Penryn Railway Station
History
The station was opened on 24 August 1863 when the Cornwall Railway opened the line from Truro to Falmouth, it was sometimes known as Penryn for Helston.
It originally had 2 platforms either side of a passing loop, a goods shed with several sidings to south, one of which was equipped with a 2-ton crane, the yard was able to accommodate live stock and most types of goods.
On 24 June 1923 the station was relocated nearby. The station was host to a GWR camp coach from 1934 to 1938.
The station layout was rationalised to just a single platform when the line was being run by British Rail.
On Monday 8 April 2013 Pay and display was introduced for the station car park.
Passing Loop
A new 400-metre (440 yd) passing loop was installed in 2008, being brought into use in 2009 before the new timetable commenced on 17 May as this called for two trains to be in operation on the branch for most of the day. To pay for this work £4.67million was provided from European Union funds, £2.5million from Cornwall Council, and £600,000 from Network Rail. The new works were formally opened by Kevin Lavery, the Chief Executive of Cornwall Council, on 18 May 2009.
When constructing the loop a novel approach was adopted which avoided the building of a footbridge and works to the disused platform. The formerly disused northern end of the platform has been reinstated, and is now called Platform 2, and an extension has been built onto the southern end which is now called Platform 1. The middle section of the platform is now used to pass between the two. The extension and reinstatement creates a single platform of 238 metres (781 ft) in length; the southern end of the loop joins the main branch at the northern end of Platform 1. New modern shelters have been built on each platform, and the brick shelter from 1998 still exists.
The disused platform on the far side of the loop line was formerly used by northbound trains towards Truro.
Signalling
Signals are controlled from the signal box at Truro. Axle counters allow one train to be in the section between Penwithers Junction and Penryn, and another between Penryn and Falmouth Docks. The Up and Down Branch line (the platform line) is signalled for trains in either direction; the Down Loop is only signalled for trains towards Falmouth.
-
First, a train arrives in platform 2 from Falmouth... -
then the train from Truro (left) runs through the loop... -
and enters platform 1... -
then both can leave once their passengers are on board.
Services
All trains on the Maritime Line are operated by Great Western Railway. They run seven days each week and operate every half-hour Monday to Saturday daytime and hourly at other times. Trains are scheduled to depart simultaneously for Truro and Falmouth.
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perranwell | Great Western Railway Maritime Line |
Penmere | ||
Community Rail
The railway from Truro to Falmouth is designated as a community rail line and is supported by marketing provided by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. The line is promoted under the "Maritime Line" name.
References
- ^ Quick, Michael (2022) [2001]. Railway passenger stations in Great Britain: a chronology (PDF). version 5.04. Railway & Canal Historical Society. p. 358. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 November 2022.
- ^ Grant, Donald J. (2017). Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain (1st ed.). Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Troubador Publishing Ltd. p. 127. ISBN 978-1-78803-768-6.
- ^ "Penryn station on OS 25 inch map Cornwall LXXI.6 (Budock; Mabe; Penryn; St Gluvias)". National Library of Scotland. 1907. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ "Penryn goods yard on OS 25 inch map Cornwall LXXI.7 (Budock; Falmouth; Mylor; Penryn)". National Library of Scotland. 1907. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ The Railway Clearing House (1970) [1904]. The Railway Clearing House Handbook of Railway Stations 1904 (1970 D&C Reprint ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles Reprints. p. 429. ISBN 0-7153-5120-6.
- ^ McRae, Andrew (1997). British Railway Camping Coach Holidays: The 1930s & British Railways (London Midland Region). Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part One). Foxline. p. 31. ISBN 1-870119-48-7.
- ^ Fountain, Greg (26 April 2013). "End of free parking at Penryn rail station". Falmouth Packet. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
- ^ "Penryn loop installed". Modern Railways. 65 (722). Ian Allan: 12. 2008. ISSN 0026-8356.
- ^ "National Rail Timetable 143 (Summer 2009)" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
- ^ "Green light for Penryn loop". Modern Railways. 65 (718). Ian Allan Publishing: 9. 2008. ISSN 0026-8356.
- ^ Heaps, Chris (2009). "New loop revitalises Falmouth branch". Modern Railways. 66 (730). Ian Allan Publishing: 16. ISSN 0026-8356.
- ^ Jacobs, G.A. (2009). "Trackwatch". Modern Railways. 66 (731). Ian Allan: 17. ISSN 0026-8356.
- ^ Department for Transport, Rail Group (2006), Route prospectus for the … The Maritime Line
Further reading
- Bennett, Alan (1988). The Great Western Railway in Mid Cornwall. Southampton: Kingfisher Railway Publications. ISBN 0-946184-53-4.
External links
- Train times and station information for Penryn railway station from National Rail