FIRST Great Western has increased the number of weekday trains on the Tamar Valley Line from eight to nine a day, resulting in the best ever train service for Gunnislake and Calstock.

Trains will run approximately two-hourly Monday to Saturday.

Previously there was a three hour gap in the morning and another one in the afternoon.

Shoppers in particular are expected to benefit with a new choice of morning trains into Plymouth and afternoon trains home.

Gunnislake and Calstock stations are celebrating their centenary this year. 

Never before have there been nine trains a day through the week serving the two stations, said manager of the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership Richard Burningham.

'This is very welcome because the extra train will bring more choice to people using the Tamar Valley Line and is in response to the growing number of passengers on the line over the last few years.' he said.

First Great Western has been able to provide the additional train at no extra cost to the public purse by reorganising how it operates the Tamar Valley Line and other local services. 

This should also mean that most trains will be formed of two coaches.

General manager First Great Western in the West of England, Julian Crow, said: 'This change is part of our strategy to make the Devon and  Cornwall branch lines as useful as possible to the communities that they serve.

'More and more passengers are using our local services that provide such valuable and good value links between communities and it is good to be able to encourage this growth with more trains and more capacity.'

The new timetable can be downloaded from http://www.greatscenicrailways.com">www.greatscenicrailways.com or information about train times and fares can be found by calling National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950.