List of railway stations in Cornwall explained

The first of the passenger railway stations in Cornwall, England, were opened in 1834. The network expanded considerably between the 1840s and 1900s. There were 81 stations in the duchy in 1960 but rationalisation of lines and stations has reduced this to just 36 National rail stations since 1989 including two opened in the 1970s. These are on the Cornish Main Line (between and where it continues across the Royal Albert Bridge into Devon) and the five remaining branch lines. There are also a small number of new or reopened stations on heritage railways.

The busiest station is with more than one million passengers each year; the quietest is with fewer than 250.

Railway development in Cornwall

Early transport in Cornwall relied on coastal shipping so the first rail tracks were laid to connect the hinterland with harbours.^[1] The first line to carry passengers was the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway (B&WR) on 4 July 1834.^[2]

In the west the Hayle Railway connected that port with at the end of 1837 and started a passenger service on 23 May 1843. This line was not convenient to operate but was taken over by the West Cornwall Railway (WCR) and realigned in 1852, extending it west to and east to . It moved its Truro terminus to join the new Cornwall Railway (CR) which opened from on 4 May 1859. The CR completed its line from Truro to Falmouth on 24 August 1863. The WCR and CR were financially supported by the Great Western Railway (GWR). Other branch lines were opened, either by the GWR or independent companies which were later absorbed, to places such as and (1876) (1879), and (1887), and Bodmin (1888). The GWR network was completed in 1905 by a long line which connected Truro with Newquay via .^[2]

Meanwhile the B&WR had been bought by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) but remained isolated from its parent until their line through the north of Cornwall to opened in 1895. This was extended to Padstow in 1899. The LSWR also supported branches across the border from Devon to (1898) and (1908). The GWR also had a cross-border line to from 1865.^[2] The LSWR became part of the Southern Railway in 1923 while the GWR continued with its same name, although absorbing the last of the still independent lines that it operated.

The 1900s saw a number of small halts opened and, often, closed as the railways made an effort to keep local traffic away from trams and buses. The railways themselves operated bus routes, the first in the country being a GWR service from Helston railway station to The Lizard in 1903.^[3]

During the 1960s many of the quieter stations and lines were closed, either as a result of Dr Beeching's Reshaping of British Railways or general commercial considerations. The whole of the LSWR network was closed (except for two stations on a truncated Callington line) as were many GWR branches, but this has allowed heritage and narrow gauge railways to open using parts of these old lines.

Stations on the national network

Estimated station usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at each station from Office of Rail and Road statistics. The methodology for calculating the number may vary between years.^[4] Closure dates refer to passenger services, goods traffic may have continued to a later date.

	Station	Opened	Closed	Route	width=75	Usage 1999 - 2000	width=75	Usage 2018 - 19	Notes
		1852	1853	Cornish Main Line			^[5]
		1887	1967	Bodmin branch			Reopened as heritage station 1987
		1834	1967	Bodmin and Wadebridge
		1859	–	Cornish Main Line, Bodmin branch	144,723	234,030	Known as Bodmin Road until 1983. Also used by heritage services to Bodmin from 1990.
		1964	1966	Bodmin and Wadebridge, Bodmin branch			Reopened as heritage station on new site in 1996
		1898	1966	Bude branch
		1876	–	Atlantic Coast Line	1,262	5,616
		1863	1931	Cornish Main Line			Junction for goods line to Drinnick Mill
		1908	1966	Callington branch			Known as Callington Road until 1909
		1908	–	Tamar Valley Line	24,133	37,834
		1843	–	Cornish Main Line	112,063	266,006
		1893	1966	North Cornwall
		1877	–	St Ives Bay Line	38,410	227,854
		1843	1961	Cornish Main Line			Known as Pool until 1875 except for a short period in 1852-1854 when it was Carn Brea
		1879	–	Looe Valley Line	2,203	1,620
		1853	1964	Cornish Main Line, Perranporth branch
		1909	1966	Callington branch
		1901	–	Looe Valley Line	32	204
		1843	1852	Hayle Railway
		1905	1908	Cornish Main Line
		1905	1930	Cornish Main Line
		1893	1966	North Cornwall
		1905	1908	Cornish Main Line
		1860	1964	Cornish Main Line
		1906	1967	Bodmin and Wadebridge
		1892	1966	North Cornwall
		1863	–	Maritime Line	27,050	96,726	Closed 1970, reopened 1975
		1970	–	Maritime Line	74,026	213,934	Known as The Dell from 1975 until 1989
		1876	1965	Fowey branch
		1896	1965	Fowey branch
		1905	1963	Perranporth branch
		1905	1963	Perranporth branch
		1859	1964	Cornish Main Line
		1906	1967	Bodmin and Wadebridge
		1908	–	Tamar Valley Line	39,340	60,396	Relocated 1994
		1853	1964	Cornish Main Line, Helston branch
		1843	1852	Hayle Railway
		1852	–	Cornish Main Line	38,816	83,446
		1887	1962	Helston branch
		1908	1966	Callington branch
	Launceston North	1865	1952	Launceston branch
	Launceston South	1886	1966	North Cornwall
		1877	–	St Ives Bay Line	4,823	10,632
		1978	–	St Ives Bay Line	99,778	138,012
		1859	–	Cornish Main Line, Looe Valley Line	207,802	351,172
		1860	–	Looe Valley Line	68,466	117,506	Platform shortened 1968
		1859	–	Cornish Main Line	33,767	66,624
		1908	1966	Callington branch			Known as Stoke Climsand until 1909
		1876	–	Atlantic Coast Line	837	1,770	Known as Bridges until 1905
		1852	1964	Cornish Main Line			Known as Marazion Road until 1896
		1859	–	Cornish Main Line	9,652	3,696
		1905	1963	Perranporth branch
		1905	1963	Perranporth branch
		1879	1901	Looe Valley Line
		1905	1963	Perranporth branch
		1887	1962	Helston branch
		1906	1967	Bodmin and Wadebridge
		1876	–	Atlantic Coast Line, Perranporth branch	63,968	103,172
		1893	1966	North Cornwall
	Padstow	1899	1967	North Cornwall
		1859	–	Cornish Main Line, Atlantic Coast Line	66,379	194,644
		1897	1908	Par to Fowey
		1925	–	Maritime Line	57,208	191,414
		1863	–	Maritime Line	40,875	240,156
		1852	–	Cornish Main Line	406,236	570,098	Rebuilt 1890; new platforms 1937
		1903	1963	Perranporth branch
		1931	1963	Perranporth branch
		1863	–	Maritime Line	8,279	31,920	Known as Perran until 1864
		1895	1966	North Cornwall
		1887	1962	Helston branch
		1908	1957	Cornish Main Line
		1911	–	Atlantic Coast Line	1,019	2,684
		1843	1852	Hayle Railway
		1852	–	Cornish Main Line	183,799	327,532
		1859	1859	Cornish Main Line			Temporary station until Bodmin Road was ready for use
		1876	–	Atlantic Coast Line	545	5,090	Known as Holywell for a short while and then Victoria until 1904
	Saint Agnes	1931	1963	Perranporth branch
	Saint Austell	1859	–	Cornish Main Line	238,316	460,130	Rebuilt 2000
	Saint Blazey	1876	1925	Atlantic Coast Line			Known as Par until 1879 but renamed to avoid confusion with the station of that name on the main line
	Saint Columb Road	1876	–	Atlantic Coast Line	1,474	1,936	Known as Halloon until 1878
	Saint Erth	1852	–	Cornish Main Line, St Ives Bay Line	58,747	271,234	Known as St Ives Road until the branch line opened in 1877 Grade II listed
	Saint Germans	1859	–	Cornish Main Line	25,970	56,698
	Saint Ives	1877	–	St Ives Bay Line	259,302	750,478	Relocated 1971
	Saint Kew Highway	1895	1966	North Cornwall
Saint Keyne		1900	–	Looe Valley Line	923	1,334
	Saint Lawrence	1895	1966	Bodmin and Wadebridge
		1859	–	Cornish Main Line	28,889	83,574	Rebuilt 1880
		1881	–	Looe Valley Line	1,575	1,274
		1852	1964	Cornish Main Line			Known as Scorrier Gate until 1896 except for the short period from 1856-1859 when it was Scorrier
		1910	1914	Callington branch
		1905	1963	Perranporth branch
		1885	1947	Bodmin and Wadebridge			Opening and closing dates are uncertain
		1891	1966	North Cornwall
		1905	1963	Perranporth branch
		1859	–	Cornish Main Line, Maritime Line	578,008	1,186,886	Rebuilt 1900
		1855	1863	West Cornwall Railway
		1852	1855	West Cornwall Railway			Temporary station at Highertown
		1905	1963	Helston branch			Known as Truthall Platform from 1906. Reopened as heritage station in 2017.^[6]
		1834	1967	Bodmin and Wadebridge, North Cornwall			Rebuilt 1888 Grade II listed

Heritage railway stations

Opened	Closed	Heritage opened	Route	Notes
–	–	1974	Lappa Valley Steam Railway
1887	1967	1987	Bodmin and Wenford Railway
1859	–	1990	Bodmin and Wenford Railway	Known as Bodmin Road until 1983.
1964	1966	1996	Bodmin and Wenford Railway	Original platform was on a different site adjacent to the Bodmin North branch line
–	–	tbc	Launceston Steam Railway
–	–	1992	Bodmin and Wenford Railway
–	–	tbc	Launceston Steam Railway
–	–	1983	Launceston Steam Railway	Not on the site of previous Launceston station which closed in 1966
–	–	1995	Launceston Steam Railway
–	–	2011	Helston Railway
1905	1963	2017	Helston Railway

Notes and References

Book: Guthrie . A . Cornwall in the Age of Steam . 1994 . Tabb House . Padstow . 1-873951-16-7 . 115–116.
Book: Clinker . C.R. . The Railways of Cornwall 1809-1963 . 1963 . David & Charles . Dawlish . 5–11.
Book: Cummings . John . Railway Motor Buses and Bus Services 1902-1933 (Volume 2) . 1980 . Oxford Publishing Company . Oxford . 0860930505 . 23–24.
Web site: Estimates of station usage. Office of Rail and Road .
Book: Oakley, Mike. Cornwall Railway Stations. Dovecote Press. 2009. Wimbourne Minster. 978-1-904-34968-6. 11.
Web site: Helston Branch . Cornwall Railway Society . 2020-05-22.