Rail improvement works to take place in West Cornwall
Works to improve the railway in West Cornwall begin on Monday 13 December 20212, with amended train services and replacement buses in operation to keep people moving.
Network Rail will undertake track work in the Redruth area between Monday 13 and Thursday 16 December, affecting services between Truro and Penzance. This will extend to include between the St Ives Bay line, from Tuesday 14 to Thursday 16 December.
GWR is asking those intending to travel during this period to plan ahead and check journey times before travelling.
Mark Chorley, GWR Regional Station Manager, West, said:
“We have been working hard to make sure that people can be confident to travel safely, and that includes running as many trains and carriages as we can to make extra room, and replacement buses where trains cannot operate.
“This work is important to ensure we can continue to maintain and improve rail services and we thank customers for their patience and understanding.”
Where the main line remains open, amended train services will operate through Cornwall towards Plymouth with roughly one train per hour in each direction.
Buses will replace trains from Truro to Penzance throughout this period with buses also running between St Erth and St Ives from 14 to 16 December only. Services will still run on the Falmouth branch line but up to 10 minutes earlier than usual.
Long-distance services from London Paddington to Devon and most of Cornwall will continue to operate. Replacement buses will connect with trains, adding up to 50 minutes to journey times. Some train departure times will also be changed, and passengers are advised to check beforehand.
Lee Hildreth, Network Rail’s project manager, said:
“We thank passengers in advance while we carry out these vital upgrades across Cornwall and remind them to check before they travel.
“The improvements represent further investment in the railway in Cornwall following recent signalling upgrades in the South West.”
In line with the latest Government advice, GWR is encouraging customers to travel safely. People are reminded to:
- Wear a face covering
- Wash your hands more regularly
- Buy tickets online, on a smart card or by using the GWR app
GWR has been providing rail services throughout the pandemic and has worked to ensure that these are as safe as possible. This includes increased cleaning regimes and the use of a virucidal spray; extra staff at key stations to offer help and guidance; and processes in place to help customers maintain a safe distance where possible, such as restricting the number of reservations available.
Notes to editors
Great Western Railway (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London.
GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR was recently awarded an extension to its direct award franchise (called DA3), which shall run up to 31 March 2023 with an option to extend for a further year.
GWR’s enhanced cleaning regime includes:
- A 24% increase in cleaning hours every week since March 2020
- Sanitising (fogging) of 1,120 vehicles every 4 weeks
- Carrying out 2,150 on board surface tests (ATP) every four weeks, to ensure the effectiveness of our cleaning
- 272 train cleaning processes reviewed, and many adapted
- Hand sanitising facilities at key stations across its network.