The next step in a series of improvements to the public transport system to connect Cornwall was highlighted yesterday.

Cornwall Council's cabinet portfolio holder for transport Geoff Brown was invited by Great Western Railway and Network Rail to see for himself the new Intercity Express trains and refurbished Castle Class trains, offering more seats and greater comfort, which will be used to deliver the new rail timetable introduced last week.

The new timetable sees seven extra train services a day in each direction between Penzance and Plymouth. The timetable sees regular half-hourly local stopping services between Plymouth and Penzance, doubling the frequency of off peak services.

Cllr Brown said: “We know that good public transport is important to our residents to connect communities, and to businesses, as they are vital to growing our economy. Promoting and providing good reliable public transport is also important in tackling climate change and getting cars off the road. That’s why improving public transport in Cornwall is a priority for this council.”

The additional trains will provide more than 4,000 extra seats every weekday.

Before the introduction of the new timetable, GWR services on the line were for the most part every hour, with some extra services during peak times. The seven new services in each direction will help plug the gaps, providing a near half-hourly service for the majority of the day.

The increase in the number of services has been made possible by improvements to mainline signalling.

The £400m programme of improvements for rail services in Cornwall is the result of a partnership between Cornwall Council, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, the Department for Transport, GWR and Network Rail.

This latest development is an important part of the One Public Transport System for Cornwall, one of a series of transformation programmes that forms part of the Cornwall Deal and a joint initiative between public transport operators and Cornwall Council. It will see the integration and alignment of transport services to benefit residents, commuters and visitors in Cornwall.

The council has been working with both Great Western Railway and the Department for Transport to look at opportunities to improve the frequency of train services. This includes the introduction of this new and improved rail timetable with more significant improvements due to come online at the end of the year when two trains per hour on the mainline will be introduced.

Geoff added: “Public transport passenger numbers in the south west are growing faster than anywhere else in the UK. Last year, 19.2 million journeys were made on public transport in Cornwall.

"The improved frequency of rail services and regular half-hourly local stopping services between Plymouth and Penzance, doubling the frequency of off peak services, and more than 4,000 extra seats every weekday is very welcome.

"This is a key element of our commitment to a One Public Transport System for Cornwall - a fully integrated and sustainable public transport network which will link bus, rail, and ferry timetables. Ultimately we want to deliver an integrated SMART ticketing system for bus, rail and ferry to make it as easy and convenient as possible for residents and visitors to use all forms of public transport.”

Glenn Caplin, chief executive of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership said: “Investment in public transport has been a LEP priority because of the positive impact it has on boosting productivity and tackling carbon emissions. Our rail service is being transformed and this new capacity will attract even more people to travel by train."