A remarkable view of Newquay station close to midnight on August 28, as Type 3 No. 37610 has just arrived with the eight-weekly 3Q53 ultrasonic test train trip from Penzance to Exeter via Looe and Newquay. Work is underway here to reinstate a second platform as part of the £57 million Mid Cornwall Metro scheme, which will allow an hourly coast-to-coast service to Falmouth via Par, St Austell and Truro. The project also includes a new passing loop on the Newquay branch at Tregoss Moor which, in addition to the existing one at Goonbarrow, will mean that local trains can run concurrently with long-distance Intercity services during the summer months, instead of being replaced by them as is the present case. The platform work is due to be completed this winter and the passing loop by February 2025, allowing an hourly service to Par to begin in May 2025 and the full Mid Cornwall service in 2026.
JON HIRD