The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership has had six entries shortlisted for 2016’s national Community Rail Awards. The nominations are:
A song for the Tamar Valley Line
(Community Art Schemes – renewable and smaller projects)
Linking two schools at either end of the beautiful Tamar Valley Line, this project aimed to broaden the horizons of the children involved by getting them out of the classroom and on to the train to create a song which captured the essence of the line and inspire the local population to visit too. Read more
This week we are launching a Facebook campaign to take our online marketing of the branch lines to the next level.
We have developed a packed calendar of more than 50 posts to run over the next four months on our Great Scenic Railways Facebook page, including videos, quizzes, top tips, handy articles and great photography. Read more
A new information centre for travellers on the railway will open at Liskeard station on Monday 1st August 2016.
The Looe Valley Line Information Centre will operate from rooms on platform 3 at Liskeard, the Looe Valley Line platform, and will feature a range of information about the local area, exhibition on the history of the line, railway books and souvenirs. Read more
Inspired by a trip on the beautiful Tamar Valley Line, children from Calstock Primary School and College Road Primary School in Keyham have created a song all about what you can see from the train window.
They launched the song at Plymouth station using a booth where passengers could listen to the song – and even get creative themselves by making ‘edible poems’. Read more
We are always seeking new marketing avenues to promote Devon and Cornwall’s branch lines, and our first ever video advert has proved a big success – having been viewed by more than 10,000 Devon and Cornwall residents.
The video – aimed at young families and focused on the sense of adventure that comes with a trip on the train – was extremely cost efficient. Read more
Devon and Cornwall’s scenic branch lines are to feature in a new national website (shown above) promoting the country’s community rail lines and heritage railways to tourists both at home and abroad, thanks to a £75,000 Government grant.
The project – led by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) and supported by the Plymouth University based Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership – has been awarded funding from the Department for Transport’s Heritage and Community Rail Tourism Innovation Competition. Read more
Summer Saturday through trains to Newquay from London, Birmingham and a number of other cities, including Plymouth, Exeter and Bristol, will start on Saturday 21 May. One of the London trains is the famous Atlantic Coast Express which originally ran from Waterloo to Bude and Padstow, making its first run ninety years ago, in 1926. Read more
Great Western Railway (GWR) will run extra trains on Sundays between Exeter Central and Exmouth from 15 May 2016. The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership have launched a Seize The Sunday campaign to promote the more frequent service.
Trains will run every half hour through most of the day on Sundays throughout the year, instead of the previous hourly service; with a number extending to Exeter St Davids. Read more
We’re proud to be a partner in what is shaping up to be a fantastic event on the Looe Valley Line this Saturday (23 April 2016).
As part of the Loop the Loop project, platform 3 at Liskeard station will be transformed with a pop-up library and bookshop, heritage films, mural drawing (with a cartoonist from The Beano no less) and more. Read more
We have created a new webpage to showcase the many scenic walks from Devon and Cornwall’s branch line stations.
Over the years, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and partner organisations have amassed a wealth of leaflets and online walking guides to help people get out and about on the branch lines and enjoy the best of the two counties’ scenery on foot. Read more
Pupils from Marpool Primary School in Exmouth recently took a free train trip on the Avocet Line which links Exmouth and Exeter, to visit Exeter Cathedral as part of their Religious Education studies. The trip was organised by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership under their “Train trips for schoolchildren” initiative. Read more
Starcross Primary School held a special launch for the publication of “The Seaside Train”, a book celebrating the unique and very scenic Riviera Line which links Exeter, Starcross, Newton Abbot and Paignton.
This book was inspired by the Citizens’ Rail train, a Class 153 single coach train which was given a special livery last year by Great Western Railway to celebrate the Citizens’ Rail project. Read more
We’re promoting the earlier start of Sunday services from Liskeard to Looe and our Easter Bunny visited Looe station to launch the improved service.
We sent the picture to the press and it made page 3 of the main local paper, the Cornish Times. Read more
Trains will run earlier on Sundays on the St Ives Bay Line starting on Easter Sunday, 27th March 2016.
Every Sunday from then until 23 October, seventeen trains will run each way on the scenic branch line which links St Erth, Lelant Saltings, Carbis Bay and St Ives. Read more
We’re pleased to join our fellow Community Rail Partnerships along with regional and national partners at the annual GWR Community Rail Conference this week.
Hosted in Yeovil by Great Western Railway and the Heart of Wessex Community Rail Partnership, the one-day conference provides the chance to learn from and network with organisations ranging from Rail User Groups to the Department for Transport and Network Rail. Read more
Our ‘Take your teddy on the train’ promotion returns this half-term, giving accompanied children free travel on the Tamar Valley, Looe Valley and Maritime lines if they bring a teddy with them.
The concept was trialled in 2015 to great success, with busy trains packed with families. Read more
The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership – on behalf of Cornwall Council – is carrying out a survey to ask Gunnislake and Calstock rail users their views on the preferred option for their future train service when Tavistock rejoins the rail network. Read more
Gastropubs along the Avocet Line from Exeter to Exmouth are offering discounts to diners who travel there by train. We have arranged this promotion to encourage diners to leave the car at home and take the train for a trip out to a well-rated gastropub. Read more
Our programme of taster rail trips to introduce young people to travelling by train has got off to a great start in 2016.
This week, Paignton’s Oldway School enjoyed a trip on the Riviera Line with Celia Minoughan of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. Read more
CASE STUDY | With widespread pub closures an issue of national concern, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership supports nearly a hundred real ale pubs through our Rail Ale Trail scheme.