We’re pleased to have three of our projects shortlisted for the 2026 Community Rail Awards.
Tamar Valley Blossom Festival
Community Engagement category
The Tamar Valley Blossom Festival saw National Trust Cotehele and the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership work together to engage communities around the Tamar Valley Line with the train and natural environment through guided walks, creative workshops, new artwork at Plymouth station and more. Read more
This year is the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, and as part of the national Railway 200 celebrations, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership has dug into the archives to uncover some of the unexpected and wonderful ways in which the railway has shaped and enriched life in the South West. Read more
Crediton Mayor Steve Huxtable attended an event at Crediton railway station on Tuesday 19 August to celebrate two new projects there, a heritage project in the station’s waiting room and a project to create equal access for all at the Station Tea Rooms. Read more
A new stamp trail has been launched in Devon and Cornwall as part of the Railway 200 celebrations which commemorate 200 years of the modern railway.
Ticket offices at twenty-three stations across the two counties from Axminster to Penzance have special Railway 200 stamps as do some station cafes and other locations such as the Library in St Ives, the RNLI shop by the beach in East Looe and Newquay Tourist Information Centre. Read more
We were pleased to pick up 3rd place in two categories at last week’s Community Rail Awards ceremony, held at Newcastle’s Civic Centre.
Tourism and Leisure award – 3rd place
Rail Ale Trails
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and Blackmore Vale Line Community Rail Partnership teamed up for a revitalised promotion of real ale pubs along community rail lines. Read more
The Tarka Line Bistro, a newly reopened independent café at Eggesford station in Devon, has reported a big boost in patronage thanks to a video by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP).
DCRP’s Social Media Officer, Betsy Saunders, visited to film a short video promoting the café, the neighbouring farm shop and the scenic journey on the Tarka Line from Exeter. Read more
A pair of community rail projects in Devon and Cornwall have been shortlisted for national awards.
The 2025 Community Rail Awards will be held in Newcastle in March. The shortlists include:
Tourism and Leisure award
Rail Ale Trails
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and Blackmore Vale Line Community Rail Partnership teamed up for a revitalised promotion of real ale pubs along community rail lines. Read more
CASE STUDY | With widespread pub closures an issue of national concern, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership supports nearly a hundred real ale pubs through our Rail Ale Trail scheme.
A new promotion has been launched to encourage people from near and far to visit local pubs by train.
The Salisbury – Exeter Rail Ale Trail includes 19 pubs along the railway that links the two cities, all of them within easy reach of the stations in the towns and villages it serves. Read more
CASE STUDY | atlBuilding on our experience creating and running the official DartmoorLine.com website, we have developed the website, logo and visual brand for the £56m Mid Cornwall Metro project.
CASE STUDY | DCRP came together with GWR, local authorities and bus operators to produce and promote a series of 10 ‘travelogue’ short films to inspire visits to leisure destinations across Devon and Cornwall using joined-up sustainable transport.
Marsh Barton station is now open – becoming Exeter’s ninth railway station.
A special ceremony was held yesterday at the station attended by Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, in advance of the start of passenger services today (Tuesday 4th July 2023).
Opening the station with Mark Harper was Ben Roberts-Mitchell (pictured centre of front row), a local resident who despite having a rare genetic condition has been enthusiastically watching as the station construction progressed. Read more
CASE STUDY | Swashbuckling treasure hunt to encourage families to visit Looe by train
The Devon & Cornwall Railcard has become the first regional railcard in the UK to go digital.
Residents in Devon and Cornwall, aged 16 or over, can now purchase the railcard, download it to their phone and use it to save up to a 1/3 on standard class rail fares. Read more
Carnet tickets on the Tamar Valley Line are currently half price thanks to a special offer.
What is a carnet?
Carnets are books of five Anytime Day Return tickets. They are valid on any day on any train until 30 June 2023. Read more
Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and GWR staff got ‘decked out’ as pirates at Plymouth station this week to launch a themed treasure hunt to inspire families to visit Looe by train.
Looe Pirate Trail starts today (Monday 3rd April 2023) and invites swashbuckling youngsters to “find the crew lost in Looe”. Read more
Project partners, funders and former railway staff gathered at Okehampton station today to mark the completion of the station heritage restoration project, part of the overall Dartmoor Line reopening work.
Former train driver and County Councillor Richard Westlake cut a ribbon to open the heritage display in the old booking office. Read more
CASE STUDY | To respond to people’s urge to get back outdoors following the pandemic, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP) mounted a year-long campaign to promote the scenic ‘walks from the railway’ available across the two counties.
CASE STUDY | With all the excitement and attention surrounding the re-opening of Okehampton station the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP) working with Mayes Creative (MC), wanted to ensure communities in Okehampton and Crediton were engaged with the railway in as broad a way as possible across all age groups, abilities and interests.