We’re pleased to have received Community Rail Accreditation for 2026/27. Our latest infographic highlights some of the projects, partnerships and achievements that helped us reach this milestone.
A huge thank you to everyone who has played a part in our success. Read more
To celebrate a busy summer of filming to promote rail travel across Devon and Cornwall, we’ve produced a Spotify Wrapped style video.
Our team produced 15 video guides, all filmed in-house, between mid-May and mid-August. Alongside associated photo galleries and short video clips the films reached 900,000 people on our Facebook, Instagram and TikTok social media channels. Read more
To help promote travel on the Tamar Valley Line we held a photoshoot to show off the journey to Calstock and all that the village has to offer. A big thanks to Studio Wallop for the photos and to our partners at Great Western Railway, National Trust Cotehele and the arts and hospitality businesses of Calstock for being part of it. Read more
CASE STUDY | Through a mini-website, video guides, magazine campaigns and more, we’re working with South Western Railway, East Devon District Council and Purbeck Community Rail Partnership to inspire visitors to explore East Devon and Dorset's Jurassic Coast by train and onward bus.
This summer we’ve been pleased to produce three videos for East Devon District Council to inspire even more people to visit Honiton, Axminster and Exmouth by train. Watch all three below.
The Honiton video was the first to be launched on our Great Scenic Railways channels on Facebook and Instagram, attracting hundreds of likes as well as positive comments including:
A great little reel. Read more
To encourage sustainable local travel and help reduce road congestion, in May 2026 we created and launched a social media video encouraging Truro residents visiting St Ives to take the train.
We released the video – which also highlights the new accessible footbridge at St Erth station – on Facebook and Instagram on our Devon & Cornwall’s Great Scenic Railways channels. Read more
A long time stalwart of Devon and Cornwall’s branch lines has retired after 28 years.
Richard Burningham MBE (pictured – photo by Sim Harris/Railnews) started as Manager of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership, based at the University of Plymouth, in April 1998, working with his small team to promote use of the branch lines and the places they serve, improve train services and station facilities and to link the community and the railway. Read more
CASE STUDY | Building on our experience creating and running the official DartmoorLine.com website, we developed the website, logo and visual brand for the £56m Mid Cornwall Metro project. When Newquay's hourly train service begin as the first phase of the project, we promoted it through targeted social media, bus stop and local newspaper advertising.
CASE STUDY | The Tamar Valley Festival of Blossom was devised by the National Trust Cotehele and the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership as a way to engage communities around the Tamar Valley Line with the train and natural environment through a series of blossom focused events.
CASE STUDY | In 2023, our pirate treasure hunt attracted more than 300 children to visit Looe by train and explore the town’s shops. In 2026 we brought it back bigger than ever: running it throughout the school summer holidays.
We were pleased to be awarded 1st place in the Tourism & Leisure category and 2nd place in the Best Community Engagement category at the 2026 Community Rail Awards, held at Derby Arena.
Tourism & Leisure (1st place)
Our marketing of the Looe Valley Line’s improved timetable helped deliver record journey figures for this scenic branch line in South East Cornwall. Read more
Local branch lines continue to go from strength to strength thanks to the support of the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.
Journey figures for the branch lines that form the Partnership’s core focus rose by 20% in 2025 compared with 2023. Read more
CASE STUDY | The May 2025 improved timetable on the Looe Valley Line is a story of community rail and the tourism sector working together. It began with Looe’s tourism sector wanting better connections with the main line, the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP) championing the idea, and GWR making it happen. DCRP then worked with tourism partners on a wide-ranging campaign to promote the new timetable. Local press, leaflets, station posters and nearly 50 social media posts saw the campaign reach 1.2 million people, attracting 17,000 likes. This led to 2025 becoming the line's busiest on record.
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
CASE STUDY | In 2023 we supported the initial West Cornwall roll-out of Pay As You Go travel with a 'how to' video. In 2025 when the scheme went county-wide (all including journeys to/from Plymouth and on the Tamar Valley Line) we updated the video in partnership with GWR and Cornwall Council.
CASE STUDY | 2025 was the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, and as part of the national Railway 200 celebrations, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership 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.
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
CASE STUDYUsing the theme of bird conservation, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership and poet Sally Crabtree engaged vulnerable groups on the Looe Valley Line to give them increased skills and confidence to travel by train.
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