Study to be done into new railway in north Cornwall

A study into whether a multibillion-pound rail link through Cornwall would work has been hailed as a "huge step forward" by campaigners.

They said the proposed line would link Okehampton to Launceston before continuing onto a new station near Bodmin and joining the existing Cornish mainline.

Cornwall Council said it would now look at a more detailed study into the scheme - admitting it had the potential to improve rail resilience and open up the opportunity for more freight trains.

However, it warned the railway would be unlikely to be in use until the 2040s at the earliest.

David Hill, Smith, a railway engineer who worked on HS1 and an advisor to campaign group Connect North Cornwall, said the "obvious" route for the new railway was alongside the A30 from Okehampton.

"We would keep north of the A30, we wouldn't use the Meldon Viaduct, follow the A30 to Liftondown, and there would be a viaduct across the Tamar," he explained.

He said land at Scarne could be a potential site for a new station.

"It's next to the new development, the industrial and commercial areas of Pennygillam, and the junction of the A30 so it would be an ideal location potentially for a freight terminal," he observed.

Hill-Smith welcomed the council's backing of a feasibility study: "A proper study will add credibility. That will be a huge step forward."

He admitted the whole scheme would cost billions - but extending the route to Bodmin and Truro would make it more economically viable.

Councillor Leigh Frost, the Liberal Democrat leader of Cornwall Council, said it was a project which "had legs" and could allow more freight trains to boost the area's critical minerals industry.

"We can't use freight at the minute to get out of Cornwall on the current line. It's just not suitable.

"If we have that freight line that's running that takes around 129 HGVs off the road.

"We need to work out what barriers or what the opportunities are to deliver that and also how much is it going to cost - then hopefully the government will go this is a project that's worth delivering and we'll invest in that."

However, he cautioned it was unlikely to be delivered until the 2040s at the earliest: "If you don't start that work now, tomorrow doesn't come. You've got to have these plans in place and be ready to jump when the funding becomes available."

Bodmin Parkway is currently the only station serving the north of Cornwall - with the previous station at Launceston having closed in 1967.

Connect North Cornwall said creating a new electrified line through the town could enable journey times between London and Truro to be cut to two-and-half hours.

Ben Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, said he would be meeting the rail minister, Lord Hendy, to discuss the plan.

"This is a really exciting project. It would massively boost our economy. It's the kind of project on a par with Northern Powerhouse Rail or HS2.

"We have dismal journey times and don't have the capacity to take large quantities of freight. This would avoid the resilience issues that we face at Dawlish," he added.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.