The first of the passenger railway stations in Cornwall, England, were opened in 1834. The network expanded considerably between the 1840s and 1900s. There were 81 stations in the duchy in 1960 but rationalisation of lines and stations has reduced this to just 36 National rail stations since 1989 including two opened in the 1970s. These are on the Cornish Main Line (between and where it continues across the Royal Albert Bridge into Devon) and the five remaining branch lines. There are also a small number of new or reopened stations on heritage railways.

The busiest station is with more than one million passengers each year; the quietest is with fewer than 250.

Railway development in Cornwall

Early transport in Cornwall relied on coastal shipping so the first rail tracks were laid to connect the hinterland with harbours. The first line to carry passengers was the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway (B&WR) on 4 July 1834.

In the west the Hayle Railway connected that port with at the end of 1837 and started a passenger service on 23 May 1843. This line was not convenient to operate but was taken over by the West Cornwall Railway (WCR) and realigned in 1852, extending it west to and east to . It moved its Truro terminus to join the new Cornwall Railway (CR) which opened from on 4 May 1859. The CR completed its line from Truro to Falmouth on 24 August 1863. The WCR and CR were financially supported by the Great Western Railway (GWR). Other branch lines were opened, either by the GWR or independent companies which were later absorbed, to places such as and (1876) (1879), and (1887), and Bodmin (1888). The GWR network was completed in 1905 by a long line which connected Truro with Newquay via .

Meanwhile the B&WR had been bought by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) but remained isolated from its parent until their line through the north of Cornwall to opened in 1895. This was extended to Padstow in 1899. The LSWR also supported branches across the border from Devon to (1898) and (1908). The GWR also had a cross-border line to from 1865. The LSWR became part of the Southern Railway in 1923 while the GWR continued with its same name, although absorbing the last of the still independent lines that it operated.

The 1900s saw a number of small halts opened and, often, closed as the railways made an effort to keep local traffic away from trams and buses. The railways themselves operated bus routes, the first in the country being a GWR service from Helston railway station to The Lizard in 1903.

During the 1960s many of the quieter stations and lines were closed, either as a result of Dr Beeching's Reshaping of British Railways or general commercial considerations. The whole of the LSWR network was closed (except for two stations on a truncated Callington line) as were many GWR branches, but this has allowed heritage and narrow gauge railways to open using parts of these old lines.

Stations on the national network Estimated station usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at each station from Office of Rail and Road statistics. The methodology for calculating the number may vary between years. Closure dates refer to passenger services, goods traffic may have continued to a later date.

Station Opened Closed RouteUsage1999–2000Usage2018–19Notes18521853Cornish Main Line 18871967Bodmin branch Reopened as heritage station 198718341967Bodmin and Wadebridge 1859–Cornish Main Line,Bodmin branch144,723234,030Known as Bodmin Road until 1983. Also used by heritage services to Bodmin from 1990.19641966Bodmin and Wadebridge,Bodmin branch Reopened as heritage station on new site in 199618981966Bude branch 1876–Atlantic Coast Line1,2625,61618631931Cornish Main Line Junction for goods line to Drinnick Mill19081966Callington branch Known as Callington Road until 19091908–Tamar Valley Line24,13337,8341843–Cornish Main Line112,063266,00618931966North Cornwall 1877–St Ives Bay Line38,410227,85418431961Cornish Main Line Known as Pool until 1875 except for a short period in 1852-1854 when it was Carn Brea1879–Looe Valley Line2,2031,62018531964Cornish Main Line,Perranporth branch 19091966Callington branch 1901–Looe Valley Line3220418431852Hayle Railway 19051908Cornish Main Line 19051930Cornish Main Line 18931966North Cornwall 19051908Cornish Main Line 18601964Cornish Main Line 19061967Bodmin and Wadebridge 18921966North Cornwall 1863–Maritime Line27,05096,726Closed 1970, reopened 19751970–Maritime Line74,026213,934Known as The Dell from 1975 until 198918761965Fowey branch 18961965Fowey branch 19051963Perranporth branch 19051963Perranporth branch 18591964Cornish Main Line 19061967Bodmin and Wadebridge 1908–Tamar Valley Line39,34060,396Relocated 199418531964Cornish Main Line,Helston branch 18431852Hayle Railway1852–Cornish Main Line38,81683,44618871962Helston branch 19081966Callington branch Launceston North18651952Launceston branch Launceston South18861966North Cornwall 1877–St Ives Bay Line4,82310,6321978–St Ives Bay Line99,778138,0121859–Cornish Main Line,Looe Valley Line207,802351,1721860–Looe Valley Line68,466117,506Platform shortened 19681859–Cornish Main Line33,76766,62419081966Callington branch Known as Stoke Climsand until 19091876–Atlantic Coast Line8371,770Known as Bridges until 190518521964Cornish Main Line Known as Marazion Road until 18961859–Cornish Main Line9,6523,69619051963Perranporth branch 19051963Perranporth branch 18791901Looe Valley Line 19051963Perranporth branch 18871962Helston branch 19061967Bodmin and Wadebridge 1876–Atlantic Coast Line,Perranporth branch63,968103,17218931966North Cornwall Padstow18991967North Cornwall 1859–Cornish Main Line,Atlantic Coast Line66,379194,64418971908Par to Fowey 1925–Maritime Line57,208191,4141863–Maritime Line40,875240,1561852–Cornish Main Line406,236570,098Rebuilt 1890; new platforms 193719031963Perranporth branch 19311963Perranporth branch 1863–Maritime Line8,27931,920Known as Perran until 186418951966North Cornwall 18871962Helston branch 19081957Cornish Main Line 1911–Atlantic Coast Line1,0192,68418431852Hayle Railway1852–Cornish Main Line183,799327,53218591859Cornish Main Line Temporary station until Bodmin Road was ready for use1876–Atlantic Coast Line5455,090Known as Holywell for a short while and then Victoria until 1904Saint Agnes19311963Perranporth branch Saint Austell1859–Cornish Main Line238,316460,130Rebuilt 2000Saint Blazey18761925Atlantic Coast Line Known as Par until 1879 but renamed to avoid confusion with the station of that name on the main lineSaint Columb Road1876–Atlantic Coast Line1,4741,936Known as Halloon until 1878Saint Erth1852–Cornish Main Line,St Ives Bay Line58,747271,234Known as St Ives Road until the branch line opened in 1877 Grade II listedSaint Germans1859–Cornish Main Line25,97056,698Saint Ives1877–St Ives Bay Line259,302750,478Relocated 1971Saint Kew Highway18951966North Cornwall Saint Keyne1900–Looe Valley Line9231,334Saint Lawrence18951966Bodmin and Wadebridge 1859–Cornish Main Line28,88983,574Rebuilt 18801881–Looe Valley Line1,5751,27418521964Cornish Main Line Known as Scorrier Gate until 1896 except for the short period from 1856-1859 when it was Scorrier19101914Callington branch 19051963Perranporth branch 18851947Bodmin and Wadebridge Opening and closing dates are uncertain18911966North Cornwall 19051963Perranporth branch 1859–Cornish Main Line,Maritime Line578,0081,186,886Rebuilt 190018551863West Cornwall Railway 18521855West Cornwall Railway Temporary station at Highertown19051963Helston branch Known as Truthall Platform from 1906. Reopened as heritage station in 2017.18341967Bodmin and Wadebridge,North Cornwall Rebuilt 1888 Grade II listed

Heritage railway stations Station Opened Closed Heritage opened RouteNotes––1974Lappa Valley Steam Railway188719671987Bodmin and Wenford Railway1859–1990Bodmin and Wenford RailwayKnown as Bodmin Road until 1983.196419661996Bodmin and Wenford RailwayOriginal platform was on a different site adjacent to the Bodmin North branch line––tbcLaunceston Steam Railway––1992Bodmin and Wenford Railway––tbcLaunceston Steam Railway––1983Launceston Steam RailwayNot on the site of previous Launceston station which closed in 1966––1995Launceston Steam Railway––2011Helston Railway190519632017Helston Railway

Stations in use

References