FIRST Great Western is to run an extra train daily on the Plymouth – Gunnislake Tamar Valley Line, Mondays to Saturdays from the start of the winter timetable on December 14.

 The new train will improve the service between the morning and evening commuter trains and mean big changes to the timetable, especially for shoppers. 

 With nine trains a day on weekdays, the new timetable will mean the best ever train service at Gunnislake and Calstock and the best for 40 years at Bere Alston and Bere Ferrers.

 For the two weeks leading up to the timetable change, the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership is organising door-to-door distribution of timetables in the villages served by the line and is arranging for timetable leaflets to be available at the shops and post offices who sell the Tamar Valley Line Carnet.

 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.  There will be trains leaving Gunnislake at 0945, 1135, 1345 and 1545 (Bere Alston 1006, 1156, 1406 and 1605).

Returning from Plymouth there will be trains at 0857, 1046, 1255 and 1455. 

 Saturday changes will be similar while other trains will be slightly, but not significantly altered.