Trains carry poppy wreaths from Cornwall to memorial in London

Poppy wreaths have been carried by train from Cornwall to London Paddington as part of Armistice Day.

The night riviera sleeper from Penzance was the first of the 2025 trains to leave for London as part of The Poppies to Paddington initiative, now in its sixth year,.

Military personnel, members of the Royal British Legion, and Penzance Sea Cadets were at Penzance Station for the departure.

The Great Western Railway (GWR) Monday sleeper was followed by nine other trains carrying wreaths, which set off on Tuesday.

Jason Thomas, lead patient safety incident investigator who served in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, said for him it was not just about remembering those that gave their lives in the two world wars but in all conflicts, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan.

He sad: “I often recall names and faces of those we lost on tour into my thoughts.

“Service is a word that is perhaps over-used, but its true value and meaning not always fully recognised.”

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust had four wreaths on board.

Margaret Schwarz, chair of the trust, places a wreath on the train at Bodmin said: “These routes of remembrance are incredibly moving. It is an honour to place this wreath on Armistice Day, on behalf of the Trust and my many colleagues who have served.”

Poppies to Paddington was part of the Veterans Charity’s Routes of Remembrance and was set up in partnership with GWR.

The wreaths arrived at Paddington before 11:00 GMT and were laid at the Great Western Railway War Memorial on platform one.