It was one of the other, and the right one is being taken forward.


I should imagine that with this, Okehampton Parkway, Wellington and Cullompton stations, plus the Okehampton reopening, that will be it for railway improvement projects in the West Country for a while. Otherwise Government would be accused of spending lots of money down there and not much anywhere else.

 

[fgwrich]

No, this project was the far better value alternative to opening that line. It was one of the other, and the right one is being taken forward.


I should imagine that with this, Okehampton Parkway, Wellington and Cullompton stations, plus the Okehampton reopening, that will be it for railway improvement projects in the West Country for a while. Otherwise Government would be accused of spending lots of money down there and not much anywhere else.

On that last point, I hope some money will at least eventually be forthcoming for the West of England line - be it earthwork related and / or infrastructure related. Some doubling towards Honiton etc would be welcome.

 

[Bald Rick]

Some doubling towards Honiton etc would be welcome.

That’s not in any proposals I’ve seen for funding for the next decade.

 

[RPI]

That’s not in any proposals I’ve seen for funding for the next decade.

The dynamic loop between Cranbrook and Whimple is being discussed by the right people but not yet at an advanced stage.

Obviously I've not seen in great detail the proposals for Newquay, but the station receiving some upgrades is long overdue.