Chard Branch Line
Encyclopedia
The Chard Branch Lines were two railway lines in Somerset
, England, that met end on in Chard
. The first was opened in 1863 by the London and South Western Railway
as a short branch line
from their main line
. This approached the town from the south. The second and longer line was opened by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
in 1866 and ran northwards from Chard to join their main line near .
From 1917 they were both operated by one company
, but services were mostly advertised as though it was still two separate lines. It was closed to passengers in 1962 and freight traffic was withdrawn a few years later.
(LSWR) opened its first station serving Chard at 'Chard Road
' in 1860 on its new Yeovil and Exeter Railway. The Chard Railway Company was established in 1859 and work started on the branch line
from Chard Road to the town on 1 November 1860. The following March the LSWR agreed to purchase the company, a deal that was completed in 1864. The line was opened to the terminus at Chard Town on 8 May 1863 (the original station was renamed 'Chard Junction' in 1872).
Chard had been connected to Taunton in 1842 by the Chard Canal
but early proposals to convert the canal into a railway line failed to materialise. Instead the Bristol and Exeter Railway
(B&ER) opened a line parallel to the canal on 11 September 1866 using powers initially granted to a Chard and Taunton Railway Company by an Act of Parliament
in 1861. In the following year the B&ER purchased the little-used canal for £6,000 and closed it. The B&ER line was single track
and connected a new 'Chard station
', to the B&ER’s main line at Creech St Michael. Intermediate stations were situated at Hatch and Ilminster, but another was opened at Thorn in 1871.
The LSWR was built to standard gauge
but the B&ER was a broad gauge
line until 19 July 1891 when it was converted to standard gauge. Other branch lines around Taunton had been converted between 1879 and 1882 but the Great Western Railway (GWR, which had amalgamated
with the B&ER in 1876) left the Chard branch as a broad gauge line to prevent the LSWR requesting access to Taunton. The LSWR extended its line to the B&ER station two months after it had opened and it was then operated as a joint station. During World War I
the GWR undertook to work the line from Chard Joint station to Chard Junction station from 1 January 1917, although separate signal box
es were maintained until 1928.
In 1923 the LSWR was itself merged into the new Southern Railway
(SR). Two additional stations were opened in 1928 on the GWR section. Both railways were nationalised in 1948 but were initially managed as two separate regions – the GWR becoming the Western Region
and the SR became the Southern Region
. A fuel shortage in 1951 led to the line being temporarily closed from 3 February to 7 May. Eleven years later passenger services were withdrawn permanently on 10 September 1962 and the line closed completely between Creech and Chard on 6 July 1964. Public goods traffic was retained at Chard until 1966.
The town's public transport links to Taunton are now provided by First Somerset & Avon
(bus route 30) and Stagecoach Southwest (bus route 99). Some of the line between Ilminster and Chard, and running through Donyatt and Knowle St Gilesserves as a local cycle path.
The B&ER opened a station to serve Thornfalcon
village in 1871. Originally named 'Thorne Falcon', 'Thorn' by the GWR in July 1890, but was renamed again to 'Thornfalcon' on 1 January 1902. After passenger services were withdrawn the goods yard remained open for nearly two more years, finally closing on 6 July 1964. Just one wooden platform was provided, but this was later rebuilt in concrete. The station has been demolished to make way for the A358 road. A nearby road bridge over the route has been designated as a Grade II listed building.
This is one of the two original stations between Taunton and Chard. It is a Brunel
inspired Chalet
-style station that served the village of Hatch Beauchamp
. A goods shed was provided, and a signal box too from 1892 until 1956 to control a goods loop. Both the passenger and goods buildings are still standing and occupied by industrial users.
A 154 yards (140.8 m) tunnel is located a short distance to the north of the station.
Opened on 26 May 1928, this was another simple single platform. This one was a concrete construction on an embankment to serve the village of Ilton
. A small wooden shelter was provided, and a wartime pill box was built at the north end of the platform.
This was one of the B&ER’s original stations. It had just a single platform by a loop was provided to allow goods trains to pass. A goods shed
and yard was situated to the south of the passenger station. Both the main buildings still stand in commercial use.
50.921°N 2.938°W
This was a small single platform halt opened by the GWR on 5 May 1928 served the local community around Donyatt
. It was constructed from sleepers laid horizontally and pegged together to form a basic platform structure. A small over canopy "shed" served as a shelter during the winter months. Access to the platform was by crossing over the bridge at the Ilminster end of the station and going down an inclined path.
The halt is next to some World War II
defences used on the Taunton Stop Line
, with anti-tank traps around the station. During the threat of invasion, an inspection post could be quickly setup between Donyatt and Ilminster to stop and check the trains before allowing them to proceed.
The halt has been rebuilt in 2009 as part of a cycle track enhancement project.
50.877°N 2.955°W
The joint station was opened on 11 September 1866 when the B&ER opened their branch from Taunton; the LSWR added their connecting line from Chard Town two months later. The LSWR was built to standard gauge
but the B&ER was a broad gauge
until 19 July 1891. The two companies maintained separate signal box
es and staff.
The station was initially referred to as 'Chard Joint'. It was renamed as plain 'Chard' on 1 March 1928, but it appeared as such in GWR timetables before that date.
There was a platform covered by a train shed
for through trains, and a terminal bay platform at either end. The southern bay platform fell out of use in 1917 when the GWR took to operating trains through to Chard Junction. The sidings at the Southern end of the station were all removed by October 1927 and the signal box at this end of the station was closed the following year. Another name change under British Railways ownership saw it become 'Chard Central' on 26 September 1949. Passenger trains ceased to be operated on 11 September 1962, public goods traffic on 3 February 1964, and private goods traffic on 3 October 1966. The station building and train shed still stand and are in use by engineering companies.
The first station located in the town was the LSWR’s Chard Town terminus. This single platform
opened in 1860 but in 1866 a new line was constructed from just short of the platform to allow trains to enter the new Chard Joint station. For five years trains from the Junction called at Chard Town and then reversed to the connecting line and then resumed their forward journey to the Joint station; trains in the opposite direction had to reverse into the Town station. In 1871 a new platform was opened on the connecting line. The station closed to passengers on 1 January 1917 and was then the main goods station for the town until it finally closed on 18 April 1966.
This station was opened by the LSWR on 19 July 1860, as 'Chard Road' on the route from London Waterloo station to Exeter. The word 'Road' in a station name indicated that, whilst it was intended to serve Chard, it was not in the town but rather on the road outside. The branch to Chard opened on 8 May 1863 but the station was not renamed 'Chard Junction' until August 1872. The platform used by branch services was on the north side of the station forecourt, instead of alongside the main platforms which is the usual arrangement at most junction stations. The track layout did not allow trains to run directly between the branch and main line, instead traffic to and from the branch had to be shunted through a connection in the goods yard which was at the Exeter end of the station between the main and branch lines.
It was closed by British Rail
on 7 March 1966. The signal box
built in 1875 was retained to control sidings and a passing loop and was only replaced by a more modern structure in 1982. There are proposals to re-open Chard Junction as part of a Chard town regeneration scheme; this has the support of Mayor Martin Wale and of David Laws
, the Yeovil
MP
.
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, that met end on in Chard
Chard, Somerset
Chard is a town and civil parish in the Somerset county of England. It lies on the A30 road near the Devon border, south west of Yeovil. The parish has a population of approximately 12,000 and, at an elevation of , it is the southernmost and highest town in Somerset...
. The first was opened in 1863 by the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
as a short branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
from their main line
Southern Railway routes west of Salisbury
This article describes the history and operation of the railway routes west of Salisbury that ultimately became part of the Southern Railway in the United Kingdom...
. This approached the town from the south. The second and longer line was opened by the Bristol and Exeter Railway
Bristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
in 1866 and ran northwards from Chard to join their main line near .
From 1917 they were both operated by one company
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, but services were mostly advertised as though it was still two separate lines. It was closed to passengers in 1962 and freight traffic was withdrawn a few years later.
History
The London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
(LSWR) opened its first station serving Chard at 'Chard Road
Chard Junction railway station
Chard Junction railway station was situated on the London and South Western Railway’s West of England Main Line in Somerset, England. It was the junction of a short branch line to Chard. It was opened in 1860 as Chard Road and closed in 1966. An adjacent milk depot was served by its own sidings...
' in 1860 on its new Yeovil and Exeter Railway. The Chard Railway Company was established in 1859 and work started on the branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
from Chard Road to the town on 1 November 1860. The following March the LSWR agreed to purchase the company, a deal that was completed in 1864. The line was opened to the terminus at Chard Town on 8 May 1863 (the original station was renamed 'Chard Junction' in 1872).
Chard had been connected to Taunton in 1842 by the Chard Canal
Chard Canal
The Chard Canal was a tub boat canal in Somerset, England, that ran from the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal at Creech St. Michael, over four aqueducts, through three tunnels and four inclined planes to Chard. It was completed in 1842, was never commercially viable, and closed in 1868...
but early proposals to convert the canal into a railway line failed to materialise. Instead the Bristol and Exeter Railway
Bristol and Exeter Railway
The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter.The company's head office was situated outside their Bristol station...
(B&ER) opened a line parallel to the canal on 11 September 1866 using powers initially granted to a Chard and Taunton Railway Company by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
in 1861. In the following year the B&ER purchased the little-used canal for £6,000 and closed it. The B&ER line was single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
and connected a new 'Chard station
Chard Central railway station
Chard Central railway station was the principal railway station in Chard, Somerset, England. It was opened in 1866 and closed in 1962, during which time it was known by three different names.-History:...
', to the B&ER’s main line at Creech St Michael. Intermediate stations were situated at Hatch and Ilminster, but another was opened at Thorn in 1871.
The LSWR was built to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
but the B&ER was a broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line until 19 July 1891 when it was converted to standard gauge. Other branch lines around Taunton had been converted between 1879 and 1882 but the Great Western Railway (GWR, which had amalgamated
Consolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
with the B&ER in 1876) left the Chard branch as a broad gauge line to prevent the LSWR requesting access to Taunton. The LSWR extended its line to the B&ER station two months after it had opened and it was then operated as a joint station. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the GWR undertook to work the line from Chard Joint station to Chard Junction station from 1 January 1917, although separate signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es were maintained until 1928.
In 1923 the LSWR was itself merged into the new Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
(SR). Two additional stations were opened in 1928 on the GWR section. Both railways were nationalised in 1948 but were initially managed as two separate regions – the GWR becoming the Western Region
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
and the SR became the Southern Region
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
. A fuel shortage in 1951 led to the line being temporarily closed from 3 February to 7 May. Eleven years later passenger services were withdrawn permanently on 10 September 1962 and the line closed completely between Creech and Chard on 6 July 1964. Public goods traffic was retained at Chard until 1966.
The town's public transport links to Taunton are now provided by First Somerset & Avon
First Somerset & Avon
First Somerset & Avon Ltd provides bus services in Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and West Wiltshire. It is part of First Group. First Somerset & Avon operates an extensive network of services in and around Bath, Bridgwater, Bristol, Taunton, Trowbridge, Wells, Weston-super-Mare and...
(bus route 30) and Stagecoach Southwest (bus route 99). Some of the line between Ilminster and Chard, and running through Donyatt and Knowle St Gilesserves as a local cycle path.
Stations
All stations were closed on 10 September 1962 unless noted otherwise.Thornfalcon
51.010°N 3.036°WThe B&ER opened a station to serve Thornfalcon
Thornfalcon
Thornfalcon is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has 121 people. The parish includes the hamlet of Ash...
village in 1871. Originally named 'Thorne Falcon', 'Thorn' by the GWR in July 1890, but was renamed again to 'Thornfalcon' on 1 January 1902. After passenger services were withdrawn the goods yard remained open for nearly two more years, finally closing on 6 July 1964. Just one wooden platform was provided, but this was later rebuilt in concrete. The station has been demolished to make way for the A358 road. A nearby road bridge over the route has been designated as a Grade II listed building.
Hatch
50.979°N 2.992°WThis is one of the two original stations between Taunton and Chard. It is a Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
inspired Chalet
Chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
-style station that served the village of Hatch Beauchamp
Hatch Beauchamp
Hatch Beauchamp is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south east of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 575.-History:...
. A goods shed was provided, and a signal box too from 1892 until 1956 to control a goods loop. Both the passenger and goods buildings are still standing and occupied by industrial users.
A 154 yards (140.8 m) tunnel is located a short distance to the north of the station.
Ilton Halt
50.948°N 2.935°WOpened on 26 May 1928, this was another simple single platform. This one was a concrete construction on an embankment to serve the village of Ilton
Ilton
Ilton is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south-east of Taunton, and north of Ilminster in the South Somerset district. The village has a population of 849...
. A small wooden shelter was provided, and a wartime pill box was built at the north end of the platform.
Ilminster
50.930°N 2.928°WThis was one of the B&ER’s original stations. It had just a single platform by a loop was provided to allow goods trains to pass. A goods shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
and yard was situated to the south of the passenger station. Both the main buildings still stand in commercial use.
Donyatt Halt
This was a small single platform halt opened by the GWR on 5 May 1928 served the local community around Donyatt
Donyatt
Donyatt is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at the source of the River Isle north of Chard in the South Somerset district...
. It was constructed from sleepers laid horizontally and pegged together to form a basic platform structure. A small over canopy "shed" served as a shelter during the winter months. Access to the platform was by crossing over the bridge at the Ilminster end of the station and going down an inclined path.
The halt is next to some World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
defences used on the Taunton Stop Line
Taunton Stop Line
The Taunton Stop Line was a World War II defensive line in south west England. It was designed "to stop an enemy's advance from the west and in particular a rapid advance supported by armoured fighting vehicles which may have broken through the forward defences."The Taunton Stop Line was one of...
, with anti-tank traps around the station. During the threat of invasion, an inspection post could be quickly setup between Donyatt and Ilminster to stop and check the trains before allowing them to proceed.
The halt has been rebuilt in 2009 as part of a cycle track enhancement project.
Chard
50.877°N 2.955°W
The joint station was opened on 11 September 1866 when the B&ER opened their branch from Taunton; the LSWR added their connecting line from Chard Town two months later. The LSWR was built to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
but the B&ER was a broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
until 19 July 1891. The two companies maintained separate signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es and staff.
The station was initially referred to as 'Chard Joint'. It was renamed as plain 'Chard' on 1 March 1928, but it appeared as such in GWR timetables before that date.
There was a platform covered by a train shed
Train shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
for through trains, and a terminal bay platform at either end. The southern bay platform fell out of use in 1917 when the GWR took to operating trains through to Chard Junction. The sidings at the Southern end of the station were all removed by October 1927 and the signal box at this end of the station was closed the following year. Another name change under British Railways ownership saw it become 'Chard Central' on 26 September 1949. Passenger trains ceased to be operated on 11 September 1962, public goods traffic on 3 February 1964, and private goods traffic on 3 October 1966. The station building and train shed still stand and are in use by engineering companies.
Chard Town
50.8741°N 2.9566°WThe first station located in the town was the LSWR’s Chard Town terminus. This single platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
opened in 1860 but in 1866 a new line was constructed from just short of the platform to allow trains to enter the new Chard Joint station. For five years trains from the Junction called at Chard Town and then reversed to the connecting line and then resumed their forward journey to the Joint station; trains in the opposite direction had to reverse into the Town station. In 1871 a new platform was opened on the connecting line. The station closed to passengers on 1 January 1917 and was then the main goods station for the town until it finally closed on 18 April 1966.
Chard Junction
50.83925°N 2.93665°WThis station was opened by the LSWR on 19 July 1860, as 'Chard Road' on the route from London Waterloo station to Exeter. The word 'Road' in a station name indicated that, whilst it was intended to serve Chard, it was not in the town but rather on the road outside. The branch to Chard opened on 8 May 1863 but the station was not renamed 'Chard Junction' until August 1872. The platform used by branch services was on the north side of the station forecourt, instead of alongside the main platforms which is the usual arrangement at most junction stations. The track layout did not allow trains to run directly between the branch and main line, instead traffic to and from the branch had to be shunted through a connection in the goods yard which was at the Exeter end of the station between the main and branch lines.
It was closed by British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
on 7 March 1966. The signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
built in 1875 was retained to control sidings and a passing loop and was only replaced by a more modern structure in 1982. There are proposals to re-open Chard Junction as part of a Chard town regeneration scheme; this has the support of Mayor Martin Wale and of David Laws
David Laws
David Anthony Laws is a British politician. He is Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Yeovil and former Chief Secretary to the Treasury....
, the Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Services
The branch was initially operated as two separate lines, one from Taunton and one from Chard Junction. From 1917 the GWR operated both sections, but trains were normally advertised as separate services either side of Chard. For example on weekdays, in 1920 there were six trains between Taunton and Chard and five between Chard Junction and Chard, but only two of these were advertised as through services from Taunton to Chard Junction and there were no through services in the opposite direction. In 1947 the six trains to Taunton and nine to Chard Junction appeared in different time tables with no indication of through services. The journey between Taunton and Chard took about 40 minutes; between Chard Central and Chard Junction was just 8 minutes.Further reading
- Mitchell, Vic and Smith, Keith (1999). Branch Lines Around Chard and Yeovil, Midhurst: Middleton Press, ISBN 1-901706-30-3.