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Castle Cary railway station is on the
Castle Cary station was originally on the
The station has three platforms. The main station facilities are located on the London bound platform 1, as well as the main station building and ticket office which is staffed until the afternoon. Toilet facilities are available on the concourse too. In front of the building is a car park for 100 cars, a bus stop and a taxi rank. Platform 2 serves west bound services to Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance, whilst the shorter platform 3 can only be used by trains on the Bristol to Weymouth line. Immediately to the west of the station the Weymouth line diverges from the London to Penzance Line.
The service on the London to Penzance line runs approximately every two hours, with 8 trains in each direction, although not all trains run as far as Penzance. The service on the Bristol to Weymouth line runs on a similar frequency, again with 8 trains in each direction.
Reading to Taunton line
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling) ...
south west of London Paddington
Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a London station group, Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services pro ...
and the Bristol to Weymouth line south of Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is located away from London Paddington. It is an important transport hub for public transport in the city; there are bus services to many parts of the city ...
. The two routes share tracks between Westbury and Castle Cary stations and are both operated by Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
, which also manages the station. The station is north of the town of Castle Cary
Castle Cary () is a market town and civil parish in south Somerset, England, north west of Wincanton and south of Shepton Mallet, at the foot of Lodge Hill and on the River Cary, a tributary of the Parrett.
History
The word Cary derives fr ...
and south of Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, some south-west of Bath, south of Bristol and east of Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. Mendip District Council is based t ...
in a largely rural area of Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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, England.
History
Castle Cary station was originally on the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (WS&WR) was an early railway company in south-western England. It obtained Parliamentary powers in 1845 to build a railway from near Chippenham in Wiltshire, southward to Salisbury and Weymouth in Dors ...
, a railway that linked the Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
(GWR) at Chippenham
Chippenham is a market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village ...
with Weymouth. The line was authorised in 1845, was acquired by the GWR in 1850, reached Castle Cary on 1 September 1856, and was completed throughout in 1857.
For the remainder of the 19th century, the GWR's principal route from London Paddington station
Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services provided by the Great We ...
to Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
and Penzance
Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...
was an indirect one via Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is located away from London Paddington. It is an important transport hub for public transport in the city; there are bus services to many parts of the city ...
(the so-called ''Great Way Round''). However, in 1895 the GWR directors announced that new lines were to be constructed to enable trains to reach Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance in a shorter time. The first stages involved improvements to the Berks and Hants Extension Railway Berks may refer to:
Places
* Berkshire, England
* Berks, Nebraska, United States
* Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Other uses
* ''Berks'' (TV series), Filipino television series
* Berks station, a SEPTA station in Philadelphia, Pennsy ...
and the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Line which reduced the distance from London to Castle Cary by and provided double track throughout.
This was followed by the construction of the Langport and Castle Cary Railway
The Langport and Castle Cary Railway is a railway line from Castle Cary railway station to Cogload Junction near Taunton, Somerset, England, which reduced the length of the journey from London to Penzance by .
History
Through trains from Lond ...
, which was opened from Castle Cary to the existing Bristol to Exeter line at Cogload Junction
Cogload Junction is a railway junction in Durston, Somerset, England. It is where the 1906-opened London to Penzance Line via Castle Cary joins the original line that runs via Bristol Temple Meads. A flyover was constructed in 1931 convert ...
in 1906. This transformed Castle Cary from a station on a secondary north to south line, to one on a main east to west route. The route resulting from these improvements and extensions forms the current London to Penzance line.
The station was awarded the ''Small Station of the Year'' award in the National Rail Awards 2007.
Stationmasters
*Edwin Wall 1856 - 1860 (afterwards station master at Dorchester) *Peter Leach 1860 - 1862 (formerly station master at Dorchester) *Thomas Curtis from 1862 *Henry R. Fletcher 1869 - 1884 *G. Kerrick North 1884 - 1888 (formerly station master at Highworth, afterwards station master at Twyford) *William Wilcox 1888 - 1892 (afterwards station master at Shepton Mallet) *Walter Henry Gale 1892 - 1899 *Thomas Jenkins 1899 - 1903 (formerly station master at Witham Friary, afterwards station master at Witham Friary) *William Garard 1903 (formerly station master at Keynsham) *Frederick William Augustus Hallett 1903 - 1910 (afterwards station master at Bewdley) *Thomas Blea from 1912 (formerly station master at Cheddar) *J.W. Bennett from 1916 (formerly station master at Woodborough) *Herbert Samuel Morrall 1919 - ca. 1921 (formerly station master at Somerton) *R. Davis ca. 1922 *G.E. Nailor 1927 - 1935 (formerly station master at Bruton, afterwards station master at Chippenham) *Mr. Fawden ca. 1942 *V. Hopkins ca. 1956 ca. 1963Platform layout
The station has three platforms. The main station facilities are located on the London bound platform 1, as well as the main station building and ticket office which is staffed until the afternoon. Toilet facilities are available on the concourse too. In front of the building is a car park for 100 cars, a bus stop and a taxi rank. Platform 2 serves west bound services to Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance, whilst the shorter platform 3 can only be used by trains on the Bristol to Weymouth line. Immediately to the west of the station the Weymouth line diverges from the London to Penzance Line.
Location
Castle Cary station is the closest station to the site of theGlastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
, which is held near Pilton about 8 miles away. During the period of the festival additional trains are provided, and special buses are run from the station to the festival site. The station also serves events at the Royal Bath and West Showground, though these are not provided with extra trains. It is also the nearest main line station to the city of Wells which lost its rail connection in 1963.
Services
The service on the London to Penzance line runs approximately every two hours, with 8 trains in each direction, although not all trains run as far as Penzance. The service on the Bristol to Weymouth line runs on a similar frequency, again with 8 trains in each direction.
References
{{Somerset railway stations Railway stations in Somerset Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1856 Former Great Western Railway stations Railway stations served by Great Western Railway Railway stations served by South Western Railway DfT Category D stations Castle Cary