Extra trains have begun running in part of Cornwall as the first step in a transformation of the route.

Representatives from Great Western Railway (GWR), Cornwall Council and Network Rail braved a cold morning to give a warm welcome to the new December timetable which sees four new early morning Newquay-Par services.

Cllr Geoff Brown of Cornwall Council was joined by GWR interim managing director Matthew Golton and Network Rail’s industry programme director for the South West, Christian Irwin on board the new 0712 service which brought them into Par for 0801, where Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay, was there to greet them.

With the new timetable increasing the number of services on the line from 12 to 16 per day, passengers from Newquay now have more choice on when they can travel and will be able to reach key destinations such as Plymouth and London up to three hours earlier than before.

The new services also improve travel times for people living along the branch line, making travel to work, school and college in locations such as Newquay and Victoria Business Park much easier.

It should also mean people should be able to commute to school or college in Plymouth, St Austell or Truro by rail and arrive in time for a 9am start.

These changes mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Newquay line, with ambitious proposals being developed by GWR, Cornwall Council and Network Rail to transform the route, including investment in track and signalling.

If funding can be the found the proposals would enable more frequent services and pave the way for the longer term Mid-Cornwall Metro vision, which recently secured funding for business case development from the Restoring your Railway Ideas Fund, and aims to link Newquay with St Austell, Truro and Falmouth.

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Cllr Geoff Brown, cabinet member for transport at Cornwall Council, said: “This is a really exciting enhancement to the Newquay/Par branch line and for the first time in many years residents from Newquay will be able to commute to school or college in Plymouth, St Austell or Truro by rail and arrive by 9am.

"Hopefully with the recent announcement of DfT funding to carry out further design work on the "Mid-Cornwall Metro" we may eventually see a coast to coast service linking four of Cornwall's largest urban areas through a single route."