History
Cornwall played an important role in the development of rail transport in Britain and railways remain a core part of the county's transport infrastructure.
Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick (who was developing high pressure stationary steam engines for Cornwall's industries) produced the world's first locomotive in 1802 by mounting an engine on wheels to run on rails. A horse-worked tramway was opened from Poldice mine to the harbour at Portreath in 1809 and many similar lines were then built linking mines with ports. The first steam-powered railway in Cornwall, the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway, opened on 30 September 1834 less than ten years after the world's earliest steam railway, the Stockton and Darlington.
At its height, the railway system in Cornwall resembled the road network – central spines with branches to the coast. The Great Western Railway's main line from Plymouth to Penzance loosely followed the route of the A38 from Plymouth to Bodmin then that of the A30 to Truro, Redruth and Penzance from 1859; the London South Western Railway's system in north Cornwall resembled that of the A39 beyond Camelford from 1895 (see maps).
Although various branches and freight lines closed before the 1960s, the Cornish rail network suffered its most substantial reduction during the mid-60s due to the so-called "Beeching Axe". North Cornwall was hardest hit - the entire former North Cornwall Railway system which served Bude, Camelford, Wadebridge and Padstow was closed on 3 October 1966 (although the Wadebridge-Padstow section was retained for a further three months).
Further west, the line from Chacewater to St Agnes and Newquay closed on 4 February 1963 after just 60 years existence. The Helston branch (which left the mainline at Gwinear Road) closed to passengers on 3 October 1962 and to goods traffic two years later.
Today, the former Great Western Railway Penzance-Plymouth mainline remains open and four ex-GWR branch lines (together with the ex-LSWR Callington branch as far as Gunnislake) survived the Beeching cuts. This network provides long distance rail services from stations on the mainline directly to London and to many other parts of England and Wales. These services are fed by the branch lines. As well as long distance and holiday services, commuter and 'shopper' trains from Cornwall serve Plymouth, Devon (the largest city in southwest England).
Read more about this topic: Transport In Cornwall, Rail Transport in Cornwall
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