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Transport in Cornwall |
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (January 2008) |
The transport system in Cornwall is part of the highly developed network of the United Kingdom.
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The main artery through Cornwall is the A30, running from Land's End to Launceston. The A38 is connected to it at Bodmin, which links it to Plymouth.
The Cornish Main Line runs for 75¼ miles through the centre of Cornwall from Penzance railway station to Saltash, where it continues on the Royal Albert Bridge across the River Tamar to Plymouth in Devon. It is the most westerly section of the London to Penzance Line from London Paddington station.1
Most services are operated by First Great Western including several through trains to London such as the Cornish Riviera Express that starts its journey mid-morning, and the Night Riviera sleeping car service. There are three services each day operated by CrossCountry to destinations as far afield as Aberdeen, and a single South West Trains service each weekend from and to London Waterloo station.
There are five branch lines, all of which have been designated as Community rail lines and are promoted by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership. They are:
Typical journey times from Truro are: Redruth 13 min.; St Austell 17 min.; Falmouth 23 min.; Penzance 50 min.; St Ives 1 hr..; Plymouth 1¼ hr. Longer distance direct trains take around 2 hr. to Exeter St Davids; Bristol 3 hr. 20 min.; London Paddington 4¾ hr.; Birmingham 4 hr. 50 min.;1 Edinburgh 10 ¼ hr.7
Some of the branch lines carry some through trains from the main line, notably the Atlantic Coast Line which has several through services on summer weekends from both London Paddington and the CrossCountry network.
A number of special discounts and promotions are available to encourage travel on off-peak services, including a special "Devon and Cornwall Railcard" which offers discounts to local residents. The "Plus Bus" scheme allows through ticketing between trains and buses in many towns. Attractions and towns that are not on the current rail network are served by buses that run from stations such as Bodmin Parkway, St Austell, Redruth, St Ives, and Penzance.
Freight traffic handled in Cornwall is centred on the yard at St Blazey; most of it is locally produced china clay and large tonnages are sent to Fowey where it is transferred onto ships. A small amount of cement is carried to Moorswater for road distribution. The docks at Falmouth are also rail connected but see no regular traffic.
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First Devon and Cornwall and the local Truronian operate bus routes around Cornwall. Western Greyhound and Summercourt Travel also operate services around the County, including services to Devon.
A park and ride express bus service operates in Truro, transporting passengers from Threemilestone to Truro city centre.
Cornwall is home to the region's fastest-growing airport, Newquay Cornwall Airport. It offers or will soon offer flights up-country to Bristol, Leeds, London (Gatwick), Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Southampton, Cardiff and the Isle of Man, and to destinations abroad including Chambéry, Dublin, Geneva, Reus, St. Brieuc, Dusseldorf, Girona, Alicante, and a summer service to Zurich.
The Isles of Scilly Skybus operates flights to the Isles of Scilly from various airports in the south-west, with its main base at Land's End Airport.
The Torpoint Ferry crosses the River Tamar connecting Torpoint in Cornwall with Devonport in Plymouth, Devon. Fal River Links is a consolidation of ferry and boat services connecting Truro and Falmouth, and stopping at a few coastal villages in between. The King Harry Ferry crosses Carrick Roads. The crossing of the River Fal has been voted one of the ten most scenic ferry trips in the world by The Independent, alongside the Staten Island Ferry in New York and the Star Ferry in Hong Kong.8
It is also possible to reach parts of the County by boat. Enterprise Boats offer services between Truro, Falmouth and St. Mawes.
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