Great Western Coffee Shop

Par to Newquay - the Atlantic Coast Line
Connections from London, Exeter, Plymouth, Liskeard and Bodmin Road
Connections from Penzance, Truro and St Austell

Noting that from mid December, there are two extra round trips on Mondays to Fridays on the Newquay branch.

Arrivals into Newquay have been:
10:13, 13:05, 15:08, 17:07, 19:15 and 21:21
and they become:
06:52, 09:10, 11:02, 13:05, 15:08, 17:07, 19:15 and 21:21

Return trains to Par have been:
10:23, 13:10, 15:10, 17:19, 19:22 and 21:28 until mid December
and they become:
07:12, 09:17, 11:12, 13:10, 15:10, 17:19, 19:22 and 21:26

Seven round trips on Saturdays (no change - 06:52 to 20:22 off Par)
Three round trips on Sundays (no change - 10:05 to 16:15 off Par)

Summer see through services from London daily, and from The North on Saturdays.
All services except summer through service call on request at all intermediated stations

To someone who's not all that familiar with the line, this seems to be a very logical filling of the most enormous crater in services that appears to have left a previous service totally unfit for "9 to 5" commuters to either end of the line. Having said which, I know an earlier round trip as tried for a period a few years back, but then taken off.

From December ... 07:12 off Newquay, 07:41 Bugle, 08:13 St Austell and 08:30 Truro. (Bugle being the busiest intermediate station). Return from Truro at 17:54, St Autell at 18:10 and getting to Bugle at 18:39 and Newquay at 19:15.  Makes huge sense in moving todays a "mid-Cornwall Metro" starting with a peak train.

Par. Connecting services to Plymouth and beyond, and to Penzance
overview (http://new.passenger.chat/better/map.html?stn=PAR) - local map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=PAR) - wider map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=PAR&wider=1)

St Blazey - operational point

Luxulyan
overview (http://new.passenger.chat/better/map.html?stn=LUX) - local map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=LUX) - wider map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=LUX&wider=1)

Passing loop at Goonbarrow; limit of freight operation.

Bugle
overview (http://new.passenger.chat/better/map.html?stn=BGL) - local map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=BGL) - wider map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=BGL&wider=1)

Roche
overview (http://new.passenger.chat/better/map.html?stn=ROC) - local map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=ROC) - wider map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=ROC&wider=1)

St Columb Road
overview (http://new.passenger.chat/better/map.html?stn=SCR) - local map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=SCR) - wider map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=SCR&wider=1)

Quintrill Downs
overview (http://new.passenger.chat/better/map.html?stn=QUI) - local map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=QUI) - wider map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=QUI&wider=1)

Newquay - Single platform / no sidings just a buffer stop.
overview (http://new.passenger.chat/better/map.html?stn=NQY) - local map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=NQY) - wider map (http://new.passenger.chat/map/stationmap.php?tlc=NQY&wider=1)

It does look logical although if it is to provide a commuter service back from Newquay there is an element of risk introducing at this time.

Mondays excepted it connects with the down sleeper.  (On Mondays it needs a change at Plymouth).  It also connects  with the first stopper up from Penzance. 

Good to see a better service but I am not sure there is much regular commuter trafffic. The line is painfully slow and the bus service from Newquay to St Austell is quicker. This is why the re-routing of the service via Burngullow makes so much sense.

I think you may be surprised at some of the other traffic that might develop.  I note that passenger journey numbers at Newquay have been around 100,000 per annum but the five intermediate stations aren't unused totalling 20,000 journeys per annum.  Not many, perhaps, but no useful commuter services so starting from a "useless" point.  They may each be quite small communities at the moment, but the coming of a rail service one step better than useless will help them and help the railway.  And how about commutes into Newquay especially for summer jobs.  Then you have people headed for Liskeard and Plymouth for the day ...

Here are three of the close station catchments to give you an idea ...
(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqbmao1.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqbmao3.jpg)

(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqbmao2.jpg)

And here from elsewhere is a "control" example of a desperate case.
(http://www.wellho.net/pix/nqbmao0.jpg)

I'm not disputing the potential passenger flows, what I am saying is the bus is currently faster because the branch is so slow. Get a faster Newquay service preferably running straight in to St Austell and passenger numbers would rise.

I do hear you on that flow; I was saying "look at other potential flows too".

There are similarities here from my own home town.   The most common journey from Melksham is to Bath, and that involves a change and dogleg by train, but we have direct buses - indeed, advise for people headed to Bath is "catch the bus". However, we have done quite well with the other direction(s) which do not go to or via Bath, and also with flows that pass through Bath by train on their way beyond.  Moving the service up to a level that remains poor (every 2 hours, like the Newquay branch becomes) but is useable for day return trips now has moved passenger numbers up by more than an order of magnitude; I wish the Newquay service well and can understand how it has significant potential.