Rail Services

Overview

The Cornish main line runs through the centre of Cornwall however some main line and branch lines stations are useful for accessing the coast path. There are branch lines to St. Ives and Newquay (both on the coast path), which connect with the main line at St. Erth and Par respectively. There are also stations at St. Erth (near the path, and for trains to St. Ives) Hayle (on the coast path), Redruth (buses to Portreath), Camborne (buses to Portreath), Truro (buses to St. Agnes and Perranporth), Par (near the coast path on the south coast and for trains to Newquay), Newquay (on the coast path), Bodmin Parkway (buses to Padstow and Constantine) and Exeter St. Davids (buses to Bude and Newquay). The main line stations of Bodmin Parkway, Truro, St Erth and Par have approximately hourly services from Plymouth and Penzance and also frequent longer distance services to London, the Midlands and Scotland. At Bodmin Parkway, there is a connection with the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway which runs two services. The first runs from Bodmin Parkway - Bodmin General (in the town centre). The other runs from Bodmin General to Boscarne Junction. Boscarne Junction is on the Camel trail, which is a footpath which runs over the old railway line to Padstow.

Coastal Routes

The following places lists the rail stations and routes that are useful for accessing the North Cornwall coast. Places on or near the coast path are listed in bold. For the rail timetables, see the links below. There are bus links from many other stations not on the coast path to points on the coast path. Consult the bus information further down for details of bus services. Principle connections are Exeter St Davids station to Bude, Bodmin Parkway station to Padstow, Truro station to Perranporth and St Agnes, Redruth Station to Portreath, Penzance station to Lands End.

Operators

Timetables

Pre-Printed Timetables

Pre-Printed timetable booklets are available from all staffed stations around North Cornwall (Par and Bodmin Parkway are staffed, Newquay is on certains days during the summer). In addition some of the rail operators have provided timetables for downloading on their web sites. See the links below

• London to Penzance (Main line) - to December 2008
• Par to Newquay branch - to December 2008
• St Erth to St Ives branch - to December 2008

On-Line Timetables and Ticket Sales

There are several web sites which allow you to search for rail information, some also provide information on fares. If you are booking train tickets in advance, it is advised to book your ticket on the website of the relevant train operator as this will typically offer you the lowest fares, on-line booking of tickets and free delivery. The sites below provide timetable information and some information on fares accross the rail network. Some also sell tickets, but you typically have to pay an additional booking fee where this facility is available.

National Rail

The National Rail site has lots of information on the rail network, including a journey planner that gives the train times and fares, real time travel information and real time departure information for many stations. For the timetable, follow the link Planning Your Journey near the top left.

• National Rail.

The TrainLine

The TrainLine.com provides timetable, train fare information and it allows you to book a ticket in advance (which can be picked up at some stations or delivered to your house). It does require you to register first though and does charge a booking fee.

• The TrainLine

Duetsche Bahn

Duetsche Bahn (the German rail operator) provides (in English) an on-line timetable for all UK rail services. It also offers a list of calling points for all the trains (rather than just where you need to change), a map of the route takes and will produce a personalised PDF (Adobe Acrobat file) of the timetable between any two stations.

• Advanced Travel Service - Query Page

Train Running

Rail Services in the UK sometimes suffer from delays and disruption, so it is useful to check for potential problems before setting out. National Rail Enquiries is a telephone line (open 24-hours a day) which can provide timetable and current train running information. The number is 08457 48 49 50. Calls are charged at the local rate within the UK.

There is also a SMS text service to check current train running. To use this service, text the name of the station you wish to travel from to 84950 and you will recieve a message back in response listing the times of the next few departures from that station and whether the trains are delayed. You will be charged for using this service in addition to any charge your mobile provider may levy for sending text messages.

There is also on-line train running information available updated frequently. The main site lists problems and disruption (current and cleared), for the whole UK. In addition current live arrival and departure information is available for most stations in the UK. The links below include the live arrival and departure screens for all the stations relevant to the North Cornwall Coast.

• Current Service Disruption
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Plymouth
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Bodmin Parkway
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Newquay
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Camborne
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Redruth
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Hayle
• Current Arrival and Departure information for St Erth
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Lelant
• Current Arrival and Departure information for Carbis Bay
• Current Arrival and Departure information for St Ives
• Current Arrival and Departure Information for Penzance

Discount Cards

If you're travelling regularly by train, it might be worth investing in a Railcard, which offers discounts on most rail services. The following lists details of all the railcards that are available, their cost and validity. For further details and to apply, see the Railcards website.

Bus Services

Routes

Bus services operate between many points on the South West coast path and also connect with major towns and cities and the National Rail network. Some bus services run only during the summer or during the week only and may run different timetables at weekends. There are also some bus services which connect with the National Rail network, many with through rail - bus tickets available from stations.

The following table lists bus routes of use for accessing the coast path, with places on the coast path in bold. Note that for larger towns, not all bus services to the town are listed but all buses that serve other points on the coast are listed.

Operators

Tickets purchased from one bus company are not normally valid on buses run by different companies.

Timetable information

Bus timetable information is available from the Traveline South West site, operators concerned, or from Traveline telephone information on 0870 608 2 608. Note that this number uses caller line identfication to identify the telephone number you are calling from and put you through to the local office covering your current area. To avoid this, withold your number by dialling 141 before the number, or call from a mobile. In this case you will get a menu option to chose your area. The website also includes a journey planner, and includes rail information.

Rover Tickets

Rover Tickets provide a way to travel on bus and train services for several days at a time, without having to purchase seperate tickets. If your in the area for a few days it is worth looking into.

Bus Only Rover Tickets

First Day South West

This ticket is available from the driver of any First Group bus in Devon and Cornwall and provides unlimited travel for one day on all First Group buses in Devon and Cornwall, including services branded as Truronian. The ticket costs £6.60.

Western Greyhound Day Explorer

This ticket is available from the driver of any Western Greyhound bus service and provides unlimited use on all Western Greyhound bus services as well as those provided by Stagecoach in Devon. The tickets costs £7.

Bus and Rail Rovers

Ride Cornwall

This ticket allows unlimited travel on all rail services within Cornwall and all buses operated by First Group (including Truronian service) and Western Greyhound. The ticket is valid at any time on weekends and after 9am on weekdays and costs £10.

Rail Only Rover Tickets

Several tickets relevant to the North Cornwall coast are available.

Freedom of the South West 3 in 7 day Rover

The Freedom of the South West 3 in 7 day rover provides unlimited off-peak use of all National rail services in Devon and Cornwall as well as most parts of Dorset and Somerset. The ticket can be used on any 3 days out of 7 (selected by marking a cross in the appropiate boxes on the ticket) and is available to use on all services at weekends and services after 09:00am on weekdays. The ticket costs £70.00 and further details are available here.

Freedom of Devon and Cornwall, 8 in 15 day rover

The Freedom of Devon and Cornwall 8 in 15 day rover ticket is a ticket that enables unlimited off-peak use of all National Rail services in Devon and Cornwall. The ticket is valid at any time on weekends and after 09:00am on weekdays and costs £60. You select the days you wish to use the ticket by placing a cross in the appropriate boxes and it can be used for a maximum of 8 days in a 15 day period.

The Freedom of Devon and Cornwall 3 in 7 days rover.

The The Freedom of Devon and Cornwall 3 in 7 days rover provides unlimited off-peak use of all National Rail services in Devon and Cornwall for any 3 days in 7. It is valid after 09:00 Monday - Friday and any time at weekends and the ticket costs £40.

The Freedom of The South West 8 in 15 days rover

The Freedom of the South West 8 in 15 days rover provides unlimited off-peak use of all National Rail services in Devon and Cornwall as well as most of Dorset, Somerset and parts of Wiltshire. The ticket is valid after 09:00 on weekdays and any time at weekends. The ticket costs £95.

Cornish Day Ranger

The Cornish Day Ranger provides unlimited use off rail services in Cornwall at any time at weekends and after 9:30am on weekdays. The fare is £10 per day.

Maps

Maps are available showing bus and rail services. Click on the links below.

• Cornwall Public Transport Map