Cornwall Railway - Opening at Last

Opening At Last

All was practically ready now, and in a ceremony on 2nd May 1859 the Prince Consort opened the new bridge, giving consent to naming it the Royal Albert Bridge. The line was opened throughout from Plymouth to Truro for passenger trains on 4th May 1859, and goods trains started on 3rd October 1859. Passenger trains were limited to 30 mph throughout and goods trains to 15 mph; due to the shortage of money, the rolling stock fleet was very small and the train service sparse, with correspondingly low income.

However by August 1861 the directors of the company recorded their pleasure that large volumes of fish, potatoes and broccoli had been carried from West Cornwall. This had been transported to Truro by the West Cornwall Railway which had a line from Penzance to Truro; the West Cornwall company was a narrow gauge line, and all goods had to be transshipped into different wagons at Truro due to the break of gauge there.