Cornish Main Line

Cornish Main Line
The Royal Albert Bridge
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Cornwall, United Kingdom
Termini	Plymouth Penzance
Operation
Opened	1867
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	First Great Western CrossCountry (Freight: DB Schenker & Freightliner)
Technical
Line length	79.5 miles (128 km)
No. of tracks	Double with two single track sections
Track gauge	Standard Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	65 mph (105 km/h)

The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, that forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.

History

The line was completed in 1859 with the opening of the Cornwall Railway from Plymouth to Truro, where it linked with the earlier West Cornwall Railway to Penzance. There were no through passenger services until 1867 due to a break of gauge at Truro – the Cornwall Railway had been built to the 7 ft 0 ¹⁄₄ in (2,140 mm) broad gauge, while the older line was to 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge.

In 1977 the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommmended considering electrification of more of Britain's rail network, and by 1979 BR presented a range of options to do so by 2000. Some included electrifying the Bristol to Exeter line, Exeter to Plymouth Line, Riviera Line and Cornish Main Line. Under the 1979–90 Conservative governments that succeeded the 1976–79 Labour government the proposal was not implemented.

Route

A London to Penzance train crosses Moorswater Viaduct

The communities served are: Plymouth (including the suburbs of Devonport and St Budeaux); Saltash; St Germans; Menheniot; Liskeard; Bodmin; Lostwithiel; Par; St Austell; Truro; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; St Erth; Penzance. In addition branch lines link Plymouth with Bere Alston, Calstock, and Gunnislake; Liskeard with Looe; Par with Newquay; Truro with Penryn and Falmouth; and St Erth with St Ives.

The railway stations at St Austell and Penzance are adjacent to bus stations. In addition, integrated bus services operate from Bodmin Parkway to Bodmin, Wadebridge, and Padstow; from St Austell to The Eden Project; and from Redruth to Helston and RNAS Culdrose.

The route has a large number of viaducts, but the most significant structure is the Royal Albert Bridge which crosses the River Tamar at Saltash. At Truro the viaducts give sweeping views of the city and River Fal, while further west the north coast can be seen near Hayle before the line swings onto the south coast for the last mile or so along the beach at Marazion, giving a good view of St Michael's Mount.

The 7.5-mile (12.1 km) section of single track between Burngullow, near St Austell, and Probus, near Truro, used to be a major cause of delays in the region, requiring trains to wait for preceding trains to clear the singled section before proceeding. The second track was restored in August 2004. The total cost of the project was £14.3 million and was funded by Objective One, Strategic Rail Authority and Cornwall County Council.

Usage

Cornish Main Line

Legend miles from London via Castle Cary Main Line to London 225.75 Plymouth Plymouth Millbay Millbay Docks Pennycomequick Viaduct Cornwall Loop Junction Devonport Junction (to LSWR) Wingfield Villas Halt Devonport Kings Road (LSWR) Stonehouse Pool Docks 227.00 Devonport Albert Road Halt (LSWR) Devonport Tunnel 227.50 Dockyard Keyham Viaduct Ford (LSWR) Ford Platform 228.00 Keyham Devonport Dockyard branch Camels Head Halt (LSWR) Weston Mill Viaduct Bullpoint Siding Weston Mill Halt (LSWR) 228.75 St Budeaux Ferry Road St Budeaux Victoria Road Tamar Valley Line Royal Albert Bridge (River Tamar) 230.00 Saltash Coombe by Saltash Viaduct Defiance Platform Original line until 1906 Forder Viaduct Shilingham (Wivelscombe) Tunnel Grove Viaduct Nottar Viaduct St Germans Viaduct 235.00 St Germans Tresulgan Viadcut Coldrennick Viaduct 240.25 Menheniot Treviddo Viaduct Carthuther Viaduct Bolitho Viaduct Liskeard Viaduct 243.50 Liskeard Looe Valley Line Coombe Junction Halt Moorswater depot and Viaduct Sperritt Tunnel Westwood Viaduct St Pinnock Viaduct Largin Viaduct West Largin Viaduct Derrycombe Viaduct Clinnick Viaduct Penadlake Viaduct Glyn Valley Siding 252.75 Bodmin Parkway Bodmin and Wenford Railway Brownqueen Tunnel (88 yards) Lostwithiel 256.00 Lostwithiel River Fowey Fowey Branch Milltown Viaduct Treverrin Tunnel (565 yards) 260.50 Par Atlantic Coast Line St Blazey Par Harbour 265.00 St Austell St Austell Viaduct Lansalson branch line Trenance Siding Gover Viaduct Burngullow Drinnick Mill Branch Burngullow Coombe St Stephen Viaduct Fal Viaduct Grampound Road Probus and Ladock Tregagle Viaduct Polperro Tunnel Buckshead Tunnel Truro Viaduct Carvedras Viaduct Truro (Newham) 279.50 Truro Higher Town Tunnel Maritime Line Chacewater Viaduct Chacewater Truro and Newquay Railway Scorrier Drump Lane Redruth Tunnel 288.50 Redruth Redruth Viaduct Redruth & Tresavean branches Portreath branch Carn Brea Dulcoath Dolcoath Halt Roskear Branch Roskear Junction 292.00 Camborne Penponds Viaduct Helston Railway Penponds Gwinear Road Original Hayle Railway route to Hayle Angarrack viaduct Angarrack Copperhouse Halt 298.00 Hayle Hayle Wharves Hayle Viaduct St Ives Bay Line 299.50 St Erth Marazion Long Rock Penzance TMD 305.25 Penzance

The number of passengers travelling on the Cornish Main Line has increased in the last few years up to 2006-2007, with the exception of Keyham, Menheniot and St Erth. These three stations saw usage drop, with the biggest drop being at St Erth. During the period 2007-2008, most stations saw a general increase in usage except for most of the Plymouth stations, Saltash and Hayle. Truro in particular had nearly a million people. The annual passenger usage is based on sales of tickets in stated financial years from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover twelve month periods that start in April. Please note that methodology may vary year on year.

Station Name	2002-2003	2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009	2009-2010
Plymouth	1,431,674	1,519,011	1,629,011	1,845,958	2,026,851	2,249,849	2,278,718
Dockyard	4,070	5,088	4,895	5,335	4,924	5,274	5,524
Keyham	8,957	6,374	7,594	7,976	5,055	5,600	5,016
St Budeaux Ferry Road	987	969	1,015	1,037	1,199	1,132	1,540
Saltash	27,197	35,349	32,186	34,266	32,062	47,244	49,578
St Germans	25,681	24,926	28,228	29,540	29,073	37,718	38,258
Menheniot	6,554	5,782	4,453	4,206	3,610	4,598	3,844
Liskeard	209,875	232,269	237,113	267,864	274,090	294,638
Bodmin Parkway	144,146	158,172	166,743	185,498	203,061	225,140	221,616
Lostwithiel	40,701	42,602	46,172	46,645	51,695	61,716	68,336
Par	78,175	95,475	111,912	119,859	139,688	160,832	162,872
St Austell	266,676	275,056	281,545	314,613	360,484	388,878	395,222
Truro	638,727	714,954	772,674	856,474	917,184	997,368	1,042,412
Redruth	186,977	219,013	228,511	258,384	277,853	292,940	284,462
Camborne	109,628	146,595	157,026	181,671	193,948	215,600	224,950
Hayle	34,802	43,467	51,299	63,593	60,174	73,868	77,172
St Erth	71,406	90,541	88,341	67,004	68,230	75,026	75,248
Penzance	392,008	403,000	413,905	461,764	498,290	526,132	520,982

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Accidents

The Cornwall Main Line has been a very safe railway for passengers, although a number of railwaymen have been killed and there have been some memorable accidents over the years. These include:

• Grove Viaduct, St Germans – derailment, 6 May 1859.
• St Austell – runaway train, 29 October 1872.
• Menheniot – collision, 2 December 1873.
• Bodmin Road – derailment, 13 April 1895.

References

Sources and further reading

• Bennett, Alan (1990). The Great Western Railway in East Cornwall. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870754-11-5. 
• Bennett, Alan (1988). The Great Western Railway in Mid Cornwall. Southampton: Kingfisher Railway Publications. ISBN 0-946184-53-4. 
• Bennett, Alan (1988). The Great Western Railway in West Cornwall. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. doi:1990. ISBN 1-870754-12-3. 
• Binding, John (1993). Brunel's Cornish Viaducts. Penryn: Atlantic Transport Publishing for Historical Model Railway Society. ISBN 0-906899-56-7. 
• Central Publicity Unit (Winter 1979). Railway Electrification. British Railways Board. pp. 0–2, 8. 
• Hesp, Martin (2008-07-07). "My magnificent rail journey". Western Morning News. http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/magnificent-rail-journey/article-209062-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2008-07-14. 

See also

• Cornwall Railway
• Cornwall Railway viaducts
• Disused railway stations (Plymouth to Penzance Line)
• Great Western Main Line
• West Cornwall Railway