GWR and Cornwall Council have announced that the first part of a £56 million upgrade of railways in Cornwall is due in May 2025, with the rest of the project set to start a year later.

Cornwall Council is hosting drop-in workshops about the Mid Cornwall Metro in Newquay and Penryn, where local people will see the plans to upgrade the routes between Newquay, Par, St Austell, Truro, Penryn and Falmouth Docks, which will carry an hourly through service between Newquay and Falmouth from 2026.

The first part of the scheme, which involves building an additional platform at Newquay, modern signalling and a new crossing loop on the branch, will see the Par-Newquay service doubled in frequency to hourly from the start of the May 2025 timetable. Trains from Newquay will continue through to Falmouth from the following year. Work on the scheme is due to start shortly.

Rail minister Huw Merriman said: ‘These events are an excellent opportunity for local residents to see the sheer scale of the transport improvements to come through the Mid Cornwall Metro scheme – a project that has been made possible thanks to central and local Government funding.

‘They demonstrate clearly our commitment to improving journeys across the region, and this vital infrastructure project is just one example of how we are working to make travelling cheaper, easier and quicker for everyone.’