Yeovil–Taunton line
| Yeovil–Taunton line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Closed |
| Locale | Somerset |
| Termini |
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| History | |
| Opened | 1853 |
| Closed | 1964 |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Old gauge | 7 ft (2,134 mm) until 1879 |
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The Yeovil–Taunton line was a railway line in England, built by the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) to connect its main line with the market town of Yeovil in Somerset. It opened in 1853, using the broad gauge of 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) and was the first railway to serve Yeovil. It ran from a junction at Durston although, in later years, passenger trains on the line ran through to and from Taunton where better main and branch line connections could be made.
The Great Western Railway (GWR) operated the line from its opening until 1849 and absorbed the whole B&ER on 1 July 1876.
A short part of the branch was incorporated into a new direct route from Reading to Taunton in 1906, which shortened the distance from London to Devon and Cornwall. Local passenger train service was discontinued in 1964 and only the section used by Reading to Taunton trains remains open.