CONCERN that the Tamar Valley railway branch line which serves Calstock and Gunnislake will 'wither on the vine' if the proposed rejuvenation of the Tavistock to Plymouth goes ahead has been expressed by a parish councillor.

But Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, which is backing an £18.5-million plan by the Kilbride Group for the restoration of the 5.5-mile track from Bere Alston to a new station at Tavistock, says the fears are unfounded.

Cllr Dorothy Kirk, a Calstock parish councillor, told the Times: 'The line from Bere Alston continues, at the moment, to Calstock and to Gunnislake. It would seem to me to be highly unlikely that the service to these two villages would be unaffected if the proposed new railway link is built.

'Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership have assured Calstock Parish Council that their aim is to provide the "best possible" service to Calstock and Gunnislake.

'If the service from Bere Alston is rendered completely uneconomic by trains going off to Tavistock, the "best possible" service could be none at all, which would be catastrophic for the people of the upper Tamar Valley.'

Devon County Council, which has secured the track-bed of the 5.5-mile line, she claimed, would not be interested in fighting to keep the 'other' side of the branch line open and Gunnislake and Calstock and the Cornish rural community 'would be out on a limb.'

She added: 'There has been no estimation concerning the Calstock and Gunnislake line to see if it is viable and no evidence or survey of the impact on these communities. It is something that has not been discussed and nor have we been consulted.'

Cllr Kirk said that the existing Tamar Valley service is a lifeline to the area but a railway link was not necessarily so for Tavistock.

'Tavistock already has three buses an hour to and from Plymouth. Presumably, they could put on a fourth if so many of the good people of Tavistock wish to leave their cars at home. I haven't noticed the buses being full, however.'

Her fellow parish councillor, Richard Hoile, said he believed the plans were for passengers travelling from Plymouth to Tavistock to alight at Bere Alston then take a light, shuttle type, private service on to Tavistock while the main line train would then continue to Calstock and Gunnislake.

'I have some concern over the future of the Calstock and Gunnislake branch line but there are no suggestions at the moment that it will close and personally, I think the new line could be a benefit to the area.

'However, I certainly think Dorothy is absolutely right to flag up concerns to those authorities responsible for the future of the Calstock and Gunnislake line to ensure it continues its vital service.'

Peter Frost, managing director of Kilbride Community Rail, said although he understood the worries of people in the Tamar Valley his company was anxious that the existing Gunnislake-Calstock-Bere Alston line would continue.

The company had recently published a proposed timetable for the line which showed the Tamar Valley line section would be preserved.

He told the Times: 'I know that historically the Gunnislake line has been at risk because of the low passenger numbers but the intention of opening up the Tavistock connection can only be of benefit and help to increase the numbers using the Gunnislake line and give it a better chance of survival.'

Mr Frost said he would be happy to meet Calstock Parish Council to discuss the issue.

His view coincides with Richard Burningham, manager of the Devon and Rail Partnership, who said: 'I see the proposed reopening of the railway to Tavistock as being positive on both sides of the Tamar. I believe that, if it happens, it will lead to a big increase in the number of passengers using the line as a whole, both local residents and new tourists and day visitors.

'As I said in my letter to Calstock Parish Council, the Partnership and Cornwall Council are committed to ensuring that Calstock and Gunnislake stations have the best possible train service and are already working with Kilbride Community Rail on this.

'This year, Calstock and Gunnislake have their best ever train services.  Passenger numbers are up too, more than 18 per cent so far this year. This has come after a lot of effort from a lot of people, including ourselves and both county councils. We're building on this.'

Mrs Kirk said: 'I do actually believe that the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership have done a great job with respect to the promotion of our line, and I very much appreciate the improved service.

'I do think, however, that assurances and aspirations are no substitute for costings, figures and guarantees. I look forward to the consultation.'