Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership

The Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is the largest Community Rail Partnership in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1991 to promote the use of, and improvements to, rural railways in Devon and Cornwall, and also to promote the places served in order to improve the local economy.

The Partnership is based at the University of Plymouth and is backed by Devon County Council, Cornwall Council, and Plymouth City Council. Railway industry backing came initially from Wessex Trains but it withdrew in 2006 when its franchise was transferred to Great Western Railway, which had joined the Partnership the previous year.

There are six rural branch lines promoted by the Partnership, each supported by a Working Party and supported by local councils and designated as community rail lines by the Department for Transport.

There are two further lines which radiate from Exeter – the Avocet Line and the Riviera Line – but are not designated as community railways and are not usually part of the work of the Partnership. They do, however, sometimes feature in "scenic railway" promotions by the Partnership, as do the region's heritage railway lines.

In addition, several railway stations have "Friends" groups supported by the Partnership and which undertake local promotion of services and take on work such as gardening and litter collection.

A Rural Transport Partnership grant from the Countryside Agency has provided £1 million investment for the lines during 2001-2007. This has enabled extra trains to be run, station improvements to be undertaken, and marketing campaigns to be established. Further funding has been secured by grants from the Rail Passenger Partnership Fund of the Strategic Rail Authority, and £235,000 from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund funded marketing in 1997-1999.

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