Looe Valley Line

The Looe Valley Line is a community railway running 14 kilometres from Liskeard to Looe in Cornwall. It follows the East Looe River for much of its course, winding through a steep-sided valley. The line was opened in 1860 as the Liskeard and Looe Railway, replacing an earlier canal. It connected granite quarries on Bodmin Moor to the port at Looe. Passenger services began in 1879, though the original terminus was inconveniently sited at Moorswater. The line is worth the journey for its scenic route and community focus. It was reprieved from closure in 1966 after a campaign led by the Minister of Transport. Since 1992, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership has promoted the line, offering guides for walking, birdwatching and visiting country pubs. The Looe Valley Line Rail Ale Trail encourages travellers to visit eight pubs near the line, with a souvenir shirt for completing the trail. The line was designated a community rail line in 2005 as part of a strategy to improve rural transport. A visitor finds a single-track railway worked by one train set each day. The train leaves Liskeard station, curves away from the main line and passes under the A38 road twice. It descends steeply to Coombe Junction, where most trains change direction. Beyond St Keyne Wishing Well Halt lies the museum of fairground organs, a ten-minute walk from the station. The line follows the tidal estuary to Looe station, a five-minute walk from the town centre. The route passes level crossings, ruined canal locks and the river’s final lock before reaching the harbour.