Fighting for Cornwall’s railways
Cornish MPs today (Thursday) vowed to do everything in their power to win hearts and minds for the cause of community railways at First Great Western’s Swindon headquarters, after a meeting with members of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.
While passenger numbers on most of the county’s lines are rocketing and revenues increasing, the high cost of rolling stock is contributing to overcrowding problems on some of the busiest lines. First Great Western’s new timetable has made life difficult for passengers on the Newquay – Par line and seen a reduction in people using the service.
The Liberal Democrat MPs will lobby for a reduction in the cost of leasing rolling stock after the Rail Partnership advised that the addition of just two more trains to the fleet would solve many of the problems.
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership Chairman Professor David Pinder explained:
“While some lines have problems due to their success – for example passenger numbers in St Ives have risen by over 37% in the last five years which means peak season trains are now becoming overcrowded – others, particularly the Newquay line, face major challenges caused by significant service reductions.”
The summer timetable especially has been severely curtailed to and from the busy sea-side town, making it far more difficult for passengers to take day trips.
“It will hit passengers from deprived areas, for example around Plymouth, hard,” continued Prof. Pinder. “People will either not go or use cars which will harm the environment. Even modest additions to rolling stock would allow much of this to be put right.”
Dan Rogerson MP for North Cornwall said:
“We were delighted to meet with the Rail Partnership because we all know how important Cornwall’s branch lines are for getting people to work. Tourist traffic in the summer often causes severe overcrowding, so we have to make sure that the lines get the extra carriages need to relieve the strain.
“The through train from London to Newquay each day is welcome but it’s no replacement for a regular shuttle service. Ministers have a clear bias toward long-distance traffic, and it’s leaving a huge gap in the timetable now that First Great Western isn’t obligated to maintain the viability of community services.
“Without them, day trips from Plymouth to Newquay and from Newquay to Looe will become near impossible without a car. Having the roads clogged up when we have a perfectly good railway makes no sense at all.
“The six branch lines in Devon and Cornwall are vital to our rail infrastructure and have proved their worth with recent increases in passenger numbers. Their protection is an absolute priority.”
(1) For further information, contact: Abi Carter, Parliamentary Researcher for Andrew George MP, on 0207 219 4588, or David Pinder on 01752 863304, or Richard Burningham (Partnership Manager) on 01752 233094.
(2) The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership was established in 1991 to develop and safeguard the region’s local rail lines. Since the launch of the government’s Community Rail Strategy in December 2004, it has worked increasingly closely with First Great Western, Network Rail and the Department of Transport to devise and implement strategies to ensure that the long-term future of these lines is secure.
