Mid Cornwall Metro
Mid Cornwall Metro is a joint venture between Network Rail, Cornwall Council and Great Western Railway to bring more trains to Cornwall and provide coast-to-coast connectivity.
What work is taking place?
Mid Cornwall Metro is a £56.8m project that will deliver an hourly coast-to-coast rail service between Newquay, Par, St Austell, Truro, Penryn and Falmouth.
A new rail passing loop at Tregoss Moor will allow trains to pass each other. This will enable local and long-distance services to operate concurrently – meaning local services can run all year round.
The project will include station improvements and better walking and cycling access, including at Roche and Bugle stations. Tap in, tap out Pay As You Go ticketing with a GWR smartcard will also be extended to the whole of Cornwall, plus Plymouth and the Tamar Valley Line, as part of the project.
Walking and cycling links will be improved between Penryn and Falmouth, including to Penryn station and the University campuses.
What work is happening?
Network Rail has three phases of work:
- To restore a second platform at Newquay station – complete February 2025
- Build a new 400m passing loop at Goss Moor – complete March 2025
- Install new digital signals – complete September 2025
Why is the work needed?
The work follows a multi-million pound project to upgrade signals between Truro and Lostwithiel to improve reliability of trains in Cornwall and pave the way for future development of the railway.
Hourly trains will run between Newquay and Par from autumn 2025. This will more than double the current service.
Direct trains serving the full Mid Cornwall Metro route between Newquay and Falmouth will follow in 2026. The full MCM service will provide three trains an hour between St Austell and Truro, and an increased frequency between Par, St Austell and Truro. The Maritime Line (Truro-Falmouth) will retain two trains an hour throughout.
From 2026 one of these each hour will be to/from Newquay and St Austell.
Get in touch
If you have any questions please email info@midcornwallmetro.com or visit our contact us page.