The Bodmin Railway is a heritage railway at Bodmin in Cornwall, England. Its headquarters are at Bodmin General railway station and it connects with the national rail network at .
The original line was opened in 1887 and 1888. Passenger trains were withdrawn in 1967 and freight traffic in 1983. Heritage trains started to operate in 1990. Most of the trains are typical of those that have operated in Cornwall and west Devon.
History
thumb|left|Bodmin General in 1964
The Cornwall Railway was authorised to construct a branch from its Plymouth to Falmouth main line but lack of funds prevented this. When the main line did open in 1859 the town of Bodmin was only served by Bodmin Road station which was nearly away. An independent Bodmin and Cornwall Junction Railway was authorised in 1864 to construct the branch but again, a lack of funds prevented the work.
The Great Western Railway (GWR) opened a branch line from Bodmin Road as far as its Bodmin station on 27 May 1887 and completed it on 3 September 1888 to where it connected with the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway (B&WR). This had opened a line from its own Bodmin station to in 1834, although by 1888 it was operated by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR).
Passenger services were withdrawn by British Rail (BR) on 30 January 1967 but freight continued to Wadebridge until 2 September 1978 and to Wenford until 3 October 1983. Before that happened, a siding had been opened at the Walker Lines Industrial Estate (near Bodmin General on the line to Bodmin Road) for Fulford Trumps who suppliers of agricultural equipment.
As a heritage railway
The Great Western Society leased the engine shed at Bodmin General from 1969. Its GWR 1361 Class locomotive 1363 was kept there and sometimes gave trips around the station area but was moved to their headquarters at Didcot Railway Centre in 1982.
A Light Railway Order was granted in 1989. Services started on 17 June 1990 between Bodmin General and Bodmin Parkway (the new name of Bodmin Road since 1983) The line to Boscarne Junction reopened on 14 August 1996.
The siding at Walker Lines was used from December 1989 until July 1991 for freight traffic dispatched by the Fitzgerald Lighting Company. This transhipment facility was on the site of the former Fulford Trumps siding with a three-way point relocated from Burngullow China Clay Dries. Trains were worked to Bodmin Parkway by Bodmin and Wenford Railway diesel locomotives where they were handed over to British Rail. Traffic was resumed in September 1996 with English, Welsh and Scottish Railway providing the main line haulage but ceased in July 2001 when EWS closed their wagonload network. but the line was not reopened. There were objections from cyclists as the route was now the Camel Trail cycle route and the china clay drier closed in 2002.
Attention has since changed to the route from Boscarne Junction towards Wadebridge, although this is also alongside the Camel Trail. The Bodmin and Wenford Rail Freight company was renamed as the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway Company Limited in 2004 to facilitate this scheme. it became the 'RailTrail' project in 2008. It was supported by the North Cornwall District Council but only by a single casting vote. There were objections from cyclists, environmentalists and some residents of Wadebridge. A bid for government funding was made in 2020.
£54,000 funding was secured from the Great Western Railway in 2019 to build a second platform at Bodmin General. This would allow the railway to operate additional trains.
Route
The railway is long and climbs about on gradients as steep as 1 in 37.
Passenger trains are mostly formed from British Rail Mark 1 coaches but some Great Western Railway coaches are also used.
Heritage goods wagons include several examples of open wagons that had been built by British Rail to carry china clay in Cornwall. Other wagons are used to maintain the railway and its equipment. The oldest item is a ganger's pump trolley dating from when the London and South Western Railway owned the Bodmin and Wadebridge line. It used to be kept in a shed at Dunmere Junction.