Converted to standard gauge in 1892, it continues to operate as a community railway, carrying tourists as well as local passengers.

It was opened on 1 June 1877, the last new 7 ft (2,134 mm) broad gauge passenger railway route to be built in Britain.

A third rail was added to the southern section of the line in October 1888 to allow 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge goods trains to reach the wharf at Lelant.

[3] Goods traffic was withdrawn from the intermediate stations at Lelant and Carbis Bay in May 1956 but continued at St Ives until September 1963.

[1] In June 2019, the Park and Ride facility was moved to St Erth and services at Lelant Saltings were reduced.

[6] It runs alongside the Hayle estuary and then the sea coast and is promoted as a good place to see birds from the train.

Beyond Lelant railway station the line enters a cutting and climbs onto the sand dunes above Porth Kidney Sands on St Ives Bay,[7] with the church of St Uny and Lelant golf course on the left; the church's cemetery was disturbed when the railway cut through the hill.

The railway continues to climb up and onto the steep cliffs at Hawkes Point, about 30 metres (98 ft) above sea level.

[8] The line now crosses 78 yards (71 m) long Carbis Viaduct then continues on the cliff's edge until it emerges at Porthminster Point, from where it drops down across the 106 yards (97 m) St Ives Viaduct to reach St Ives railway station which is situated above Portminster Beach.

Lelant Saltings is now served by just one train per day in each direction due to the relocation of the Park and Ride facility to St Erth.

This aims to increase the number of passengers and reduce costs to make lightly used railways more economically sustainable.