Cornwall main line

The main-line railway through Cornwall connects the county’s towns and branch routes with the wider rail network. The Cornwall Railway opened between Plymouth and Truro in 1859, forming a major part of that connection.

Par became the interchange for the Newquay route, while Chacewater connected with the later line through St Agnes and Perranporth. At Bodmin Road, now Bodmin Parkway, the branch into Bodmin created another link. These junctions help explain why a local railway history also needs the main line: passengers and goods often travelled over more than one company’s or branch’s tracks.