Cornishman (train)

The Cornishman was a British express passenger train to Penzance in Cornwall. From its inception in the 19th century until before World War II it originated at London Paddington. Under British Railways it became a quite different service, starting variously from Wolverhampton, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds or Bradford.

The Cornishman originates from the days of Brunel's broad gauge, first running in summer 1890 between London Paddington and Penzance in Cornwall. The down train left Paddington at 10:15, and called at Bristol at 12:45, Exeter at 14:20, Plymouth at 13:50, arriving Penzance at 19:50. At 8 hours and 35 minutes for the 325¼ miles, this made it the fastest train to the West of England, and one of the most popular, being unusual for an important named train in conveying third-class passengers. On 20 May 1892 The Cornishman became the last broad-gauge express to leave London for Cornwall.

By 1893 the Great Western Railway (GWR), now at standard gauge, built special Brake Third coaches for The Cornishman (Diagrams D10 and D11), and in 1895 laid water troughs at Goring and Keynsham allowing it to be the first train to run non-stop between London and Bristol. The departure time from London was altered to 10:30, and after another reduction of 15 minutes in 1903 The Cornishman became the first train to be scheduled from London to Bristol in 2 hours. Non-stop running was extended in 1896 when a relief section for Newquay was booked to travel from Paddington to Exeter non-stop, the longest non-stop journey in the world at that time. The train then called at Plymouth, Par and Newquay only.

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