The St Ives Bay Line

Known as one of the UK's most scenic train rides, The St Ives Bay Line is a short branch line from St Erth to St Ives. In just 13 minutes, you get sea views, sandy bays, and a glimpse into the engineering required to hug this part of the Cornish coast.

Opened in 1877 by the Great Western Railway, the St Ives Bay Line was originally built to carry fish, granite, and day-trippers. Nowadays, it’s used mainly by walkers, beachgoers and those staying along the coast, and is one of the best low-impact ways to explore this part of Cornwall.

Read on for everything you need to know about travelling on the St Ives Bay Line: from key details about the train itself to a stop-by-stop walkthrough of what to look out for and where to break the journey.

Winston Tija.

St Ives Bay Line train at St Ives.

The St Ives Bay Line: overview

The St Ives Bay Line runs between St Erth and St Ives in Cornwall, England. It’s operated by Great Western Railway (GWR) and covers a short stretch of roughly 4.25 miles, taking 13-minutes from start to finish. There are five stops on the line, two of which are request stops (Lelant Saltings and Lelant). The route connects directly with mainline services at St Erth, including long-distance trains to Penzance, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol and London Paddington.

Trains and frequency

The trains used are small two to three-carriage trains built for short regional routes. They have large windows, which is a bonus given the coastal scenery. Up to two trains run per hour in each direction during peak season (generally late March to October), and at least one per hour off-season, with services starting around 06:00 and finishing around 23:00.

Onboard facilities

Trains on this route are basic but functional. Seating is a mix of tables and airline-style rows and there’s an onboard toilet. However, there’s no food or drink service and no reserved or first-class seating.

Fares and flexibility

A standard adult Anytime Day return ticket from St Erth to St Ives costs £4.20, while a standard Anytime Day single fare is £3.10. Children under 5 travel free, and those aged 5–15 are charged half fare.

Standard tickets are valid all day and are flexible on timings. This allows the option to break the journey at stops along the way, then re-board the train later in the day. For unlimited travel along the line, the St Ives Line Day Ranger ticket is a multi-journey ticket for one day.

UK railcards are valid on the route, and for those with an Interrail pass, the St Ives Bay Line is included with no additional cost. Seat reservations are not possible.

OpenStreetMap contributors/CC BY 3.0

Map of the St Ives Bay Line.

The St Ives Bay Line: stops and scenery

St Erth

The St Ives Bay Line starts at the village of St Erth. It's a functional junction with a small station café (located off Platform 3), toilet facilities, and direct connections to London and Penzance. If you decide to venture out of the station, the River Hayle is just a few minutes’ walk away via a riverside path.

From St Erth, the train pulls out heading north and immediately offers views of the Hayle Estuary, an RSPB nature reserve and site of special scientific interest, and a magnet for curlew, oystercatcher and little egret.

Richard Heinen

Hayle Estuary.

Lelant

The first stop is Lelant, a former port, which isn’t served by all trains. If you’d like to stop here, make sure to plan ahead if you want to pick up the train later.

It’s a short (but steep) five-minute walk to the village, or you can walk to Porthkidney Sands, an expansive beach backed by small dunes, in around 20-minutes. On the way, you’ll pass the partly Norman Church of St Uny, with its examples of granite Cornish crosses. The beach itself is rarely crowded and the views stretch across the Hayle Estuary, the Towans and out to Godrevy Lighthouse, positioned on an island off the coast.

From Lelant, the St Ives Bay Line rises and you’ll start to get panoramic views over the estuary and out toward the sea.

Megan

Godrevy Lighthouse.

Carbis Bay

The next stop, Carbis Bay, is a popular stop for those staying outside St Ives. The beach of the same name is just below the station, accessed via a stepped footpath. The bay is crescent-shaped and sheltered, making it ideal for swimming, paddleboarding, or just lying flat on a towel without any wind chill (in summer). The Beach Club Restaurant overlooking the water, has a laidback vibe and serves hand-picked Cornish crab and fish caught on St Ives day boats. From the beach, you can pick up the coast path east to Lelant or west to St Ives, both taking around an hour.

Back on the train, the line between Carbis Bay and St Ives runs on an elevated shelf cut into the cliffside. Sit on the right side of the train (heading toward St Ives) and you’ll get an uninterrupted view of the Atlantic, with the rooftops of St Ives coming into view just before the final curve.

Visit Cornwall

Carbis Bay.

St Ives

The train glides into the seaside village of St Ives above the Blue Flag Porthminster Beach, ideal for a stroll. Stop here in the early morning for a quieter experience, complete with takeaway coffee from Porthminster Beach Café (or locally-sourced seafood later in the day). From the station, it’s a five-minute walk to the harbourfront, where you’ll find working boats, the Tate St Ives, and streets lined with art studios and galleries. If you fancy a Cornish Pastry (a meat and vegetable-filled hand pie), St Ives Bakery and The Makers cook them fresh every day.

Walkers can head west to Porthmeor Beach (also Blue Flag-rated) and pick up the South West Coast Path toward Zennor. This is a more challenging section, with granite outcrops and steep descents, but the views are worth it, particularly from Clodgy Point. Alternatively, stay in town and visit the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, tucked behind the main street in her former studio.

Zeb Zakovics

St Ives.

Linked routes from the St Ives Bay Line

From St Erth, you can head west to Penzance, the terminus of the Cornish Main Line, and connect to the Night Riviera sleeper train to London or daytime services to Exeter and beyond. Alternatively, change at St Erth for services toward Truro and Falmouth, which offers its own branch line with scenic coastal sections, particularly around Penryn.

Travel along the St Ives Bay Line on a slow travel trip to St Ives, or have a look at more holidays to Cornwall by train.

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