When the Cornwall Railway reached Truro in 1859, rail travel between Penzance and London was possible, by changing trains.

Passenger traffic began to be carried on the main line between Redruth and Hayle, but the physical limitations of the system were significant.

Local interests promoted a scheme to extend the Hayle Railway at each end of its main line so as to link Penzance and Truro.

However a parliamentary bill in 1845 was defeated, chiefly because of concern about the delays and inconvenience due to two rope worked inclines on the main line, at Angarrack and Penponds.

c. cccxxxvi) receiving royal assent on 3 August 1846, giving powers to purchase the Hayle Railway and construct deviations to eliminate the inclined planes, and to complete the route between Penzance and Truro.

(In fact none of the branches was built, except to Newham on the Truro River, and the line never reached Carvedras.)

"[4] Several new viaducts were required, including Angarrack and Penponds, in each case on account of the deviation to by-pass the inclines.

[1][5] On 11 March 1852, the West Cornwall main line was opened between Penzance and the new Redruth station, without ceremony.

Three passenger trains a day ran, with two on Sundays; the third class single fare from Redruth to Penzance was 1s 4d (equivalent to £9.2 in 2023).

[7] Good progress was also being made with the construction of the eastern end of the route, and on 25 August 1852 there was a grand ceremonial opening of that part of the line, as far as Higher Town, on the western margin of Truro.

The main line was in new construction from Penzance to a point near Trenowin Farm, east of Angarrack, then using the Hayle Railway route to near the Redruth station, but with a short new section to by-pass the Penponds inclined plane.

[3] The Cornwall Railway was constructed to connect Plymouth and Falmouth, through Truro, as a broad gauge line.

Pursuing the object of reaching Falmouth, it constructed a line westward, involving a short tunnel, as far as the dormant West Cornwall station at Truro Road.

This was opened in August 1860, enabling for the first time rail travel throughout from Penzance to London, but with a break of gauge at Truro.

The West Cornwall line was still in a weak condition, with timber trestle viaducts and poor quality track; Barlow rail and the original T-section rail on stone blocks persisted on the original branches, and the line was single throughout.

This was largely washed away on 31 December 1868, and the railway was diverted inland until a new viaduct was completed, opening on 28 October 1871.

At the same time the Newham branch, now only carrying local goods for Truro, was directly accessible only from the Falmouth line.

Doubling of the single line sections started, and by 1904 nearly 11 miles (18 km) of the 25-mile (40 km) West Cornwall main line had been doubled: Chacewater to Scorrier, Redruth to Gwinear Road, Hayle to St Erth, and Marazion to Ponsandane (near Penzance).

This freed space at Penzance itself for enlargement of the passenger facilities there, and a considerable area of the foreshore was reclaimed at the eastern end of the station.

This incorporated a new extended sea wall and in collaboration with the town corporation, a public promenade was formed on it.

This contract was bought out by the West Cornwall Railway, the stock consisting of the Carn Brea, Chanter, Cornubria, Coryndon, and Pendarves.