A tram system for Truro

This was originally a tweet in which I proposed a tram line for Truro, here I’ve bulked it up with some justifications.

Truro (population around 20,000) is relatively much smaller than most cities with proposed mass transit systems but I think it’s pretty interesting given the large amount of travel into the city in relation to the population size. Around 14,000 people commute into the city every day, with this number swelling massively in the touristy summer months. There’s also been rapid development along the western corridor of the A390 to Threemilestone. This includes a new ‘Stadium for Cornwall’ scheduled for completion by next year.

My tram system would follow the A390 from the new Stadium into the city, relieving a massively overcrowded road which is deadlocked at rush hours. There is already a park and ride system along this route but it’s poorly used and busses are still contributing to the traffic problem. From the stadium, the tram would stop at the park and ride, Truro College and Treliske Hospital (big sources of traffic) and New County Hall before turning into the city centre, stopping at Truro train station, Royal Cornwall Museum and the bus station. The tram would then pop out of the other side, ending up at the out of town shopping shopping centres and Park & Ride in the east.

A new rail halt at Threemilestone has been discussed but seems pretty unlikely and wouldn’t relieve Truro College and the Hospital, which make up a large chunk of the traffic. Truro and Threemilestone are unusual being so spread along one road in the west and the traffic is awful. There’s already a fair amount of pedestrianisation in the centre but there’s no real reason for there to be cars in the centre of Truro at all.

Local councils being local councils, this idea doesn’t stand a chance, but I think it’s an interesting idea.