CORNWALL Council’s senior member for Transport and his grandson were among the first passengers to alight from a new service connecting commuters, students and residents in Cornwall along the Newquay to Par branch line.

The new timetable increases the number of services on the line from 12 to 16 per day, and passengers from Newquay now have more choice on when they can travel and will be able to reach key destinations such as Plymouth and London up to three hours earlier than before.

The new services also improve travel times for people living along the branch line, making travel to work, school and college in locations such as Newquay and Victoria Business Park much easier.

These changes mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the Newquay line. Ambitious proposals are being developed by GWR, Cornwall Council and Network Rail to transform the route including investment in track and signalling. If funded, these proposals will enable more frequent services and pave the way for the longer term Mid-Cornwall Metro vision, which recently secured funding for business case development from the Restoring your Railway Ideas Fund, and aims to link Newquay with St Austell, Truro and Falmouth.

Matthew Golton, Interim Managing Director for GWR said: “We are proud to have worked alongside MPs, Cornwall Council, rail user groups, and Network Rail to bring more services to the people of Cornwall and, in particular, to those who live along the Newquay branch line.”

Cllr Geoff Brown, Cabinet Member for Transport, Cornwall Council said:

“This is a really exciting enhancement to the Newquay/Par branch line and for the first time in many years residents from Newquay will be able to commute to school or college in Plymouth, St Austell or Truro by rail and arrive by 9am. I am delighted that the great partnership working which has been established between GWR and Cornwall Council has led to yet another fantastic improvement in branch line services.

"Hopefully with the recent announcement of DfT funding to carry out further design work on the "Mid-Cornwall Metro" we may eventually see a coast to coast service linking four of Cornwall’s largest urban areas through a single route."

Richard Burningham, Manager of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, said:

“This is great news and there’s more to come. Together with Network Rail, GWR and Cornwall Council are also looking at further improvements to the line and have just been awarded development funding by the Government from the “Restoring Your Railway” Fund to develop the Mid Cornwall Metro which would see through trains linking Newquay with Par, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth.”

GWR has issued the following guidance for those looking to travel this festive holiday period:

• Book tickets in advance and remember and remember you must reserve a space before travelling. This helps us limit the number of people on these trains so it’s easier to socially distance. For reservable trains, we’ll automatically allocate you a space if one is available or ask you to try another service if not. Don’t worry, we always leave space on board for those with walk-up tickets, such as season tickets, or those who may have been disrupted.

• Avoid busy trains: Travel as early as you are able to. Services on Friday evening, at weekends, or as we approach the 23 to 27 December Christmas bubble are expected to be in demand. Please be aware that rail services will shut down earlier on Christmas Eve.

• Use your mobile: Purchase tickets online to reduce unnecessary contact. Tickets do, however, need to be shown during travel. To help railway staff, charge your phone and keep railcards together for ease of checking.

• Do not take more luggage than you can carry: There is space for luggage on board, however you can reduce unnecessary contact with others by not needing help to carry it.

• Hands. Face. Space. Hand sanitising equipment has been installed across the GWR network to help safe travel. Face coverings must be worn in the station and on the train unless you are exempt. Pay attention to station posters and floor markings and remember to reserve a seat to help maintain social distancing advice.