TWO Tamar Valley Line off peak trains are to be replaced by buses Monday to Friday and Saturday starting today to protect rail travel for key workers and essential travel.

The majority of services will be running as planned but in order to protect peak services the trains from Plymouth at 1022 and 1424, and services from Gunnislake at 1118 and 1520 will be replaced with road transport.

Managing director of Great Western Railway Mark Hopgood said in a letter to members of fthe Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership Forum: ‘We know that buses can be difficult on this route and we are therefore using two minibuses as a replacement for each service, with one covering Gunnislake and Calstock, and the other covering Bere Ferrers and Bere Alston. As with engineering works, in Bere Ferrers, the buses will not go to the station but instead will run to and from the Social Club.

‘The changes mean we can protect services vital for key workers and essential travel and are part of a wider temporary timetable that means we can continue to operate approximately 80% of our planned timetable.

‘Our expectation is that customer numbers on these services will be very low. If at any point, there are more customers than can be socially distanced on the minibus we will provide taxis. Again, this will be in sufficient number to allow for social distancing. We will be monitoring usage and we will also be reviewing the timetable. These are temporary changes and we will keep in touch with you as things progress.

‘Details of the changes are in online journey planners and we are also asking customers who are travelling to check the timetable before they set out on https://www.gwr.com/travel-updates/check-your-journey

‘We are determined to maintain a reliable, effective service for key workers and essential travel and our operations team are working very hard to make sure everything is in place to do so. To do that we need to make some difficult decisions.’

IN addition, the line will be closed on two weekends in March due to engineering works.  These are March 20/21 and 27/28 and buses will replace trains.

During lockdown, trains are available for key workers, school travel and other essential journeys but leisure travel is prohibited.