Residents have been encouraged to attend an event at the Hotel Victoria in Newquay on Friday 9 February (10am – 7pm) and Saturday 10 February (10am – 4pm) when they’ll be able to see for themselves how the Mid Cornwall Metro, funded by Cornwall Council and £50 million of government Levelling Up Funding, will create a sustainable transport corridor through central Cornwall.
Working with delivery partners GWR and Network Rail, the new Mid Cornwall Metro coast to coast rail service will transform how residents travel across Cornwall.
Upgrades to the current rail links between four of Cornwall’s largest towns: Newquay, St Austell, Truro, and Falmouth/Penryn, will help residents better connect to employment, education and key services. The rail improvements will be complemented by improvements around the stations to make them attractive gateways to the local area where people want to spend time and visit local shops and businesses. There will also be improvements to encourage walkers and cyclists, including new cycle parking, Beryl bike hire, widened paths and better crossing points.
At the events in Newquay, cutting-edge virtual reality technology will deliver an immersive experience as residents take a ‘balloon ride’ over the Mid Cornwall Metro route from Newquay to Penryn.
They will view a new second platform at Newquay, which will mean trains between Newquay and Par will double to hourly, a new passing loop at Goss Moor so local and national rail services can pass each other and operate together, seven days a week, all year round.
They will also see the improvements at Par station with a new accessible footbridge, lift and interchange. There will be better facilities outside Penryn Station, with improved footpaths and cycle routes to make it easier to access the University campus. Access to Penryn town centre via Commercial Road, will see pedestrians given priority with three zebra crossings and a segregated cycle route to provide cyclists with a safer journey.
A new website, created for the project by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, the non-profit partnership that works to promote branch lines and help deliver improvements on the railways, has also been launched and will provide regular updates.
£50 million of government Levelling Up Funding is going towards the delivery of the £56.8 million Mid Cornwall Metro initiative.
Cllr Richard Williams-Pears, the Council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “We’re looking forward to sharing this virtual reality experience with residents and hope to see as many as possible at the event.
“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.
“It is an important next step in developing and improving the transport network to support more active lifestyles, offer a greener alternative, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and alleviate traffic congestion by encouraging more people to leave the car and walk, cycle and use public transport instead.
“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.
“As well as its green credentials and being a catalyst for economic growth and local regeneration around the stations, I see this as the beginning of a transport revolution for Cornwall with this being the Mid Cornwall section of the eventual Cornwall Metro.”
Mid Cornwall Metro will bring:
- An hourly direct train service connecting Newquay, Par, St Austell, Truro, Penryn and Falmouth.
- A second platform at Newquay Railway Station.
- A new passing loop on the Newquay branch line at Tregoss Moor.
- A doubling of the number of rail services between Newquay and Par – an extra 700,000 seats per year both ways.
- A footbridge lift improving accessibility and interchange at Par Station.
- Upgrades to level crossings.
- Increased frequency of mainline services between Par, St Austell and Truro .
- Reduced journey times and less road congestion for people living along the route .
- Improved walking routes, links to the bus network and Beryl Bikes.
- Accessibility improvements at rail stations and to the public areas around those stations in Newquay, Roche, Bugle and Falmouth/Penryn.
- Ticket digitalisation – providing tap-on/tap-off ‘Pay-As-You-Go’ ticketing in Cornwall.
Another engagement event will take place at the Stannary on the University campus at Tremough on Friday 1 March from 10am to 5pm, and the Temperance Hall, Lower Market Street, Penryn TR10 8BH on Saturday 2 March from 10am to 4pm.
Image credit: Network Rail
