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Cornish Main Line
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The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.
line was completed in 1859 with the opening of the Cornwall Railway from Plymouth to Truro, where it linked with the earlier West Cornwall Railway on to Penzance. There were no through passenger services until 1867 due to a break of gauge at Truro – the Cornwall Railway had been built to the broad gauge, while the older line was to standard gauge.
communities served are: Plymouth (including the suburbs of Devonport and St Budeaux); Saltash; St Germans; Menheniot; Liskeard; Bodmin; Lostwithiel; Par; St Austell; Truro; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; St Erth; Penzance.
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Encyclopedia
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.
History
The line was completed in 1859 with the opening of the Cornwall Railway from Plymouth to Truro, where it linked with the earlier West Cornwall Railway on to Penzance. There were no through passenger services until 1867 due to a break of gauge at Truro – the Cornwall Railway had been built to the broad gauge, while the older line was to standard gauge.
Route
The communities served are: Plymouth (including the suburbs of Devonport and St Budeaux); Saltash; St Germans; Menheniot; Liskeard; Bodmin; Lostwithiel; Par; St Austell; Truro; Redruth; Camborne; Hayle; St Erth; Penzance. In addition branch lines link Plymouth with Bere Alston, Calstock, and Gunnislake; Liskeard with Looe; Par with Newquay; Truro with Penryn and Falmouth; and St Erth with St Ives.
The railway stations at St Austell and Penzance are adjacent to bus stations. In addition, integrated bus services operate from Bodmin Parkway to Bodmin, Wadebridge, and Padstow; from St Austell to The Eden Project; and from Redruth to Helston and RNAS Culdrose.
The route is characterised by the large number of viaducts, but the most significant structure is the Royal Albert Bridge which crosses the River Tamar at Saltash. At Truro the viaducts give sweeping views of the city and River Fal, while further west the north coast can be seen near Hayle before the line swings onto the south coast for the last mile or so along the beach at Marazion, giving a good view of St Michael's Mount.
The section of single track between Burngullow, near St Austell, and Probus, near Truro, used to be a major cause of delays in the region, requiring trains to wait for preceding trains to clear the singled section before proceeding. The second track was restored in August 2004. The total cost of the project was £14.3 million and was funded by Objective One, Strategic Rail Authority and Cornwall County Council.
Usage
The number of passengers travelling on the Cornish Main Line has increased in the last few years, with the exception of Keyham, Menheniot and St Erth. These three stations have seen usage drop, with the biggest drop being at St Erth.
| | 2002-03 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 |
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| Plymouth | 1,431,674 | 1,519,011 | 1,629,011 | 1,845,958 | | Dockyard | 4,070 | 5,088 | 4,895 | 5,335 | | Keyham | 8,957 | 6,374 | 7,594 | 7,976 | | St Budeaux Ferry Rd | 987 | 969 | 1,015 | 1,037 | | Saltash | 27,197 | 35,349 | 32,186 | 34,266 | | St Germans | 25,681 | 24,926 | 28,228 | 29,540 | | Menheniot | 6,554 | 5,782 | 4,453 | 4,206 | | Liskeard | 209,875 | 232,269 | 237,113 | 267,864 | | Bodmin Parkway | 144,146 | 158,172 | 166,743 | 185,498 | | Lostwithiel | 40,701 | 42,602 | 46,172 | 46,645 | | Par | 78,175 | 95,475 | 111,912 | 119,859 | | St Austell | 266,676 | 275,056 | 281,545 | 314,613 | | Truro | 638,727 | 714,954 | 772,674 | 856,474 | | Redruth | 186,977 | 219,013 | 228,511 | 258,384 | | Camborne | 109,628 | 146,595 | 157,026 | 181,671 | | Hayle | 34,802 | 43,467 | 51,299 | 63,593 | | St Erth | 71,406 | 90,541 | 88,341 | 67,004 | | Penzance | 392,008 | 403,000 | 413,905 | 461,764 |
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Accidents
The Cornwall Main Line has been a very safe railway for passengers, although a number of railwaymen have been killed and there have been some memorable accidents over the years. These include:
Further reading
See also
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