Duloe School has won an inter-schools competition in South East Cornwall focusing on green transport. The Carbon Reduction Challenge was a competition developed by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership to promote travelling by train and green transport in general. A class from each of the schools had a free trip on their local branch line, courtesy of Great Western Railway, and then acted as ambassadors within the school encouraging others to think of more sustainable options for travel. Read more

Devon and Cornwall’s scenic railway branch lines, such as those to St Ives, Looe, Gunnislake and Barnstaple, are included in a new nationwide campaign launched today to encourage people to explore ‘Scenic Rail Britain’. A new website, Scenic Rail Britain, blog and social media channels are being launched that day by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) and its members at stations around the country. Read more

Plymouth residents are being encouraged to take the train to Bere Ferrers on Saturday 8th April 2017 to enjoy the spring colours of the Tamar Valley at the village’s annual Spring Flower Show. The Bere Ferrers Spring Flower Show has long been renowned for its daffodil displays and there will be over thirty classes of the popular flower as well as other categories such as produce, cakes and jams. Read more

We are helping eight primary schools near the Looe and Tamar Valley lines to act as green travel ambassadors – with inspiration from Coco the Cat! Using their powers of persuasion, pupils from the schools will be encouraging their teachers, families and friends to change their normal habits and try the train. Read more

Rail itineraries are a great way to inspire tourists. We’re keen to use them on the upcoming Scenic Rail Britain website. Here’s an example for tourists in London. We’ve aimed to make it detailed enough to be appealing (with handy links), but without specific times/fares which may change: St Ives Bay Line – example itinerary FROM LONDON: Take the high speed Great Western Railway train from London Paddington to Penzance. Read more

We’ve launched our annual review. It sets out the highlights and successes of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership’s year so far. From South West Trains joining the partnership, to news of our latest innovative marketing and community projects, find out more by downloading the 16-page booklet (6MB). Read more

We were pleased to welcome more than 50 delegates from the South West and beyond to Plymouth University for the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership conference 2016. Held on Wednesday 7th September, the event brought together a wide range of organisations including friends of the station groups, rail and public transport user groups, Community Rail Partnerships, local authorities, train operating companies, Network Rail, the Department for Transport, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, universities, bus operators, Travelwatch South West, Railfuture, Town and Parish Councils and more. Read more

Richard Burningham, Manager of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, has a guest opinion piece in September’s Railnews. The article sets out the great strides that Devon and Cornwall’s branch lines have made since 1991 when the Partnership began. It also explores how this success has been mirrored by the wider community rail sector nationwide, and the bright future ahead. Read more

Devon will be more widely promoted away from the county thanks to a new rail initiative as South West Trains joins the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership. The Plymouth University based non-profit partnership, one of the Country’s largest Community Rail Partnerships, works to promote and seek improvements to services and facilities on rural railway lines in the two counties. Read more

This week we are launching a Facebook campaign to take our online marketing of the branch lines to the next level. We have developed a packed calendar of more than 50 posts to run over the next four months on our Great Scenic Railways Facebook page, including videos, quizzes, top tips, handy articles and great photography. Read more

A new information centre for travellers on the railway will open at Liskeard station on Monday 1st August 2016. The Looe Valley Line Information Centre will operate from rooms on platform 3 at Liskeard, the Looe Valley Line platform, and will feature a range of information about the local area, exhibition on the history of the line, railway books and souvenirs. Read more

We are always seeking new marketing avenues to promote Devon and Cornwall’s branch lines, and our first ever video advert has proved a big success – having been viewed by more than 10,000 Devon and Cornwall residents. The video – aimed at young families and focused on the sense of adventure that comes with a trip on the train – was extremely cost efficient. Read more

Devon and Cornwall’s scenic branch lines are to feature in a new national website (shown above) promoting the country’s community rail lines and heritage railways to tourists both at home and abroad, thanks to a £75,000 Government grant. The project – led by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) and supported by the Plymouth University based Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership – has been awarded funding from the Department for Transport’s Heritage and Community Rail Tourism Innovation Competition. Read more

We have created a new webpage to showcase the many scenic walks from Devon and Cornwall’s branch line stations. Over the years, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and partner organisations have amassed a wealth of leaflets and online walking guides to help people get out and about on the branch lines and enjoy the best of the two counties’ scenery on foot. Read more

We’re pleased to join our fellow Community Rail Partnerships along with regional and national partners at the annual GWR Community Rail Conference this week. Hosted in Yeovil by Great Western Railway and the Heart of Wessex Community Rail Partnership, the one-day conference provides the chance to learn from and network with organisations ranging from Rail User Groups to the Department for Transport and Network Rail. Read more

Mark Hopwood, MD of Great Western Railway (GWR), will be giving a lecture at Plymouth University next month. In the wake of weather-related service disruptions and questions over its long-term resilience, now is a critical time for the railway in the far South West. Read more