Falmouth will be given a huge boost when the rail service from Truro improves in the spring.

The £7.8 million improvement scheme enabling double the number of train services on the Falmouth branch line began on Monday.

An additional 400 metres-long track, which is a key element to help run two trains per hour at peak period, is being laid at Penryn Station.

The work will continue until October 24.

The extra track will create a passing loop adjacent to Penryn Station to enable the two-way movement of trains.

It should go some way to alleviating the huge parking problem in Penryn brought about by the increased number of students at the university and give a massive boost to Falmouth’s tourist industry.

Over the past ten years, the number of journeys made on the line has already increased by 67per cent with 261,000 journeys made in 2007 alone. Passenger demand is expected to grow further as Truro, Penryn and Falmouth continue to develop.

Work also begun at Penryn station on Monday, where its platform will be extended to cope with additional passengers that the new services are expected to bring. Existing signalling system will also be modernised to bring a more reliable service to passengers.

The project is jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Cornwall county council and Network Rail, and should enable trains to be fully operational in time for First Great Western’s new train timetable in the spring.

The railway line between Truro and Falmouth is approximately 11 miles long with a running time of slightly more than 20 minutes. Besides being a communter line, it also handles thousands of visitors and is one of a number of tourist-promoted branch lines in the county.

The current interval between each service varies and passengers have had to wait up to two hours for the next train to arrive. The irregularity in services and inconsistency in departure time has long been criticised but Network Rail hope all those problems will be resolved.

The work now being carried out has also been arranged to coincide with pre-planned line closure organised 18 months in advance, so that service disruption is minimised. In addition, there will also be replacement services for passengers travelling during this period and the updated travel information is now available through National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50. Passengers are advised to check their travel time before starting their journey.

After the line re-opens, signalling work between Truro and Penryn will continue over the next six months with no disruption to passengers.