Truro railway station

Truro Truru
General information
Location	Truro, Cornwall England
Coordinates	50°15′50″N 5°03′52″W / 50.26400°N 5.06432°W / 50.26400; -5.06432
Grid reference	SW817449
Managed by	Great Western Railway
Platforms	3
Other information
Station code	TRU
Classification	DfT category C1
History
Original company	Cornwall Railway and West Cornwall Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
Opened	1859
Line to Falmouth	1863
Passengers
2018/19	1.187 million
Interchange	0.229 million
2019/20	1.211 million
Interchange	0.229 million
2020/21	0.420 million
Interchange	74,848
2021/22	1.049 million
Interchange	0.215 million
2022/23	1.101 million
Interchange	0.241 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Truro railway station (Cornish: Truru) serves the city of Truro, Cornwall, England. The station is on the Cornish Main Line and is the junction for the Maritime Line to Falmouth Docks. It is situated at milepost 300.75 miles (484.01 km) from London Paddington, which is measured via Bristol Temple Meads, although most trains use the shorter route via Newbury.

The station is managed by Great Western Railway, which serves the station alongside CrossCountry.

History

The station opened with the

A stone goods shed was built in front of the station and an engine shed beyond the passenger platforms: "one hundred feet long, and forty-five feet wide, with double line of rails, and accommodation for six engines. Outside of the latter building are a smithery and workmens' shops, in which any casual repairs that may be required, can be executed. This building being erected on 'made ground' is constructed of timber, as being lighter than stone."

The

Two of Brunel's timber viaducts carried the line high above the town. Immediately outside the station was Carvedras Viaduct, 86 feet above St George's Road and 969 feet long. After passing the site of the castle, the line then passed over Truro Viaduct, which with 20 stone piers stretched to 1,329 feet and was the longest viaduct in Cornwall, although it was only 92 feet high. They were replaced with stone viaducts in 1902 and 1904 respectively, although the original piers still stand.^[3]

The Cornwall Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 July 1889.

The goods shed was rebuilt quite early on to accommodate the heavy traffic handled. The passenger station was rebuilt in 1897 when the roof was removed, new buildings provided,^[4] a new engine shed built nearer the tunnel, and the level crossing removed to the east end. It was at this time that a third footbridge was added across the station in place of the level crossing, access to this being from the road rather than the platforms.

From 2 January 1905 the station was also used as the terminus of the branch to

The Great Western Railway was

Description

Truro station is 300 miles 63 chains (300.79 mi; 484.1 km) from the zero point at London Paddington (which is measured on the historical route via Box and Plymouth Millbay).^[5] Platforms:

• Platform 1 is for trains to Falmouth Docks
• Platform 2 for down trains towards St Erth and Penzance
• Platform 3 for up trains towards Plymouth, London Paddington and Bristol

The platform for trains to Plymouth and beyond can be reached by either of two footbridges, one at either end of the station, but both platforms have step-free access from the level crossing at the east end of the platform.

Platform 3 is a bi-directional platform and is able to serve trains in both directions, including trains to and from Falmouth as well. Typically during times where a train to Falmouth has been cancelled and is occupying platform 1, the next Falmouth directly after will use platform 3 if the half-hourly service is still in place.^{[citation needed]} In 2021 Platform 3 was extended to accommodate 9 car trains for Class 800 and 802 IET units for London.^{[citation needed]}

The main entrance to the brick-built station is on the south side of the line, leading directly to the platform used by trains to Penzance. The station buffet is along this platform on the left, and the bay platform that is used for trains to Falmouth is beyond this. The long-stay car park is situated behind this eastbound platform and access is over the level crossing. There are Gateline ticket barriers in operation at the station, with Truro being the only station in Cornwall to have these installed.^{[citation needed]}

Services

Truro is served by all Great Western Railway trains on the Cornish Main Line between Penzance and Plymouth with two trains per hour in each direction. Some trains run through to or from London Paddington, including the Night Riviera overnight sleeping car service.

There are a limited number of CrossCountry trains providing a service to Edinburgh Waverley via Birmingham New Street and Leeds in the morning, and a few towards Penzance in the evening, including one originating at Aberdeen.^[6]

The Maritime Line from Falmouth Docks terminates in Truro. Since May 2009, this line has run 2 trains per hour in each direction for most of the day, with a reduced, hourly service on Sundays.^[7]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Redruth		Great Western Railway Cornish Main Line		St Austell
		CrossCountry Cornish Main Line
Perranwell		Great Western Railway Maritime Line		Terminus

Signalling

The adjacent signal boxes are at Par railway station to the east, and at Roskear Junction, Camborne, to the west. The Falmouth branch is operated under authority from tokens which are kept in interlocked machines on platform 3 and at Falmouth Docks railway station. In May 2009 the branch was resignalled and a loop installed at Penryn which was controlled from the signal box at Truro.^{[citation needed]} At the same time a new signal (number TR26) was placed at the west end of the eastbound platform to allow trains to reverse back to Penzance or Falmouth without shunting across to another platform.

The signal box and semaphore signals were replaced during 2023-24 with new electric signals installed and controlled from Exeter.^[10] The signal box closed in the early hours of the morning of 27 February 2024.^[11]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Truro railway station.

• Train times and station information for Truro railway station from National Rail