The
frequency


of
trains
on
a
branch
line
in
Cornwall
is
planned
to
almost
double
from
eight
to
15
a
day
on
20
September,
Railnews
can
reveal.

The
date
is
set
out
in
internal
data
which
is
also
available
on
the
internet,
and
the
upgrade
on
the
Newquay
line
is
part
of
the
developing
Mid-Cornwall
Metro
project,
which
has
a
budget
of
£56.8
million
and
has
been
underway
for
the
past
couple
of
years.

When
the
MCM
opens
in
full
in
2026,
hourly
direct
trains
will
run
throughout
the
year
between
Newquay,
St
Austell,
Truro
and
Falmouth
for
the
first
time.

The
service
will
link
four
of
Cornwall’s
major
towns,
which
between
them
possess
the
county’s
main
airport
at
Newquay,
university
campuses
in
Falmouth
and
Newquay
and
Cornwall’s
largest
shopping
centre
at
Truro.
Thousands
of
new
homes
are
also
boosting
local
populations,
particularly
in
Newquay
and
Truro.

Cornwall
Council,
which
sponsored
the
scheme
and
bid
successfully
for
almost
£50
million
in
‘levelling-up’
funding,
believes
there
is
substantial
‘suppressed
demand’
for
rail
along
the
corridor,
particularly
on
the
Newquay
section,
where
the
line
has
been
hampered
for
many
years
by
an
infrequent
service,
the
result
of
drastic
British
Rail
economies
in
the
1980s.

Several
of
these
cutbacks
have
been
reversed
as
part
of
the
MCM
project,
which
includes
a
restored
second
platform
at
Newquay
and
an
additional
400m
passing
loop
on
the
branch.
More
than
ten
digital
signals
have
been
installed
to
control
the
extra
loop
and
trains
at
Newquay
station.
A
related
project
to
upgrade
signalling
on
the
Cornish
main
line
was
completed
last
year,
when
several
mechanical
signal
boxes
were
closed.

In
addition,
Network
Rail
has
just
completed
a
substantial
upgrade
of
a
viaduct
on
the
Newquay
branch
which
was
built
in
1873.

A
speed
restriction
of
10mph
(16km/h)
over
Ponts
Mill
viaduct
in
the
Luxulyan
valley
has
now
been
eased
to
30mph
(48km/h).

Temporary
repairs
were
carried
out
in
March
2024,
and
this
was
followed
by
a
possession
in
March
of
this
year,
when
the
timber
decks
of
the
bridge
were
removed
and
replaced
with
new
steel
decks,
while
the
girders
were
also
strengthened.
The
rails,
sleepers
and
ballast
were
also
replaced,
using
two
60-tonne
cranes.

Work
now
continues
to
paint
the
steel
on
the
viaduct
and
repair
the
stone
of
the
three
columns
and
two
abutments.

Network
Rail
programme
manager
Dan
Parkes
said:
‘This
has
been
a
major
programme
to
not
only
protect
the
Newquay
branch
line
but
to
preserve
an
historic
structure.

‘We’re
grateful
to
the
local
community
for
their
patience
while
we
completed
the
work.’

The
branch
also
gained
an
additional
bridge
in
the
suburbs
of
Newquay
on
10
May,
which
carries
a
new
main
road
over
the
line.
Two
nearby
level
crossings
have
been
closed
to
vehicles.