Transport Secretary Mark Harper has announced £50 million will be invested into the public transport in Cornwall.
Mark Harper met with St Austell and Newquay MP Steve Double and other local leaders at Newquay station yesterday (27th March), to discuss progress on the project which will see investment in public transport, benefitting the local economy and provide reliable frequent services to enable employment and educational opportunities, which will benefit thousands of Cornish residents.
The investment will enable a metro-style system to be created in mid-Cornwall, the money will enable digital card readers to be installed so passengers can tap in and out between journeys, across different modes of transport, similar in style to London's Oyster and Contactless system, reducing the need to buy tickets for individual train and bus services.
“It's very encouraging to see the momentum building behind the Mid-Cornwall Metro Scheme, an important project that's part of our plan to improve local transport in Cornwall. Thanks to this government's investment, passengers in Cornwall will experience a more frequent rail service that's fit for the future.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper
Newquay station will once again be able to use its other platform, which will be reinstated to allow for an increase in train services, along with an extra passing loop on the single track line, which will see a regular hourly local service between Newquay and Falmouth via St Austell and Truro, connecting the major towns along the route.
This will see the number of train services double between Newquay and Par with an additional annual seating capacity of an extra 700,000 seats. Especially useful in the summer months when the local roads become slow by holiday congestion.
In addition to this, foot crossings and signals along the line will also be upgraded.
The improvement to Newquay that the Mid Cornwall Metro will bring will really enhance services, better connecting people with jobs, students with education services, and leisure opportunities for all – providing valuable support for the community and local economies. We continue to work with our industry partners to ensure we can deliver on these improvements in the future.”
GWR Business Assurance Director Joe Graham
Better interchanges between trains and buses will be enabled, along with the promotion of greener forms of transport such as cycling, which will include bike hire options and additional bike parking racks at stations.
Investment will also be used on widening footpaths so that cyclists and pedestrians are more aware of each other.
Being delivered as a co-joint venture between Cornwall Council, Great Western Railway and Network Rail, work will start on the improvement works in May 2025, with everything being installed, tested and in operation by the start of 2026.
The Mid Cornwall Metro underlines our commitment to provide a thriving and sustainable Cornwall, fit for the modern world, for the benefit our residents. This initiative is absolutely key to delivering rail and active travel improvements across Cornwall both now and in the future, to enhance the lives of our residents by revolutionising how we can navigate across the Duchy. The Council and the Government recognise the importance of this initiative to enable a levelling up of the local economy and future sustainable growth and investment in mid Cornwall.”
Cllr Richard Williams-Pears, Cabinet Portfolio holder for Transport
Our recently completed track and signalling upgrade in Devon and Cornwall has unlocked the door to the development of the Mid Cornwall Metro, which will help more people than ever before travel by train. Not only will the scheme provide coast-to-coast travel with an hourly direct train service connecting Newquay, Par, St Austell, Truro, Penryn and Falmouth, it will also improve safety and accessibility. Enabling easier travel by train will also help to cut congestion on our roads, reducing carbon emissions. We're really looking forward to starting work later this year to deliver this exciting project with our partners at Cornwall Council and GWR.”
Network Rail's Western Route Director Marcus Jones
The rail infrastructure was in place to allow a more intensive metro style service, until it was ripped out in the late eighties. The same party was in power then, as it is now. Call it progress!
I agree, John. It does make you laugh to hear these announcements when you know that this is simply restoring infrastructure that should never have been removed in the first place, certainly on the Newquay branch. Signalling improvements are a big help, though. Can we hope that special trains can now find a path to visit Newquay at weekends?