Maritime Line
| Maritime Line | |
|---|---|
A train crosses Carnon viaduct on its way towards Truro
|
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Status | Open |
| Locale | Cornwall |
| Termini |
Truro 50°15′50″N 5°03′54″W / 50.2640°N 5.0649°W Falmouth Docks 50°09′03″N 5°03′21″W / 50.1508°N 5.0558°W |
| Stations | 6 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1863 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | Great Western Railway |
| Character | Community rail |
| Rolling stock |
Class 150 Class 153 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 11.75 miles (19 km) |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Loading gauge | RA6 / W7 |
| Operating speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
The Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro, the county town, to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom.
The Maritime Line was built by the Cornwall Railway, a broad gauge railway 7 ft (2,134 mm) from Plymouth to Falmouth. The purpose of the scheme was to link London with Falmouth, a port where packet ships sailed to destinations in Europe, Africa, and America.
The section from Plymouth to Truro opened on 4 May 1859, and the inhabitants of Falmouth soon put pressure on the company to extend the line to their town as originally intended. The extension opened on 24 August 1863, by which time the packet ships had been diverted elsewhere.
After the West Cornwall Railway was converted to broad gauge in 1867, the Truro to Falmouth line tended to be operated as a branch, with the trains from London Paddington operating to Penzance instead.
The original stations on the line were at Truro, Perranwell (known as Perran until 19 February 1864), Penryn, and Falmouth (Now Falmouth Docks). Penmere was added on 1 July 1925, and Falmouth Town (originally known as The Dell) opened on 7 December 1970. The line terminated at the Dell for five years before reopening to the original terminus.
The Cornwall Railway was amalgamated into the Great Western Railway on 1 July 1889. Following the amalgamation, plans were put in place for conversion to standard gauge, which took place over the weekend of 21 May 1892. The Great Western Railway was nationalised into British Railways on 1 January 1948.
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