Penzance railway station

The station was opened by the West Cornwall Railway on 11 March 1852{{cite news |author= |title=West Cornwall Railway. Opening of the Line from Redruth to Penzance |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000180/18520312/002/0004?browse=true |newspaper=Royal Cornwall Gazette |location=Falmouth |date=12 March 1852 |access-date=5 October 2015|via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} as the terminus of its line from Redruth. The station itself consisted of a single platform face, and along with the rest of the West Cornwall Railway was laid as standard gauge.{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=19}} This changed in 1866 when the West Cornwall Railway was relaid to mixed gauge allowing South Devon Railway Leopard class locomotive Lance to bring in the first broad gauge train which carried dignitaries from Truro,{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=19}} although the small station with the single platform remained with little other alteration. A siding extended beyond the goods shed and ran along Albert Quay.{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=155}}

In 1876, the Great Western Railway took over the West Cornwall Railway and a major redevelopment was undertaken. An enlarged goods shed was built and the wooden passenger buildings were replaced by a much larger station built in rock-faced granite{{cite book |last1=Beacham |first1=Peter |last2=Pevsner |first2=Nikolaus |date=2014 |title=The Buildings of England. Cornwall |publisher=Yale University Press |page=430 |isbn=9780300126686 }} to a design by William Lancaster Owen. The total cost was around £15,000 ({{Inflation|UK|15000|1879|r=-4|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}){{Inflation-fn|UK|df=y}} which included the 250ft by 80ft roof which cost £5,000 for the iron and the 50 tons of glass.{{cite news|title=Penzance|work=The Cornishman|issue=74|date=11 December 1879|page=4}} The new station had the booking office at street level, with the two platforms linked by a staircase,{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=155}} and was used for the first time on 18 November 1879.{{cite news |author= |title=Fire at the Penzance New Railway Station |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000349/18791120/114/0005 |newspaper=West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser |location=Falmouth |date=20 November 1879 |access-date=5 October 2015|via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}} However, the new station suffered from teething problems because, by 1880, it was reported that some settlement in the masonry and shrinkage of the iron in the roof had caused several sheets of the glazing to break.{{cite news |author= |title=Penzance |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000331/18800603/020/0004 |newspaper=Cornishman |location=Falmouth |date=3 June 1880 |access-date=5 October 2015|via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}

In 1892, station was converted from broad gauge to standard gauge. At the same time, work was undertaken to widen and extend both the two platforms, and a fourth road was laid in the station.{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=155}}

File:GWR SRM 45 Penzance.jpg

Following grouping, about 60 staff were employed at Penzance station by the 1930s. In 1937, the GWR were granted permission to reclaim land from the sea, permitting a significant enlargement of the station with the capacity being doubled with two platforms providing four platform faces, three of which were under the main roof.{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=156}}

The blocked-up archway in the wall that retains the hillside behind the platforms was used by the railway as a coal store.

The last train of the steam era to Penzance was a railtour hauled by West Country class 34002 Salisbury on 3 May 1964.{{sfn|Mitchell|1994|p=143}}

The WCR station had a disc-and-crossbar signal on the end of the single platform; this was common on the GWR and associated companies.{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=19}} This was replaced by the familiar semaphore signals, and these were replaced in turn by colour light signals in 1982.{{sfn|Mitchell|1994|p=143}}

Further alterations were made in 1983, when a new ticket office and buffet were opened.{{cite book| last = Bennett| first = Alan| title = The Great Western Railway in West Cornwall| publisher = Runpast Publishing| year = 1988| location = Cheltenham| isbn = 1-870754-12-3}} The 1983 refurbishment also included the replacement of the lantern roof with a different design. The new roof failed to vent diesel fumes from the trains to the necessary safety standard, meaning passengers had to alight outside the concourse.{{cite book |author1=Michael Sagar-Fenton |title=Penzance in 50 Buildings |date=2017 |publisher=Amberley Publishing |isbn=9781445665863 |pages=55}}

From 1996, South West Trains operated a weekly weekend service from {{stnlink|London Waterloo}} as an extension of its service to {{Stnlink|Exeter St Davids}}; this ceased in December 2009.

In 2012–13, the station's roof was refurbished.{{cite news|url=http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Penzance-train-station-Giving-travellers-good/story-17265961-detail/story.html#axzz2fBO6Vm5t|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130917202808/http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Penzance-train-station-Giving-travellers-good/story-17265961-detail/story.html%23axzz2fBO6Vm5t|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 September 2013|title=Penzance train station: Giving travellers a good welcome|work=The Cornishman|date=8 November 2012|access-date=21 June 2014}}

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File:Penzance track diagram.png

File:Penzance Station by Kernow Skies.jpg

Penzance is the terminus of the Cornish Main Line from {{stnlnk|Plymouth}}. It is situated {{convert|326|mi|50|chain|mi km|lk=in}} from {{stn|London Paddington}}, measured via {{stnlnk|Box}} and {{stnlnk|Plymouth Millbay}}.{{cite book |last=Padgett |first=David |editor-last=Munsey |editor-first=Myles |title=Railway Track Diagrams 3: Western & Wales |edition=6th |date=June 2018 |orig-year=1989 |publisher=Trackmaps |location=Frome |isbn=978-1-9996271-0-2 |at=map 11B }} It is the southernmost railway station in Great Britain.{{Cite book |last1=Pipe |first1=Vicki |title=The Railway Adventures |last2=Marshall |first2=Geoff |publisher=September Publishing |year=2018}}{{Cite web |date=15 March 2019 |title=Penzance Railway Station {{!}} Images of Cornwall |url=https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/photos/penzance-railway-station.htm |access-date=3 April 2022 |website=Cornwall Guide |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2008-08-15 |title=Trail Of The Unexpected: Art at the end of the line |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/trail-of-the-unexpected-art-at-the-end-of-the-line-898762.html |access-date=3 April 2022 |website=The Independent |language=en}}

Platforms 1, 2 and 3 are within the main train shed; platform 4 is on the south side, in the open air. A large stone at the end of this platform welcomes people to Penzance in both English and Cornish. This side of the station is built on the sea wall near the harbour; the other side is cut into the hillside.

There is only one bi-directional line into/out of the station as far as the former station at {{stnlnk|Marazion}}, as the former northbound line has been used to access Penzance TMD at Long Rock since 1977.

As the western terminus of the Night Riviera service from London Paddington, the station has a sleeper lounge and a shower room to the northern end of the concourse, as well as waiting rooms and two cafes on the concourse. There is also an information point on platform 3.{{Cite web |title=National Rail Enquiries - |url=https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations-and-destinations/stations-made-easy/penzance-station-plan |access-date=23 March 2022 |website=www.nationalrail.co.uk}}

File:Penzance - CrossCountry 221130 in platform 4.JPG at platform 4]]

Penzance is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line; it is served by two train operating companies:

• Great Western Railway operates local and inter-regional services to and from Plymouth and {{Stnlnk|Cardiff Central}}; it also runs inter-city services to and from London Paddington station, including the overnight Night Riviera sleeping car service. {{Cite web |work=Great Western Railway |title=Train Times |date=2 June 2024 |access-date=6 September 2024 |url= https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/train-times |quote=}}
• CrossCountry operates a small number of daily services to and from destinations in the West Midlands, North East and Scotland, including {{Stnlnk|Birmingham New Street}}, {{Stnlnk|Leeds}} and {{rws|Edinburgh Waverley}}. {{Cite web |work=CrossCountry |title=Timetables |date=2 June 2024 |access-date=6 September 2024 |url= https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/travel-updates-information/train-timetables |quote=}}

The longest distance train service in the United Kingdom for many years ran from {{stnlnk|Aberdeen}} to Penzance with a journey time was around 13 hours.{{cite news |last=Barrow |first=Andrew |date=6 February 2015 |title=Britain in a day: the longest train route in the country |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/11386345/Britain-in-a-day-the-longest-train-route-in-the-country.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=3 December 2015 }} Since May 2025 the service only runs between Aberdeen and Plymouth.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c753zzvd6gno |title=We had to be on last run of UK's longest train route |first1=Ken |last1=Banks |first2=Ben |last2=Philip |department=BBC Scotland News |location=Aberdeen |date=16 May 2025 |accessdate=19 May 2025 |website=BBC News }}

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The WCR station had both a goods shed and a locomotive shed between the passenger station and the sea; when a fire destroyed the goods shed in 1876,{{cite news |author= |date=22 January 1876 |title=Fire at the Penzance Railway Station |newspaper=Royal Cornwall Gazette |location=Falmouth |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000180/18760122/043/0008 |url-access=subscription |access-date=5 October 2015 |via=British Newspaper Archive}} the building was enlarged considerably incorporating the original locomotive shed{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=19}} which had been replaced by one on the opposite side of the line near the end of the retaining wall, which in turn was replaced by the new Penzance Traction Maintenance Depot outside the station at Long Rock. In the first decade of the 20th century, Penzance was typically handling 45,000 tons of goods each year.{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=155}}

In November 1882, there were complaints about the paving, rail tracks and the difficulty for traffic to pass on the Albert Pier. The Borough Council requested the Railway Company to replace the paving with granite setts before relaying the rails.{{cite news |date=9 November 1882 |title=The Albert Pier Obstruction |page=8 |work=The Cornishman |issue=226}}

When the expansion of 1937 doubled the number of platform faces, the fourth face was outside the overall roof; this was used for mail and parcels traffic as access to the road was provided.{{sfn|Vaughan|2009|p=156}}

In 1987, the goods facilities were removed and the land levelled for use as a car park.

Penzance is the second busiest station in Cornwall; {{stnlnk|Truro}} is the busiest, with more than twice the number of passengers. Comparing the year from April 2011 to that which started in April 2002, passenger numbers increased by 48%.{{cite web|title =Station Usage| url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529|work =Rail Statistics|publisher =Office of Rail Regulation|access-date = 25 March 2010}}

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

{{reflist|group=Note|refs=

One source gives the date of the new roof as 1990.

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{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last= Vaughan |first= John |title= An Illustrated History of the Cornish Main Line |publisher= OPC |year= 2009|isbn= 978-0-86093-625-1}}
• {{cite book |last= Mitchell |first= David |title= British Railways past and present: Cornwall |publisher= Past & Present publishing |location=Peterboroough |volume = 17 |year= 1994|isbn= 1-85895-060-0}}

{{Portal|Cornwall}}

{{Commons category|Penzance railway station}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAiTameJJEo Video footage and history of Penzance railway station]
• {{stn art lrnk|PNZ}}

• {{cite magazine|title=Travel Centre|magazine=Rail Enthusiast|publisher=EMAP National Publications|date=October 1982|page=52|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}

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{{Cornwall railway stations}}

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Category:Former Great Western Railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Cornwall

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1852

Category:Railway stations served by CrossCountry

Category:Railway stations served by Great Western Railway

Category:Railway stations serving harbours and ports in the United Kingdom

Category:William Lancaster Owen railway stations

Category:1852 establishments in England

Category:Buildings and structures in Penzance

Category:DfT Category C1 stations

Category:Cardinal points of the Great British railway network