Atlantic Coast Line, Cornwall
Encyclopedia
The Atlantic Coast Line is a 20.75 miles (33 km) community railway line in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. The line runs from the English Channel
at Par
, to the Atlantic Ocean
at Newquay
.
, in the village and port of Par
. The station is located on the Cornish Main Line
, and trains to Newquay must first traverse a near 180 degree curved chord line before joining the route of the former Cornwall Minerals Railway
(CMR) near the former St Blazey station
. The route of the CMR is followed for the rest of the journey.
From St Blazey
, the CMR route utilised the route of the even earlier Par Canal, originally built to serve the nearby Fowey Consols mine
, as far as its terminus at Pontsmill, where the Luxulyan Valley
is entered. The thickly wooded terrain and steep granite slopes of this valley surround the fast-flowing River Par
, contain a large concentration of early 19th century industrial remains, and have been designated a World Heritage Site
.
Shortly before reaching Luxulyan station
, the line passes under the Treffry Viaduct
, a historic dual-purpose railway viaduct
and aqueduct
that was built in 1844. This both supplied water to the Fowey Consoles mine, and also carried the main line of the Treffry Tramways
, a precursor to the CMR.
After Luxulyan, the line passes close to several former and current china clay
works, before passing through Bugle
and Roche
stations.
Between Roche and St Columb Road
stations, the line passes through Goss Moor
nature reserve. The bridge over the A30 road
has been the site of many road accidents. In the past it has been proposed to divert the line, so that it starts from St Austell railway station
and continues via the old Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway
freight-only line, joining the current route at St Dennis
. This proposal has now been dropped as a suitable new route for the road has been found that will avoid the bridge and nature reserve.
Once past Roche, the line passes through Quintrell Downs station
before eventually reaching Newquay station
, serving the Atlantic coast resort of Newquay.
|}
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
, an organisation formed in 1991 to promote railway services in the area. The line is promoted by many means such as regular timetable and scenic line guides, as well as leaflets highlighting leisure opportunities.
The Atlantic Coast Line rail ale trail
was launched in 2005 to encourage rail travellers to visit pubs near the line. There were originally 16 pubs but one has since closed. There are three in Newquay, two at St Columb Road, six in and around Par, and one each at Quintrell Downs, Roche, Bugle and Luxulyan. 5, 10 or 15 stamps collected in the Rail Ale Trail leaflet entitle the participant to claim special Atlantic Coast Line Rail Trail souvenir merchandise.
The local passenger service over the line was designated by the Department for Transport
as a community rail
service in September 2006. This aims to increase the number of passengers and reduce costs and includes the investigation of how to get a better spread of train times during the day, and how to increase.train services in the peak summer season. The designation allows for improvements to the long-distance summer trains and the freight traffic.
Focal, a local "friends of the line" group helped to achieve a 75% increase in Par to Newquay passenger services through negotiation and cooperation with the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and First Great Western.
.
. On summer weekends all the local services are withdrawn and replaced by a mixture of First Great Western
trains from London Paddington
and CrossCountry
trains from the North of England. Most CrossCountry trains do not call at Par. First Great Western
generally add an additional (ninth) coach to their HST sets which was used exclusively for luggage. Crowd-control measures, comprising additional barriers, staff and ticket checks, are often in effect on summer Saturdays.
In 2007 First Great Western
began running a through service from London Paddington
on Mondays to Fridays in July and August in addition to the two or three running on summer Saturdays and one return working on Sundays. Many of these workings are named The Atlantic Coast Express
. Some of the Saturday direct services are true express services calling only at Par
, Plymouth
(set down only), Exeter St David's
(set down only) and London Paddington
.
. This company operates a depot to service locomotives
, which is situated at St Blazey
, north of Par
.
A freight spur connects the line at St Blazey with Par Harbour, passing under the main line from Par to St Austell on route. Although originally built as part of the Cornwall Minerals Railway
to convey mineral traffic into the harbour, today it is principally used to convey dried china clay from the clay dries at the harbour.
which, unusually, was then uncoupled and ran slowly back to Luxulyan railway station
where the passengers were transferred to road vehicles to continue their journey.
On 30 December 2006, heavy rainfall caused a landslide on an embankment near St Blazey
, blocking the line to both passenger and freight trains. A replacement bus service was run to cover for the passenger service, until the line reopened on 8 January 2007.
On 12 June 2007 a train collided with a car crossing a level crossing at Chapel near Newquay
, there were however no barriers on the crossing, but early indications were that the siren and warning lights were working. No passengers on the train were injured, however the car driver was. Previous accidents had happened at the same level crossing. As a result temporary bus transport was organised.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The line runs from the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
, to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
at Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
.
Route
The Atlantic Coast Line starts from Par stationPar railway station
Par Station is a railway station serving the village and port of Par, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is the junction for the Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay. The station is operated by First Great Western, and served by trains operated by both First Great Western and...
, in the village and port of Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
. The station is located on the Cornish Main Line
Cornish Main Line
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 :...
, and trains to Newquay must first traverse a near 180 degree curved chord line before joining the route of the former Cornwall Minerals Railway
Cornwall Minerals Railway
The Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
(CMR) near the former St Blazey station
St Blazey railway station
A passenger station was opened at Par on 20 June 1876 when the Cornwall Minerals Railway started a passenger service from Fowey to Newquay. It was adjacent to the railway's workshops...
. The route of the CMR is followed for the rest of the journey.
From St Blazey
St Blazey
St Blazey is a small town in Cornwall, United Kingdom.St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council.St Blazey is situated east of St Austell...
, the CMR route utilised the route of the even earlier Par Canal, originally built to serve the nearby Fowey Consols mine
Fowey Consols mine
Fowey Consols mine is a group of mines in the St Blazey district of Cornwall. They were owned by wealthy Cornishman, Joseph Treffry. The mines were worked by 6 steam engines and 17 waterwheels. The mines were linked to the port at Par by a canal...
, as far as its terminus at Pontsmill, where the Luxulyan Valley
Luxulyan Valley
The Luxulyan Valley is the steep sided and thickly wooded valley of the River Par, situated in the south east of Cornwall, England. It contains a major concentration of early 19th century industrial remains, and was designated as part of a World Heritage Site in 2006.The valley stretches south-east...
is entered. The thickly wooded terrain and steep granite slopes of this valley surround the fast-flowing River Par
River Par
The River Par is a river draining the area north of St Blazey in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.The Par is formed by several streams, rising near the villages of Lockengate, Lanivet and Tregullon near Bodmin, which flow southwards via the Bokiddick, Bodwen and Luxulyan areas to flow into the...
, contain a large concentration of early 19th century industrial remains, and have been designated a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Shortly before reaching Luxulyan station
Luxulyan railway station
Luxulyan railway station is located in the parish of Luxulyan in central Cornwall, England. It is one of the stations on the Atlantic Coast Line.-History:...
, the line passes under the Treffry Viaduct
Treffry Viaduct
The Treffry Viaduct is a historic dual-purpose railway viaduct and aqueduct, located close to the village of Luxulyan, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom...
, a historic dual-purpose railway viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
and aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
that was built in 1844. This both supplied water to the Fowey Consoles mine, and also carried the main line of the Treffry Tramways
Treffry Tramways
The Treffry Tramways were a disjoint network of horse worked mineral tramways in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. They were named after the man principally responsible for their construction, Joseph Treffry , a local land owner and entrepreneur. At their maximum extent, the Treffry Tramways...
, a precursor to the CMR.
After Luxulyan, the line passes close to several former and current china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
works, before passing through Bugle
Bugle railway station
Bugle railway station on the Atlantic Coast Line serves the village of Bugle in Cornwall.-History:The first railway here was a horse-worked line from Par Harbour to "near the Bugle Inn" at Molinnis. It was built by Joseph Treffry and opened on 18 May 1847....
and Roche
Roche railway station
Roche railway station serves the village of Roche in Cornwall, UK. It is situated on the Atlantic Coast Line.-History:The Cornwall Minerals Railway opened its line from Fowey to Newquay on 1 June 1874. The trains at first carried only goods traffic and a depot was provided at Holywell...
stations.
Between Roche and St Columb Road
St Columb Road railway station
St Columb Road railway station, on the Atlantic Coast Line, serves the village of St Columb Road in Cornwall, UK.-History:The first railway here was a horse-worked line from Newquay Harbour to Hendra Crazey...
stations, the line passes through Goss Moor
Goss Moor NNR
Goss Moor is a National Nature Reserve in Cornwall, located in the parishes of St. Dennis, St. Columb Major, Roche and St. Enoder. It is the largest continuous mire complex in South-West Britain and consists of mainly Peatland and Lowland Heath...
nature reserve. The bridge over the A30 road
A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
has been the site of many road accidents. In the past it has been proposed to divert the line, so that it starts from St Austell railway station
St Austell railway station
St Austell Station serves the town of St Austell, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The station is operated by First Great Western, as is every other station in Cornwall....
and continues via the old Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway
Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway
The Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway was a broad gauge railway intended to link the Cornwall Railway with the horse-worked Newquay Railway. It opened a short section to Nanpean in 1869, the remainder being built by the Cornwall Minerals Railway who took over the company in 1874...
freight-only line, joining the current route at St Dennis
St Dennis, Cornwall
St Dennis is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the B3279 between Newquay and St Austell.St Dennis had a population of 2,696 in the 2001 census. A quarter of the male population is employed in the extraction of china clay.The village is famous for...
. This proposal has now been dropped as a suitable new route for the road has been found that will avoid the bridge and nature reserve.
Once past Roche, the line passes through Quintrell Downs station
Quintrell Downs railway station
Quintrell Downs railway station serves the village of Quintrell Downs in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The station is 4 km to the east of on the Atlantic Coast Line. This station is operated by First Great Western who also provide the rail service....
before eventually reaching Newquay station
Newquay railway station
Newquay railway station is the terminus of the Atlantic Coast Line that runs from Par railway station. It is operated by First Great Western and is situated close to the town centre and beaches in Newquay, Cornwall, England, UK.-History:...
, serving the Atlantic coast resort of Newquay.
Passenger volume
The busiest station on the line is Newquay, where more than 10 times the number of passengers arrive and depart each year than the other stations added together.|}
The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Community rail
The Atlantic Coast Line is one of the railway lines supported by the Devon and Cornwall Rail PartnershipDevon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is the largest Community Rail Partnership in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1991 to promote the use of, and improvements to, rural railways in Devon and Cornwall, and also to promote the places served in order to improve the local economy.The...
, an organisation formed in 1991 to promote railway services in the area. The line is promoted by many means such as regular timetable and scenic line guides, as well as leaflets highlighting leisure opportunities.
The Atlantic Coast Line rail ale trail
Rail ale trail
A rail ale trail is a marketing exercise in the United Kingdom that is designed to promote tourism to a rural area, by encouraging people to visit a series of pubs that are close to railway stations along a railway line. Participants are rewarded for visiting the pubs by train. In doing this they...
was launched in 2005 to encourage rail travellers to visit pubs near the line. There were originally 16 pubs but one has since closed. There are three in Newquay, two at St Columb Road, six in and around Par, and one each at Quintrell Downs, Roche, Bugle and Luxulyan. 5, 10 or 15 stamps collected in the Rail Ale Trail leaflet entitle the participant to claim special Atlantic Coast Line Rail Trail souvenir merchandise.
The local passenger service over the line was designated by the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
as a community rail
Community rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
service in September 2006. This aims to increase the number of passengers and reduce costs and includes the investigation of how to get a better spread of train times during the day, and how to increase.train services in the peak summer season. The designation allows for improvements to the long-distance summer trains and the freight traffic.
Focal, a local "friends of the line" group helped to achieve a 75% increase in Par to Newquay passenger services through negotiation and cooperation with the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and First Great Western.
Operation
The line is single from St Blazey to Newquay. A passing loop is situated just south of Bugle, originally built for the china clay freight trains going to Goonbarrow freight yard. These days it is also used for the summer trains to pass each other, so one train can enter the line before the other is out. The loop uses semaphore signalsRailway semaphore signal
One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
.
Passenger services
Local passenger services are operated by First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. On summer weekends all the local services are withdrawn and replaced by a mixture of First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
trains from London Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
and CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
trains from the North of England. Most CrossCountry trains do not call at Par. First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
generally add an additional (ninth) coach to their HST sets which was used exclusively for luggage. Crowd-control measures, comprising additional barriers, staff and ticket checks, are often in effect on summer Saturdays.
In 2007 First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
began running a through service from London Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
on Mondays to Fridays in July and August in addition to the two or three running on summer Saturdays and one return working on Sundays. Many of these workings are named The Atlantic Coast Express
Atlantic Coast Express
The Atlantic Coast Express was an express passenger train in England between Waterloo station, London and seaside resorts in the south-west...
. Some of the Saturday direct services are true express services calling only at Par
Par railway station
Par Station is a railway station serving the village and port of Par, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is the junction for the Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay. The station is operated by First Great Western, and served by trains operated by both First Great Western and...
, Plymouth
Plymouth railway station
Plymouth railway station serves the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. It is situated on the northern edge of the city centre close to the North Cross roundabout...
(set down only), Exeter St David's
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
(set down only) and London Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
.
Freight services
The eastern section of the line - as far as Goonbarrow Junction - sees a large amount of china clay freight traffic operated by DB SchenkerDB Schenker
DB Schenker is a logistics company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. The company, created by reorganisation and rebranding of various Deutsche Bahn subsidiaries, comprises a logistics division encompassing air, land and sea freight, and a rail division made up from a variety of...
. This company operates a depot to service locomotives
St Blazey engine shed
St Blazey Engine Shed is located in Par, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The depot operator is DB Schenker. It is named after the adjacent village of St Blazey and has the depot code is BZ.-History:...
, which is situated at St Blazey
St Blazey
St Blazey is a small town in Cornwall, United Kingdom.St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council.St Blazey is situated east of St Austell...
, north of Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
.
A freight spur connects the line at St Blazey with Par Harbour, passing under the main line from Par to St Austell on route. Although originally built as part of the Cornwall Minerals Railway
Cornwall Minerals Railway
The Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
to convey mineral traffic into the harbour, today it is principally used to convey dried china clay from the clay dries at the harbour.
Accidents
On 25 May 1991 the first train of the day from Newquay to London Paddington derailed in the Luxulyan Valley. The passengers were moved into the HST's rear power carBritish Rail Class 43 (HST)
The British Rail Class 43 is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1975 to 1982....
which, unusually, was then uncoupled and ran slowly back to Luxulyan railway station
Luxulyan railway station
Luxulyan railway station is located in the parish of Luxulyan in central Cornwall, England. It is one of the stations on the Atlantic Coast Line.-History:...
where the passengers were transferred to road vehicles to continue their journey.
On 30 December 2006, heavy rainfall caused a landslide on an embankment near St Blazey
St Blazey
St Blazey is a small town in Cornwall, United Kingdom.St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council.St Blazey is situated east of St Austell...
, blocking the line to both passenger and freight trains. A replacement bus service was run to cover for the passenger service, until the line reopened on 8 January 2007.
On 12 June 2007 a train collided with a car crossing a level crossing at Chapel near Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
, there were however no barriers on the crossing, but early indications were that the siren and warning lights were working. No passengers on the train were injured, however the car driver was. Previous accidents had happened at the same level crossing. As a result temporary bus transport was organised.