Seven rail schemes across Cornwall are getting a share of a £215,000 cash pot.
A project to create a new platform at Bodmin General to allow for extra train services is among those awarded funding from Great Western Railway.
It comes as train operator Great Western Railway announces the winners of its community improvement fund.
With match funding, the total investment being made in the Cornwall community will top £398,000.Nick Wood, Bodmin & Wenford Railway commented
"We are delighted to have been awarded this funding from the GWR CCIF. It marks a significant contribution and brings to life our exciting, long held plans to develop Bodmin General station.
"The creation of the second platform will enable the BWR to offer increased services and enhance our visitor experience, especially during the peak Summer season and at Christmas. The design is in keeping with the railway's GWR heritage pedigree and the conservation area.
"We believe this ambitious project will enhance our railway today and prepare us for the future, while retaining and celebrating our heritage past. We look forward to working with GWR and Cornwall Council over the coming year to deliver this project."North Cornwall MP Scott Mann said "Reconnecting Bodmin General with the mainline is something my constituents have called for since I was first elected in 2015"
This will be the latest part of a scheme to upgrade North Cornwall's rail infrastructure and will go hand in hand with the new Intercity Express Trains running from Cornwall to London."
The schemes are:
The schemes are:
Bodmin General Platform 2: £54,000
New platform at Bodmin General heritage station to enable additional trains to operate to Bodmin Parkway.
North Cornwall Railway Heritage Play Areas: £35,057
Breathing new life into a play area while promoting the heritage of Camelford Station. As the play area in Enfield Park is in dire need of refurbishment, the Town Council thought it a wonderful opportunity to breathe new life into the play area while promoting the heritage of Camelford Station, which was once part of the historic North Cornwall Railway line. This will be done by installing a train play structure and incorporating all 13 station signs (from Halwill Junction to Padstow) into a new adventure trail.
Saltash Station Refurbishment Project: £40,000
Saltash Town Council purchased the disused station building at Saltash in June 2017 in response to widespread demand and support from the local community and well beyond. The former station building had laid in a near derelict state for a number of years. In its heyday, Saltash Station and its building was one of the busiest in Cornwall and the building is close to the heart of the people of Saltash. With financial support from GWR, Cornwall Council, and the Railway Heritage Trust, they are well on the way to securing the buildings future and refurbishment.
St Ives Station Pedestrian Signage and Way Marking: £5,000
For passengers embarking and disembarking pedestrian signage and way marking is currently poor. Access to St Ives station from the town is through a well-used public car park, which can lead to conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles and takes away from the sense of arrival.
There is an alternative access to the town via some steps down to The Warren which provides an alternative scenic walk. These steps are close to the station but well hidden from arriving pedestrians. There is also disabled access to The Warren via a path behind the station which is not well signed. This project will provide improved signage and way marking to encourage pedestrians to use a safer and more accessible route into the town.
Looe Valley Line Heritage centre: £40,000
Creation of a heritage centre in the 1901 Liskeard & Looe Railway building (platform 3) at Liskeard.
Turning Platform 3 rooms into a professionally done, modest sized heritage centre to allow for the display of information, show videos. It would also open up the old ticket office (which still has the ticket window and hatch) to the public and make a real feature of it. This room is currently used as a store.
Penzance Station onward connectivity: £15,900
Penzance station is the gateway to the town and far west Cornwall. It is served by at least 25 trains per day in each direction and from 2019 will see two trains per hour. The station is co-located with the bus station; and the coastal path to Marazion runs along the back of the station car park accessed via the bus station, but the layout is poor.
The proposal includes: a new link to multi-use path through station car park; improved wayfinding to the path; improved signage to the bus station and town centre; extend platform 4 heritage fencing along the old motor raildock to replace existing fencing. There is also potential to provide cycle docking facilities on disused rail land.
Public Transport RTPI at Mainline Stations: £26,500
Provide bus real time information at key stations as part of One Public Transport System for Cornwall. The delivery of the new rail timetable providing two trains per hour on the mainline in Cornwall presents much improved opportunities for encouraging bus use to/from rail stations at the start/end of journeys.
A new bus network has been developed with this in mind and 2tph are positively anticipated as the trigger to maximise the benefits of these significant improvements for customers.
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood commented
"We at GWR recognise only too well the vital role that rail plays in local and the national economy, and I am delighted that we have been able to continue to support the communities we serve with this funding.
"This year's entrants include a wide and staggering range of projects, many showing the innovation that the area has become renowned for, and I look forward to them all coming to fruition."
