A railway nobody asked for. The New Mid Cornwall Rail link Metro project ploughs on regardless. Here the new platforms and rail buffer terminals are created. It has been necessary to close the Rail line until Mid December 2024 to allow works to progress. GWR provides a bus link for passengers to get to Par station to make a rail link. The project is mostly UK Govt funded under a scheme initiated by Boris Johnson when Conservative Prime Minister, part of the National levelling up scheme. However, the Govt has only provided £52 million with the Cornwall Unity Authority topping up the rest.
Great Western Railways the rail franchise holder in this area says there is not enough passenger demand thus the project does not make sense. An estimated 700,000 passenger capacity is mentioned. The train service between Newquay and Par will double (from every two hours to hourly) from May 2025. Direct trains serving the full Mid Cornwall Metro route between Newquay and Falmouth will start in 2026. Cornwall County Unity Authority has started spending on the Mid Cornwall Metro, but costs could rise by £15 million above budget.
Work has started although councillors have yet to decide to underwrite potential annual running cost losses in the region of £4.5 million per annum.
The Council agreement with Network Rail means costs could increase by 25% - an extra £15 million – before a trigger point is reached to scrap the whole idea.
 An update on the council’s website says County Hall can still terminate its agreement with Network Rail “if the cost of works increases to more than 25% of the original estimated cost.”
Critics of the project fear this is an open invitation for the costs to rise to at least £75 million before any questions are asked.  At the same time the new government, elected on is undertaking a review of “poor value” transport infrastructure projects with an ambition to claw back as much money as possible.  The conclusions of that review are not expected before the end of October.
The previous Conservative government contributed £50 million in Levelling Up funds which are not formally part of the transport spending review.  But ministers have said they want to crack down on waste wherever they find it.
The council refuses to provide a running commentary on its dealings and decisions, claiming its deal with rail companies is commercially confidential.