Plans


to
double
the
frequency
of
trains
between
Par
and
Newquay
in
May
as
the
first
stage
of
the
£56
million
Mid
Cornwall
Metro
have
been
delayed
until
later
this
year.

The
work
on
MCM
has
already
included
the
reinstatement
of
a
second
platform
at
Newquay
for
local
trains,
while
intercity
trains
will
continue
to
use
the
existing,
longer
platform.

Work
to
lay
a
400m
passing
loop
on
the
branch
at
Tregoss
Moor
between
St
Columb
Road
and
Roche
has
now
begun,
while
another
passing
loop
nearer
Par
will
also
be
lengthened
to
400m,
so
that
10-car
Intercity
Expresses
will
be
able
to
use
them.

Construction
at
Goss
Moor,
which
is
a
Site
of
Special
Scientific
Interest,
is
being
carried
out
at
night
when
no
trains
are
running,
but
the
pace
will
be
stepped
up
to
24
hours
a
day
from
24
February
until
23
March,
when
trains
to
Newquay
will
be
replaced
by
buses.

Work
will
also
take
place
on
Ponts
Mill
viaduct,
that
carries
the
railway
over
the
River
Par.

The
more
frequent
service
had
been
set
to
start
with
the
May
timetable,
but
Network
Rail
said
it
is
now
expected
to
be
launched
later
this
year,
while
work
is
continuing
on
the
installation
of
digital
signals.

The
hourly
Newquay
services
are
set
to
continue
beyond
Par
to
St
Austell,
Truro
and
Falmouth
Docks
next
year,
connecting
the
north
and
south
coasts
of
Cornwall.

Network
Rail
industry
programme
director
Bogdan
Lupu
said:
‘We’ve
made
great
progress
so
far
to
bring
Mid
Cornwall
Metro
to
life
and
this
next
phase
will
take
us
even
closer.
Our
work
will
bring
more
trains
to
Newquay,
improve
the
environment
and
boost
the
local
economy.’

GWR
head
of
strategic
service
development
Matthew
Barnes
said:
‘We
welcome
the
steady
progress
being
made
to
deliver
this
scheme.
These
upgrades
will
make
the
track
improvements
necessary
for
us
to
provide
more,
and
better,
services.

‘This
paves
the
way
for
us
to
run
our
first
Mid
Cornwall
Metro
trains
which
will
provide
coast-to-coast
connectivity
between
Newquay
and
Falmouth
via
Par
and
St
Austell.

‘Once
the
infrastructure
works
and
operational
preparations
are
complete,
the
first
step
will
see
us
double
frequency
on
the
line
between
Newquay
and
Par,
followed
by
the
start
of
coast-to-coast
services
at
a
later
date.’

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you
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and
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also
be
used
in
the
next
print
edition
RN336,
published
13
February.