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Coordinates: 50°11′40″N 5°27′01″W / 50.1945°N 5.4502°W / 50.1945; -5.4502
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{{Short description|Railway line in Cornwall, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{Infobox rail line
{{Infobox rail line
|name = St Ives Bay Line
| name = St Ives Bay Line
|image = St Ives - FGW 150108 above Porthminster Beach.jpg
| image = St Ives - FGW 150108 above Porthminster Beach.jpg
|image_width = 280px
| image_width = 280px
| native_name = ''Linen Baya Porth Ia''
⚫
|type = [[Community railway]]
| native_name_lang = 'kw'
⚫
|locale = [[Cornwall]]
⚫
| type = [[Community railway]]
⚫
|start = [[St Erth railway station|St Erth]]<br>{{coord|50.1706|-5.4443|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=St Erth station}}
⚫
| locale = [[Cornwall]]
⚫
|end = [[St Ives railway station|St Ives]]<br>{{coord|50.2088|-5.4777|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=St Ives station}}
⚫
| start = [[St Erth railway station|St Erth]]<br/>{{coord|50.1706|-5.4443|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=St Erth station}}
⚫
|stations = 5
⚫
| end = [[St Ives railway station|St Ives]]<br/>{{coord|50.2088|-5.4777|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline|name=St Ives station}}
⚫
|open = 1877
⚫
| stations = 5
⚫
|owner = [[Network Rail]]
⚫
| open = 1877
⚫
|operator = [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]]
⚫
| owner = [[Network Rail]]
⚫
|character = Rural
⚫
| operator = [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]]
⚫
|stock = [[British Rail Class 150|Class 150]] and [[British Rail Class 153|Class 153]]
⚫
| character = Rural
|linelength = {{convert|4.25|mi|km}}
⚫
| stock = [[British Rail Class 150|Class 150]]
⚫
|tracks = [[Single track (rail)|Single track]] throughout
|gauge = {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| linelength = {{convert|4.25|mi|km}}
⚫
| tracks = [[Single track (rail)|Single track]] throughout
⚫
|old_gauge = {{RailGauge|7ft}} until 20 May 1892
|speed = {{convert|30|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
| gauge = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
⚫
| old_gauge = {{track gauge|7ft}} until 20 May 1892
| speed = {{convert|30|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
| map = [[File:St Ives Bay Line.png|280px]]<br />([[:commons:File:St Ives Bay Line.png|Click to expand]])
| map_state = uncollapsed
}}
}}

The '''St Ives Bay Line''' is a {{convert|4.25|mi|km}} railway line from {{stnlnk|St Erth}} to {{stnlnk|St Ives}} in [[Cornwall]], England, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877, the last new {{RailGauge|7ft}} [[broad gauge]] passenger railway to be constructed in the country. [[Gauge conversion|Converted]] to standard gauge in 1892, it continues to operate as a [[community railway]] which carries a large number of tourists as well as local passengers. It has five stations including the junction with the [[Cornish Main Line]] at {{stnlnk|St Erth}}.
The '''St Ives Bay Line''' is a {{convert|4.25|mi|km}} railway line from {{stnlnk|St Erth}} to {{stnlnk|St Ives}} in [[Cornwall]], England, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877, the last new {{track gauge|7ft}} [[broad gauge]] passenger railway to be constructed in the country. [[Gauge conversion|Converted]] to standard gauge in 1892, it continues to operate as a [[community railway]], carrying tourists as well as local passengers. It has five stations including the junction with the [[Cornish Main Line]] at {{stnlnk|St Erth}}.


==History==
==History==
[[File:St Ives station view c1890.jpg|thumb|left|St Ives circa 1890]]
[[File:St Ives station view c1890.jpg|thumb|left|St Ives circa 1890]]
The St Ives Junction Railway applied for an [[Act of Parliament]] in 1845, but as the [[West Cornwall Railway]]’s Bill failed in its application for an Act at the same time, the St Ives company withdrew its proposal.<ref name=GWJ>{{cite journal | last = Jenkins | first = Stanley C | title = the St Ives Branch | journal = Great Western Railway Journal | issue = Cornish Special Issue | pages = 2–34 | publisher = Wild Swan Publications Ltd| year = 1992}}</ref> A new Act was successfully applied for in 1873 to authorise a St Ives branch line as an extension of the West Cornwall Railway, although by that time this was controlled by the [[Great Western Railway]]. It was opened on 1 June 1877, the last new {{RailGauge|7ft}} [[broad gauge]] passenger railway route to be built in Britain. A [[dual gauge|third rail]] was added to the southern section of the line in October 1888 to allow {{RailGauge|ussg}} [[standard gauge]] goods trains to reach the wharf at {{stnlnk|Lelant}}. The last broad gauge train ran on Friday 20 May 1892; since the following Monday all trains have been standard gauge.<ref>{{cite book| last = MacDermot| first = E T| title = History of the Great Western Railway |edition= 1|volume= 2 (1863–1921)| publisher = [[Great Western Railway]]| year = 1931| location = London| isbn = 0-7110-0411-0}}</ref>
The St Ives Junction Railway applied for an [[act of Parliament]] in 1845, but as the [[West Cornwall Railway]] failed in its application for an act in that session of Parliament, the St Ives company withdrew its proposal.<ref name=GWJ>{{cite journal | last = Jenkins | first = Stanley C | title = the St Ives Branch | journal = Great Western Railway Journal | issue = Cornish Special Issue | pages = 2–34 | publisher = Wild Swan Publications Ltd| year = 1992}}</ref> The [[Great Western, Bristol & Exeter, and South Devon Railway Companies Act 1873]] was passed by Parliament to authorise a St Ives branch line as an extension of the West Cornwall Railway, although by that time this was controlled by the [[Great Western Railway]]. It was opened on 1 June 1877, the last new {{track gauge|7ft}} [[broad gauge]] passenger railway route to be built in Britain. A [[dual gauge|third rail]] was added to the southern section of the line in October 1888 to allow {{track gauge|uksg}} [[standard gauge]] goods trains to reach the wharf at {{stnlnk|Lelant}}. The last broad-gauge train ran on Friday 20 May 1892; since the following Monday all trains have been standard gauge.<ref>{{cite book| last = MacDermot| first = E T| title = History of the Great Western Railway |edition= 1|volume= 2 (1863–1921)| publisher = [[Great Western Railway]]| year = 1931| location = London| isbn = 0-7110-0411-0}}</ref>


Although there was heavy traffic in fish in the early years, this declined during the first half of the twentieth century.<ref name=Bennett>{{cite book| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = The Great Western Railway in West Cornwall| publisher = Runpast Publishing| origyear = 1988| edition = 2 | location = Cheltenham| year = 1990| isbn = 1-870754-12-3}}</ref> Goods traffic was withdrawn from the intermediate stations at Lelant and {{stnlnk|Carbis Bay}} in May 1956 but continued at St Ives itself until September 1963.<ref name=GWJ/>
Although there was heavy traffic in fish in the early years, this declined during the first half of the twentieth century.<ref name=Bennett>{{cite book| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = The Great Western Railway in West Cornwall| publisher = Runpast Publishing| orig-year = 1988| edition = 2 | location = Cheltenham| year = 1990| isbn = 1-870754-12-3}}</ref> Goods traffic was withdrawn from the intermediate stations at Lelant and {{stnlnk|Carbis Bay}} in May 1956 but continued at St Ives until September 1963.<ref name=GWJ/>


All the sidings were taken out of use at St Ives by 1966, by which time trains on the branch were operated by [[diesel multiple unit]]s. The line was proposed for closure in the [[Beeching Axe|Reshaping of British railways]] report which prompted it to be one of the lines featured in [[Flanders and Swann]]’s ''[[Slow Train]]'',<ref>{{cite web | title =Flanders & Swann Online | work =Slow Train | url =http://www.nyanko.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fas/anotherhat_slow.html | accessdate =2009-05-14 | deadurl =yes | archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20130413054716/http://www.nyanko.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fas/anotherhat_slow.html | archivedate =13 April 2013 | df =dmy-all }}</ref> but it was reprieved by Minister of Transport [[Barbara Castle]]. On 23 May 1971, the [[Railway platform|platform]] at St Ives was moved to make way for a car park<ref>{{cite book| last = Cooke| first = R A| title = Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR: Section 10, West Cornwall| publisher = R A Cooke| year = 1977| location = Harwell}}</ref> but seven years later, on 27 May 1978, a new station was opened at {{stnlnk|Lelant Saltings}} between St Erth and Lelant. This was given a large car park so that it could operate as a [[Park and Ride]] facility for St Ives.<ref name=GWJ/>. In June 2019, the Park and Ride facility was moved to [[St Erth railway station|St Erth]] and services at Lelant Saltings were reduced.
All the sidings were taken out of use at St Ives by 1966, when trains on the branch were operated by [[diesel multiple unit]]s. The line was proposed for closure in the [[Beeching Axe|Reshaping of British railways]] report which prompted it to be one of the lines featured in [[Flanders and Swann]]’s ''[[Slow Train (Flanders and Swann song)|Slow Train]]'',<ref>{{cite web | title =Flanders & Swann Online | work =Slow Train | url =http://www.nyanko.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fas/anotherhat_slow.html | access-date =2009-05-14 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130413054716/http://www.nyanko.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fas/anotherhat_slow.html | archive-date =13 April 2013 | df =dmy-all }}</ref> but Minister of Transport [[Barbara Castle]] reprieved it. On 23 May 1971, the [[Railway platform|platform]] at St Ives was moved to make way for a car park<ref>{{cite book| last = Cooke| first = R A| title = Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR: Section 10, West Cornwall| publisher = R A Cooke| year = 1977| location = Harwell}}</ref> but seven years later, on 27 May 1978, a new station was opened at {{stnlnk|Lelant Saltings}} between St Erth and Lelant. This was given a large car park so that it could operate as a [[Park and Ride]] facility for St Ives.<ref name=GWJ/> In June 2019, the Park and Ride facility was moved to [[St Erth railway station|St Erth]] and services at Lelant Saltings were reduced.


==Route==
==Route==
Line 38: Line 44:
The [[branch line]] is single track for its whole length with no [[Passing loop|passing places]].<ref name=RTD>{{cite book| last = Jacobs| first = Gerald| title = Railway Track Diagrams Book 3: Western| publisher = Trackmaps| year = 2005| location = Bradford-on-Avon| isbn = 0-9549866-1-X}}</ref> It runs alongside the [[River Hayle|Hayle estuary]] and then the sea coast and is promoted as a good place to see birds from the train. It has also been listed as one of the most picturesque railways in England.
The [[branch line]] is single track for its whole length with no [[Passing loop|passing places]].<ref name=RTD>{{cite book| last = Jacobs| first = Gerald| title = Railway Track Diagrams Book 3: Western| publisher = Trackmaps| year = 2005| location = Bradford-on-Avon| isbn = 0-9549866-1-X}}</ref> It runs alongside the [[River Hayle|Hayle estuary]] and then the sea coast and is promoted as a good place to see birds from the train. It has also been listed as one of the most picturesque railways in England.


The line diverges from the [[Cornish Main Line]] at {{stnlnk|St Erth}}. After the line goes through a short cutting and underneath two road bridges which carry the [[A30 road|A30]] [[roundabout]] outside the station, the line follows the western side of the estuary past {{stnlnk|Lelant Saltings}}. Beyond [[Lelant railway station]] the line enters a cutting and climbs onto the [[sand dune]]s above Porth Kidney Sands on [[St Ives Bay]],<ref name=OS102>Ordnance Survey (1996), ''Land’s End'', Explorer map (1:25,000 scale) 102, [[Ordnance Survey]], Southampton</ref> with the [[St. Uny's Church, Lelant|church of St Uny]] and Lelant golf course on the left; the church’s cemetery was disturbed when the railway cut through the hill.<ref name=Bray>{{cite book |last=Bray |first=Lena |author2=Bray, Donald |title=St Ives Heritage |edition=Second |origyear=1981 |year=1992 |publisher=Landfall Publications |location=Devoran |isbn=1-873443-06-4}}</ref> The [[South West Coast Path]] crosses the line here and then follows close by all the way to St Ives. The railway continues to climb up and onto the steep cliffs at Hawkes Point, about {{convert|30|m|ft}} above sea level. Soon after the line comes around the headland at Carrick Gladden and into {{stnlnk|Carbis Bay}}.<ref name=OS102/> Perched on the hillside above the beach, this resort only developed after the railway arrived in 1877.<ref name=Bray/> The line now crosses {{convert|78|yd|m}} long Carbis [[Viaduct]] then continues on the cliff's edge until it emerges at Porthminster Point, from where it drops down across the {{convert|106|yd|m}} St Ives Viaduct to reach [[St Ives railway station]] which is situated above Portminster Beach.<ref name=OS102/>
The line diverges from the [[Cornish Main Line]] at {{stnlnk|St Erth}}. After the line goes through a short cutting and underneath two road bridges which carry the [[A30 road|A30]] [[roundabout]] outside the station, the line follows the western side of the estuary past {{stnlnk|Lelant Saltings}}. Beyond [[Lelant railway station]] the line enters a cutting and climbs onto the [[sand dune]]s above Porth Kidney Sands on [[St Ives Bay]],<ref name=OS102>Ordnance Survey (1996), ''Land’s End'', Explorer map (1:25,000 scale) 102, [[Ordnance Survey]], Southampton</ref> with the [[St. Uny's Church, Lelant|church of St Uny]] and Lelant golf course on the left; the church's cemetery was disturbed when the railway cut through the hill.<ref name=Bray>{{cite book |last=Bray |first=Lena |author2=Bray, Donald |title=St Ives Heritage |edition=Second |orig-year=1981 |year=1992 |publisher=Landfall Publications |location=Devoran |isbn=1-873443-06-4}}</ref> The [[South West Coast Path]] crosses the line here and then follows close by all the way to St Ives. The railway continues to climb up and onto the steep cliffs at Hawkes Point, about {{convert|30|m|ft}} above sea level. Soon after the line comes around the headland at Carrick Gladden and into {{stnlnk|Carbis Bay}}.<ref name=OS102/> Perched on the hillside above the beach, this resort only developed after the railway arrived in 1877.<ref name=Bray/> The line now crosses {{convert|78|yd|m}} long Carbis [[Viaduct]] then continues on the cliff's edge until it emerges at Porthminster Point, from where it drops down across the {{convert|106|yd|m}} St Ives Viaduct to reach [[St Ives railway station]] which is situated above Portminster Beach.<ref name=OS102/>


==Services==
==Services==
[[File:St Ives Branch sign @ St Erth.jpg|150px|thumb|A sign at St Erth station informing passengers about the short turnaround times for the St Ives shuttle services.]]
[[File:St Ives Branch sign @ St Erth.jpg|150px|thumb|A sign at St Erth station informing passengers about the short turnaround times for the St Ives shuttle services]]
The line initially saw just five trains a day, but by 1909 this had grown to nine and in 1965 it was 17 with up to 24 on summer Saturdays. Some trains included through carriages from [[London Paddington station]] and in the 1950s the [[Cornish Riviera Express]] ran from St Ives through to Paddington on summer Saturdays.<ref name=GWJ/> The number of services continued to increase following the opening of Lelant Saltings and the summer of 2006 saw 26 daily services operated by [[Wessex Trains]]. [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)]] took over the operation later in the year and the winter timetable was reduced to 16 trains which caused some concern<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4788456.stm BBC news report 9 March 2006]</ref> but the summer of 2007 saw a return to the previous service level.<ref>{{cite web |title = National Rail Timetable 144 (Summer 2007)|publisher= Network Rail|url = http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/eNRT/May07/timetables/Table144.pdf|format=[[PDF]]}}</ref>
The line initially saw just five trains a day, but by 1909 this had grown to nine and in 1965 it was 17 with up to 24 on summer Saturdays. Some trains included through carriages from [[London Paddington station]] and in the 1950s the [[Cornish Riviera Express]] ran from St Ives through to Paddington on summer Saturdays.<ref name=GWJ/> The number of services continued to increase following the opening of Lelant Saltings and the summer of 2006 saw 26 daily services operated by [[Wessex Trains]]. [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)]] took over the operation later in the year and the winter timetable was reduced to 16 trains which caused some concern<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4788456.stm BBC news report 9 March 2006]</ref> but the summer of 2007 saw a return to the previous service level.<ref>{{cite web |title = National Rail Timetable 144 (Summer 2007)|publisher= Network Rail|url = http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/eNRT/May07/timetables/Table144.pdf}}</ref>


As of August 2016, trains run at approximately 30-minute intervals in each direction for most of the day, including Sundays.<ref name="W9">[https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/train-times Train times and train timetables - Great Western Railway] (Timetable W9, pdf)</ref>
As of August 2016, trains run at approximately 30-minute intervals in each direction for most of the day, including Sundays.<ref name="W9">[https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/train-times Train times and train timetables - Great Western Railway] (Timetable W9, pdf)</ref>


In the summer months when traffic levels are high, most services are now operated by two-car [[British Rail Class 150|Class 150]] sets, but in the winter a single-car [[British Rail Class 153|Class 153]] is generally sufficient. On particularly busy days additional sets are added; St Ives can handle six carriages but the bay platform at St Erth is long enough for just five.<ref name=RTD/> Two or three trains are extended to and from {{stnlnk|Penzance}} on most days to facilitate crew changes and to get the stock to and from [[Penzance TMD|Penzance Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD)]].<ref>{{cite web |title = National Rail Timetable 144 (Summer 2009)|publisher= Network Rail|url = http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/eNRT/May09/timetables/Table144.pdf|format=[[PDF]]|accessdate=2009-05-11}}</ref>
In the summer months when traffic levels are high, most services are now operated by 2 x two-car [[British Rail Class 150|Class 150]] sets, but in the winter a two-car [[British Rail Class 150|Class 150]] set is used. On particularly busy days additional sets are added; St Ives can handle six carriages but the bay platform at St Erth is long enough for just five.<ref name=RTD/> Two or three trains are extended to and from {{stnlnk|Penzance}} on most days to facilitate crew changes and to get the stock to and from [[Penzance TMD|Penzance Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD)]].<ref>{{cite web |title = National Rail Timetable 144 (Summer 2009)|publisher= Network Rail|url = http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/eNRT/May09/timetables/Table144.pdf|access-date=2009-05-11}}</ref>


As of May 2019, there continues to be trains running every 30 minutes. All these services call at [[Carbis Bay railway station|Carbis Bay]] with trains serving [[Lelant railway station|Lelant]] mostly every 2 hours with some hourly gaps between services. [[Lelant Saltings railway station|Lelant Saltings]] is now served by just 1 train per say in each direction due to the relocation of the Park and Ride facility to St Erth. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/timetables/2019/may/k5.pdf?la=en|title=St Erth - St Ives|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Great Western Railway|format=[[PDF]]|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>
As of May 2019, there continues to be trains running every 30 minutes. All these services call at [[Carbis Bay railway station|Carbis Bay]] with trains serving [[Lelant railway station|Lelant]] mostly every two hours with some hourly gaps between services. [[Lelant Saltings railway station|Lelant Saltings]] is now served by just one train per day in each direction due to the relocation of the Park and Ride facility to St Erth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gwr.com/~/media/gwr/pdfs/timetables/2019/may/k5.pdf?la=en|title=St Erth - St Ives|publisher=Great Western Railway|format=[[PDF]]}}</ref>


Since the line has no passing loops and before May 2019, the average journey time along the full length of the line was just under 15 minutes, services on the line used to suffer from very short turnaround times (about 1 minute) at both St Erth and St Ives stations <ref name="W9" />. As of May 2019, the journey time has decreased due to the majority of trains no longer stopping at Lelant Saltings. As a result the turnaround time has been increased to roughly 4 minutes.
Since the line has no passing loops and before May 2019, the average journey time along the full length of the line was just under 15 minutes, services on the line used to suffer from very short turnaround times (about 1 minute) at both St Erth and St Ives stations.<ref name="W9" /> As of May 2019, the journey time has decreased due to the majority of trains no longer stopping at Lelant Saltings. As a result, the turnaround time has been increased to roughly 4 minutes.


==Signalling==
==Signalling==
The line is controlled from the [[signal box]] at {{stnlnk|St Erth}}; only one train is allowed to operate on the line at any time. Trains travelling towards St Ives are described as 'down trains' and those towards St Erth as 'up trains'. There are three public crossings on the line. 'Western Growers Crossing' is a crossing at St Erth which the signaller can see from the signal box. 'Towan Crossing' is a user-worked crossing north of Lelant, and there is a foot crossing at Hawke’s Point as the line approaches Carbis Bay.<ref name=RTD/>
The line is controlled from the [[signal box]] at {{stnlnk|St Erth}}; only one train is allowed to operate on the line at any time. Trains travelling towards St Ives are described as 'down trains' and those towards St Erth as 'up trains'. There are three public crossings on the line. 'Western Growers Crossing' is a crossing at St Erth which the signaller can see from the signal box. 'Towan Crossing' is a user-worked crossing north of Lelant, and there is a foot crossing at Hawke's Point as the line approaches Carbis Bay.<ref name=RTD/>


==Community rail==
==Community rail==
The St Ives Bay Line is one of the railway lines supported by the [[Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership]], an organisation formed in 1991 to promote railway services in the area. The line is promoted by many means such as regular timetable and scenic line guides, as well as leaflets highlighting leisure opportunities such as walking, birdwatching, and visiting country [[pub]]s.
The St Ives Bay Line is one of the railway lines supported by the [[Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership]], an organisation formed in 1991 to promote railway services in the area. The line is promoted by many means such as regular timetable and scenic line guides, as well as leaflets highlighting leisure opportunities such as walking, birdwatching, and visiting country [[pub]]s.


[[File:153329 St Ives Bay Line.jpg|thumb|left|The special livery once carried by DMU 153329]]
[[File:153329 St Ives Bay Line.jpg|thumb|left|The special livery once carried by DMU 153329]]
The St Ives Bay Line [[rail ale trail]] was launched on 3 June 2005 to encourage rail travellers to visit pubs near the line. Of the 14 participating pubs, five are in St Ives,one in Lelant, two close to Lelant Saltings, one near St Erth and five in [[Penzance]] 6, 10 or 14 stamps collected in the Rail Ale Trail leaflet entitle the participant to claim special St Ives Bay Line Rail Trail souvenir merchandise.
A St Ives Bay Line [[rail ale trail]] was launched in 2005 to encourage rail travellers to use the railway and visit 14 participating pubs near the line.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}


[[Wessex Trains]] gave [[British Rail Class 153|Class 153]] single-car [[Diesel multiple unit|DMU]] number 153329 a special blue livery with large coloured pictures promoting the line and named it ''St Ives Bay Line'', although this has now been removed by [[First Great Western]] who now operate the line.
During the period that [[Wessex Trains]] operated the service (2001-05), one of their [[British Rail Class 153|Class 153]] trains carried the name ''St Ives Bay Line'' and a blue livery with large coloured pictures promoting the line.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}


The branch was designated as a [[community rail]]way line in July 2005, being one of seven pilots for the [[Department for Transport]]'s Community Rail Development Strategy. This aims to increase the number of passengers and reduce costs to make lightly used railways more economically sustainable. Among its aims are a higher-frequency of service, to introduce local tickets and ticket vending machines, and public art on the stations promoting the line as the artistic gateway to St Ives.<ref>Department for Transport, Rail Group (2005), ''Route prospectus for the … St Ives Bay Line''</ref>
The branch was designated as a [[community rail]]way line in July 2005, being one of seven pilots for the [[Department for Transport]]'s Community Rail Development Strategy. This aims to increase the number of passengers and reduce costs to make lightly used railways more economically sustainable. Among its aims are a higher-frequency of service, to introduce local tickets and ticket vending machines, and public art on the stations promoting the line as the artistic gateway to St Ives.<ref>Department for Transport, Rail Group (2005), ''Route prospectus for the … St Ives Bay Line''</ref>

Sterling Rail, a local action group, have proposed to take on the operation of the branch line and reintroduce steam trains. They also hope to place a dining car in the sidings at {{stnlnk|St Erth}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sterling Rail Link |url=http://www.digitalnet.co.uk/sterlingrail/join.html |accessdate=2009-06-30 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090516202832/http://www.digitalnet.co.uk/sterlingrail/join.html |archivedate=16 May 2009 }}</ref>


==Passenger volume==
==Passenger volume==
[[File:lelant Saltings 60 passengers 150233.jpg|thumb|right|Despite figures showing just 251 passengers in the previous year, [[British Rail Class 150|150233]] finds more than 60 people waiting at Lelant Saltings in 2009.]]
[[File:lelant Saltings 60 passengers 150233.jpg|thumb|right|Despite figures showing just 251 passengers in the previous year, [[British Rail Class 150|150233]] finds more than 60 people waiting at Lelant Saltings in 2009.]]
The Office of the Rail Regulator's statistics show that the number of passengers travelling on the St Ives line appears to have been declining in recent years. However, an increase in usage for the year beginning April 2010 has been the result of switching from counting ranger tickets to point-to-point tickets.<ref>{{cite web|title =Station Usage|work =Rail Statistics|publisher =Office of Rail Regulation| url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529|accessdate = 2012-04-16}}</ref>
From 2001 to 2011 journeys on the St Ives Bay Line increased by 68%.<ref>{{cite web|title =Station Usage|work =Rail Statistics|publisher =Office of Rail Regulation| url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529|access-date = 2012-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502025424/https://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529|archive-date=2 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>


{{UKsta-u|
{{UKsta-u|
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Lelant Saltings|u1=17,001|u2=18,281|u3=23,774|u4=653|u5=251|u6=554|u7=622|u8=17,224|u9=101,284|u10=107,780|u11=114,932|u12=|u13=125,064|u14=121,258}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Lelant Saltings|u1=17,001|u2=18,281|u3=23,774|u4=653|u5=251|u6=554|u7=622|u8=17,224|u9=101,284|u10=107,780|u11=114,932|u12=116,798|u13=125,064|u14=121,258|u15=145,110|u16=138,012|u17=84,522|u18=392|u19=568|u20=652}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Lelant|u1=6,913|u2=8,697|u3=1,653|u4=250|u5=240|u6=592|u7=324|u8=1,842|u9=2,910|u10=2,322|u11=2,494|u12=|u13=8,104|u14=8,322}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Lelant|u1=6,913|u2=8,697|u3=1,653|u4=250|u5=240|u6=592|u7=324|u8=1,842|u9=2,910|u10=2,322|u11=2,494|u12=2,874|u13=8,104|u14=8,322|u15=9,618|u16=10,632|u17=21,608|u18=16,600|u19=29,788|u20=25,160}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Carbis Bay|u1=60,620|u2=66,298|u3=23,737|u4=6,347|u5=8,208|u6=9,476|u7=7,980|u8=55,334|u9=206,736|u10=198,734|u11=203,782|u12=|u13=191,408|u14=195,124}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=Carbis Bay|u1=60,620|u2=66,298|u3=23,737|u4=6,347|u5=8,208|u6=9,476|u7=7,980|u8=55,334|u9=206,736|u10=198,734|u11=203,782|u12=231,800|u13=191,408|u14=195,124|u15=234,668|u16=227,854|u17=212,354|u18=111,158|u19=230,256|u20=226,768}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=St Ives|u1=213,397|u2=220,300|u3=171,281|u4=117,131|u5=139,455|u6=173,722|u7=154,502|u8=258,530|u9=578,214|u10=585,308|u11=595,326|u12=|u13=657,750|u14=659,066}}
{{UKsta-u A|stn=St Ives|u1=213,397|u2=220,300|u3=171,281|u4=117,131|u5=139,455|u6=173,722|u7=154,502|u8=258,530|u9=578,214|u10=585,308|u11=595,326|u12=638,754|u13=657,750|u14=659,066|u15=752,654|u16=750,478|u17=706,826|u18=293,880|u19=733,970|u20=720,062}}
}}
}}
{{small|The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.}}{{clear}}
{{small|The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.}}{{Clear}}


==References==
==References==
{{commons category|St Ives Bay Line}}
{{Commons category|St Ives Bay Line}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*{{cite web| last =Hesp| first =Martin| title =My magnificent rail journey| work =Western Morning News| publisher =Western Morning News| url =http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/magnificent-rail-journey/article-209062-detail/article.html| year =2008| accessdate =2008-07-14| deadurl =yes| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20101125013350/http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/magnificent-rail-journey/article-209062-detail/article.html| archivedate =25 November 2010| df =dmy-all}}
*{{cite web| last =Hesp| first =Martin| title =My magnificent rail journey| work =Western Morning News| publisher =Western Morning News| url =http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/magnificent-rail-journey/article-209062-detail/article.html| year =2008| access-date =2008-07-14| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20101125013350/http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/magnificent-rail-journey/article-209062-detail/article.html| archive-date =25 November 2010| df =dmy-all}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{GeoGroupTemplate}}
{{GeoGroupTemplate}}
*[http://www.carfreedaysout.com/ Great Scenic Railways of Devon and Cornwall]
*[http://www.carfreedaysout.com/ Great Scenic Railways of Devon and Cornwall] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607153243/http://www.carfreedaysout.com/ |date=7 June 2007 }}
*[http://www.britishrailways1960.co.uk/WRPD24.html British Railways Sectional Appendix for the St Ives Branch, 1 October 1960]
*[http://www.britishrailways1960.co.uk/WRPD24.html British Railways Sectional Appendix for the St Ives Branch, 1 October 1960]


Line 102: Line 106:
[[Category:7 ft gauge railways]]
[[Category:7 ft gauge railways]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in England]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in England]]
[[Category:1877 establishments in England]]

Latest revision as of 16:50, 3 September 2024

St Ives Bay Line
Overview
Native nameLinen Baya Porth Ia
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleCornwall
Termini
Stations5
Service
TypeCommunity railway
Operator(s)Great Western Railway
Rolling stockClass 150
History
Opened1877
Technical
Line length4.25 miles (6.84 km)
Number of tracksSingle track throughout
CharacterRural
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Old gauge7 ft (2,134 mm) until 20 May 1892
Operating speed30 mph (48 km/h)
Route map

(Click to expand)

The St Ives Bay Line is a 4.25 miles (6.84 km) railway line from St Erth to St Ives in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It was opened in 1877, the last new 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge passenger railway to be constructed in the country. Converted to standard gauge in 1892, it continues to operate as a community railway, carrying tourists as well as local passengers. It has five stations including the junction with the Cornish Main Line at St Erth.

History

[edit]
St Ives circa 1890

The St Ives Junction Railway applied for an act of Parliament in 1845, but as the West Cornwall Railway failed in its application for an act in that session of Parliament, the St Ives company withdrew its proposal.[1] The Great Western, Bristol & Exeter, and South Devon Railway Companies Act 1873 was passed by Parliament to authorise a St Ives branch line as an extension of the West Cornwall Railway, although by that time this was controlled by the Great Western Railway. It was opened on 1 June 1877, the last new 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge passenger railway route to be built in Britain. A third rail was added to the southern section of the line in October 1888 to allow 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge goods trains to reach the wharf at Lelant. The last broad-gauge train ran on Friday 20 May 1892; since the following Monday all trains have been standard gauge.[2]

Although there was heavy traffic in fish in the early years, this declined during the first half of the twentieth century.[3] Goods traffic was withdrawn from the intermediate stations at Lelant and Carbis Bay in May 1956 but continued at St Ives until September 1963.[1]

All the sidings were taken out of use at St Ives by 1966, when trains on the branch were operated by diesel multiple units. The line was proposed for closure in the Reshaping of British railways report which prompted it to be one of the lines featured in Flanders and Swann’s Slow Train,[4] but Minister of Transport Barbara Castle reprieved it. On 23 May 1971, the platform at St Ives was moved to make way for a car park[5] but seven years later, on 27 May 1978, a new station was opened at Lelant Saltings between St Erth and Lelant. This was given a large car park so that it could operate as a Park and Ride facility for St Ives.[1] In June 2019, the Park and Ride facility was moved to St Erth and services at Lelant Saltings were reduced.

Route

[edit]
St Ives Bay Line
Legend
Cornish Main Line
to Penzance
0
 St Erth
Cornish Main Line
to London
¾
 Lelant Saltings
1
 Lelant
Lelant Wharf
3
 Carbis Bay
Carbis Bay Viaduct
St Ives Viaduct
4¼
 St Ives
The communities served by the route are: St Erth – Lelant – Carbis Bay – St Ives
Carbis Bay Viaduct

The branch line is single track for its whole length with no passing places.[6] It runs alongside the Hayle estuary and then the sea coast and is promoted as a good place to see birds from the train. It has also been listed as one of the most picturesque railways in England.

The line diverges from the Cornish Main Line at St Erth. After the line goes through a short cutting and underneath two road bridges which carry the A30 roundabout outside the station, the line follows the western side of the estuary past Lelant Saltings. Beyond Lelant railway station the line enters a cutting and climbs onto the sand dunes above Porth Kidney Sands on St Ives Bay,[7] with the church of St Uny and Lelant golf course on the left; the church's cemetery was disturbed when the railway cut through the hill.[8] The South West Coast Path crosses the line here and then follows close by all the way to St Ives. The railway continues to climb up and onto the steep cliffs at Hawkes Point, about 30 metres (98 ft) above sea level. Soon after the line comes around the headland at Carrick Gladden and into Carbis Bay.[7] Perched on the hillside above the beach, this resort only developed after the railway arrived in 1877.[8] The line now crosses 78 yards (71 m) long Carbis Viaduct then continues on the cliff's edge until it emerges at Porthminster Point, from where it drops down across the 106 yards (97 m) St Ives Viaduct to reach St Ives railway station which is situated above Portminster Beach.[7]

Services

[edit]
A sign at St Erth station informing passengers about the short turnaround times for the St Ives shuttle services

The line initially saw just five trains a day, but by 1909 this had grown to nine and in 1965 it was 17 with up to 24 on summer Saturdays. Some trains included through carriages from London Paddington station and in the 1950s the Cornish Riviera Express ran from St Ives through to Paddington on summer Saturdays.[1] The number of services continued to increase following the opening of Lelant Saltings and the summer of 2006 saw 26 daily services operated by Wessex Trains. Great Western Railway (train operating company) took over the operation later in the year and the winter timetable was reduced to 16 trains which caused some concern[9] but the summer of 2007 saw a return to the previous service level.[10]

As of August 2016, trains run at approximately 30-minute intervals in each direction for most of the day, including Sundays.[11]

In the summer months when traffic levels are high, most services are now operated by 2 x two-car Class 150 sets, but in the winter a two-car Class 150 set is used. On particularly busy days additional sets are added; St Ives can handle six carriages but the bay platform at St Erth is long enough for just five.[6] Two or three trains are extended to and from Penzance on most days to facilitate crew changes and to get the stock to and from Penzance Traction Maintenance Depot (TMD).[12]

As of May 2019, there continues to be trains running every 30 minutes. All these services call at Carbis Bay with trains serving Lelant mostly every two hours with some hourly gaps between services. Lelant Saltings is now served by just one train per day in each direction due to the relocation of the Park and Ride facility to St Erth.[13]

Since the line has no passing loops and before May 2019, the average journey time along the full length of the line was just under 15 minutes, services on the line used to suffer from very short turnaround times (about 1 minute) at both St Erth and St Ives stations.[11] As of May 2019, the journey time has decreased due to the majority of trains no longer stopping at Lelant Saltings. As a result, the turnaround time has been increased to roughly 4 minutes.

Signalling

[edit]

The line is controlled from the signal box at St Erth; only one train is allowed to operate on the line at any time. Trains travelling towards St Ives are described as 'down trains' and those towards St Erth as 'up trains'. There are three public crossings on the line. 'Western Growers Crossing' is a crossing at St Erth which the signaller can see from the signal box. 'Towan Crossing' is a user-worked crossing north of Lelant, and there is a foot crossing at Hawke's Point as the line approaches Carbis Bay.[6]

Community rail

[edit]

The St Ives Bay Line is one of the railway lines supported by the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, an organisation formed in 1991 to promote railway services in the area. The line is promoted by many means such as regular timetable and scenic line guides, as well as leaflets highlighting leisure opportunities such as walking, birdwatching, and visiting country pubs.

The special livery once carried by DMU 153329

A St Ives Bay Line rail ale trail was launched in 2005 to encourage rail travellers to use the railway and visit 14 participating pubs near the line.[citation needed]

During the period that Wessex Trains operated the service (2001-05), one of their Class 153 trains carried the name St Ives Bay Line and a blue livery with large coloured pictures promoting the line.[citation needed]

The branch was designated as a community railway line in July 2005, being one of seven pilots for the Department for Transport's Community Rail Development Strategy. This aims to increase the number of passengers and reduce costs to make lightly used railways more economically sustainable. Among its aims are a higher-frequency of service, to introduce local tickets and ticket vending machines, and public art on the stations promoting the line as the artistic gateway to St Ives.[14]

Passenger volume

[edit]
Despite figures showing just 251 passengers in the previous year, 150233 finds more than 60 people waiting at Lelant Saltings in 2009.

From 2001 to 2011 journeys on the St Ives Bay Line increased by 68%.[15]

Station usage
Station name 2002–03 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23
Lelant Saltings 17,001 18,281 23,774 653 251 554 622 17,224 101,284 107,780 114,932 116,798 125,064 121,258 145,110 138,012 84,522 392 568 652
Lelant 6,913 8,697 1,653 250 240 592 324 1,842 2,910 2,322 2,494 2,874 8,104 8,322 9,618 10,632 21,608 16,600 29,788 25,160
Carbis Bay 60,620 66,298 23,737 6,347 8,208 9,476 7,980 55,334 206,736 198,734 203,782 231,800 191,408 195,124 234,668 227,854 212,354 111,158 230,256 226,768
St Ives 213,397 220,300 171,281 117,131 139,455 173,722 154,502 258,530 578,214 585,308 595,326 638,754 657,750 659,066 752,654 750,478 706,826 293,880 733,970 720,062
The annual passenger usage is based on sales of tickets in stated financial years from Office of Rail and Road estimates of station usage. The statistics are for passengers arriving and departing from each station and cover twelve-month periods that start in April. Methodology may vary year on year. Usage from the periods 2019-20 and especially 2020-21 onwards have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

References

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Ives Bay Line.
  1. ^ a b c d Jenkins, Stanley C (1992). "the St Ives Branch". Great Western Railway Journal (Cornish Special Issue). Wild Swan Publications Ltd: 2–34.
  2. ^ MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway. Vol. 2 (1863–1921) (1 ed.). London: Great Western Railway. ISBN 0-7110-0411-0.
  3. ^ Bennett, Alan (1990) [1988]. The Great Western Railway in West Cornwall (2 ed.). Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 1-870754-12-3.
  4. ^ "Flanders & Swann Online". Slow Train. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  5. ^ Cooke, R A (1977). Track Layout Diagrams of the GWR and BR WR: Section 10, West Cornwall. Harwell: R A Cooke.
  6. ^ a b c Jacobs, Gerald (2005). Railway Track Diagrams Book 3: Western. Bradford-on-Avon: Trackmaps. ISBN 0-9549866-1-X.
  7. ^ a b c Ordnance Survey (1996), Land’s End, Explorer map (1:25,000 scale) 102, Ordnance Survey, Southampton
  8. ^ a b Bray, Lena; Bray, Donald (1992) [1981]. St Ives Heritage (Second ed.). Devoran: Landfall Publications. ISBN 1-873443-06-4.
  9. ^ BBC news report 9 March 2006
  10. ^ "National Rail Timetable 144 (Summer 2007)" (PDF). Network Rail.
  11. ^ a b Train times and train timetables - Great Western Railway (Timetable W9, pdf)
  12. ^ "National Rail Timetable 144 (Summer 2009)" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
  13. ^ "St Erth - St Ives" (PDF). Great Western Railway.
  14. ^ Department for Transport, Rail Group (2005), Route prospectus for the … St Ives Bay Line
  15. ^ "Station Usage". Rail Statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

50°11′40″N 5°27′01″W / 50.1945°N 5.4502°W / 50.1945; -5.4502

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