Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
Encyclopedia
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...
Partnership in the 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...
. It was formed in 1991 to promote the use of, and improvements to, rural railways in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Cornwall
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...
, and also to promote the places served in order to improve the local economy.
The Partnership is based at the University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth
Plymouth University is the largest university in the South West of England, with over 30,000 students and is 9th largest in the United Kingdom by total number of students . It has almost 3,000 staff...
and is backed by Devon County Council, Cornwall Council, and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
City Council. Railway industry backing came initially from Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. The company operated trains in the region bounded by Penzance, Cardiff, Gloucester, Worcester and Brighton...
but it withdrew in 2006 when its franchise was transferred to 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....
, which had joined the Partnership the previous year.
Routes
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...
lines 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...
.
- Atlantic Coast LineAtlantic Coast Line, CornwallThe Atlantic Coast Line is a community railway line in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line runs from the English Channel at Par, to the Atlantic Ocean at Newquay.-Route:The Atlantic Coast Line starts from Par station, in the village and port of Par...
– ParPar railway stationPar 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...
to NewquayNewquay railway stationNewquay 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:... - Looe Valley LineLooe Valley LineThe Looe Valley Line is an community railway from Liskeard to Looe in Cornwall, United Kingdom, that follows the valley of the East Looe River for much of its course...
– LiskeardLiskeard railway stationLiskeard station serves the town of Liskeard in Cornwall, England. The station is west of Plymouth on the Cornish Main Line and it is the junction for the Looe Valley Line.-History:-Cornwall Railway:...
to LooeLooe railway stationLooe railway station serves the twin towns of East and West Looe, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The station is the terminus of the scenic Looe Valley Line south of Liskeard.- History :... - Maritime LineMaritime LineThe Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom.-History:...
– TruroTruro railway stationTruro Station serves the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. It is the situated on the Cornish Main Line and is the junction for the Maritime Line to Falmouth. The station is operated by First Great Western....
to FalmouthFalmouth Docks railway stationFalmouth Docks station in Falmouth, Cornwall is the terminus of the Maritime Line to Truro, the services are operated by First Great Western.-History:... - St Ives Bay LineSt Ives Bay LineThe St Ives Bay Line is a railway line from to in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877, the last new broad gauge passenger railway to be constructed in the country...
– St ErthSt Erth railway stationSt Erth railway station is situated at Rose-an-Grouse in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It serves the nearby village of St Erth, which is about away, and is the junction for the St Ives Bay Line to St Ives.-History:...
to St Ives - Tamar Valley LineTamar Valley LineThe Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Devonport in Plymouth Devon, to Gunnislake in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route.-History:...
– PlymouthPlymouth railway stationPlymouth 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...
to GunnislakeGunnislake railway stationGunnislake railway station serves the village of Gunnislake in Cornwall, England. There are also connecting buses from here to the town of Tavistock. However the station is located in or nearer to the villages of Drakewalls and Albaston... - Tarka LineTarka LineThe Tarka Line is a railway line from Exeter to Barnstaple in Devon, England. The line follows the River Creedy, River Yeo and River Taw for some of its route...
– ExeterExeter St Davids railway stationExeter 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:...
to BarnstapleBarnstaple railway stationBarnstaple railway station is the terminus of a long branch line, known as the Tarka Line, north west of Exeter St Davids, in Devon.It was known as Barnstaple Junction from 1874 to 1970 as it was the junction between lines to , , and Exeter-History:...
There are two further lines which radiate from Exeter – the Avocet Line
Avocet Line
The Avocet Line is the railway line in England connecting Exeter with Exmouth. It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway. The line follows the Exe Estuary for most of its route, giving views of the estuary...
and the Riviera Line
Riviera Line
The Riviera Line is a local railway line that connects the city of Exeter to the "English Riviera" resorts of Torbay in Devon, England. It is closely linked with the Exeter to Plymouth Line with which it shares the route along the South Devon sea wall...
– but are not designated as community railways and are not usually part of the work of the Partnership. They do, however, sometimes feature in "scenic railway" promotions by the Partnership, as do the region's heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
lines.
In addition, several railway stations have "Friends" groups supported by the Partnership and which undertake local promotion of services and take on work such as gardening and litter collection.
Investment
A Rural Transport Partnership grant from the Countryside AgencyCountryside Agency
The Countryside Agency in England was a statutory body set up in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The Agency was formed by merging the Countryside Commission and the Rural Development Commission...
has provided £1 million investment for the lines during 2001-2007. This has enabled extra trains to be run, station improvements to be undertaken, and marketing campaigns to be established. Further funding has been secured by grants from the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund of the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
, and £235,000 from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
’s European Regional Development Fund funded marketing in 1997-1999.
The additional services thus funded have included:
- Sunday services on the Tamar Valley Line and the Maritime Line throughout the year, whereas previously they had run just in the peak summer
- Summer Sunday services on the Atlantic Coast and Looe Valley lines
- Extra trains on the Atlantic Coast and Tarka lines.
- Additional weekday trains on the Atlantic Coast Line in 2004 - Newquay’s best train service for many years.
- Station improvements on the Atlantic Coast, Looe Valley, Tamar Valley, and Tarka lines, and also a summertime ticket office at Looe station.
Promotion
A variety of promotional methods are employed, ranging from station or line timetables and scenic line guides, through to special merchandise offers. These target potential users and promote different activities such as walking, visiting country pubs, or birdwatching.Walking
Several lines offer good walking opportunities and these are promoted through leaflets. For example, the Looe Valley Line Trails from the Tracks leaflet promotes four circular routes from different stations, and also six linear walks that allow walks along quiet lanes and paths from one station to another.Rail Ale Trails
Starting with the Tarka Line in 2002, a rail ale trailRail 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...
has been established along each of the six lines in association with CAMRA. By collecting stamps from the participating pubs in a special leaflet, drinkers can claim special branded merchandise such as badges or tee shirts.
Birdwatching
A new leaflet, Spotting Wild Birds by Train was produced in 2007. It highlighted the Hayle EstuaryRiver Hayle
The River Hayle is a small river in west Cornwall, UK which issues into St Ives Bay at Hayle on Cornwall's Atlantic coast.The River Hayle is approx 12 miles long and it rises south-west of Crowan village. Its course is west for approx 5 miles...
, visible from the St Ives Bay Line, and the Looe Estuary
River Looe
The River Looe is a river in south-east Cornwall, which flows into the English Channel at Looe. It has two main branches, the East Looe River and the West Looe River....
on the Looe Valley Line.
Ticketing
A key part of the promotion of all the lines is the range of tickets available. Building on the success of established railway tickets such as Cheap Day Returns and Rover tickets, and the Cornish Railcard (which offers discounts to local residents), further savings have been offered through Group Save tickets and Carnets (books of 10 tickets sold at a discount).Trains
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s were given special liveries to promote the lines in the Partnership. They work not just in Devon and Cornwall but further afield too and so can be seen at places such as Southampton, Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
, and Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
s. Most continue to work for First Great Western but work started in 2007 to repaint the Class 150 trains into that company's livery.
- Class 153British Rail Class 153The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
1-car units carry a black and gold livery to promote the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, or (from 2005) a blue livery and coloured pictures promoting the named line:- 153302 Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
- 153308 Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
- 153329 St Ives Bay Line
- 153369 The Looe Valley Explorer
- 153374 Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
- 153377 Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
- 153380 Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
- 153382 Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership
- Class 150British Rail Class 150The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
2-car units carry a maroon livery with coloured pictures promoting the relevant line:- 150233 Lady Margret of Looe Valley
- 150240 The Tamar Kingfisher
- 150241 The Tarka Belle
- 150253 The Exmouth Avocet
- 150261 The Riviera Flyer
- 150265 The Maritime Line