Great Western Railway (GWR) is asking customers to check train times before travelling ahead of rail improvement works taking place throughout West Cornwall, starting tomorrow.

Network Rail will be undertaking viaduct waterproofing and track work in Redruth and Hayle between Saturday 15 and Sunday 23 February. Bridge refurbishment work will also be taking place on the St Ives Bay Line between Saturday, February 15 and Thursday, February, 20.

Amended train services will operate from Truro towards Plymouth with roughly one train per hour in each direction. Buses will replace trains from Penzance to Truro for the nine days, with buses also running between St Erth and St Ives until Thursday, February, 20 . Services will run on the Falmouth branch line up to 15 minutes later than usual.

Long-distance services from London Paddington to Devon and Cornwall will continue to operate but will terminate at Truro. Replacement buses will connect with trains, adding up to 50 minutes to journey times. Some train departure times will also be changed, and passengers have been advised to check beforehand.

Scott Pillinger, Network Rail’s programme manager, said: "We thank passengers in advance while we carry out these vital upgrades across Cornwall and remind them to check before they travel. The improvements will help provide passengers with more reliable journeys and represents further investment in the railway in Cornwall following recent signalling upgrades in the South West."

Further works elsewhere in Cornwall are also due to take place this March with buses replacing trains on the following dates:

Sunday, March, 1 – Truro to Penzance (including St Erth to St Ives)

Tuesday, March, 3 to Thursday, March, 5 – Liskeard to Looe

Sunday, March, 8 – Liskeard to Truro (including the Newquay branch)

Weekends of 14/15 and 21/22 March – Par to Newquay (buses run from St Austell instead of Par).