Castle Cary railway station

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Platform layout

View from the West with the main line in the left foreground, and the Weymouth branch on the right 2009 at Castle Cary station - view from the west.jpg
View from the West with the main line in the left foreground, and the Weymouth branch on the right

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. [2]

Location

Castle Cary station is the closest station to the site of the Glastonbury Festival, 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. [2] 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

A Class 165 unit arrives with a Gloucester to Weymouth service 165132 Castle Cary.jpg
A Class 165 unit arrives with a Gloucester to Weymouth service

The Great Western Railway service between London Paddington and Exeter St Davids runs approximately every two hours, with 9 trains towards London Paddington per day, and 10 trains towards Exeter St Davids, although some services will reach stations such as Paignton and Plymouth. [15] The service between Gloucester and Weymouth runs on a similar frequency, with 9 trains in each direction all weekdays except Friday, where only 8 operate northbound, however, some trains only operate between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth. [16]

The South Western Railway service between London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction via Westbury and Salisbury is more irregular, however, as there are 6 trains towards London Waterloo throughout the day, but only 3 towards Yeovil Junction. [17]

Castle Cary
National Rail logo.svg
Castle Cary station from the south 153369 150238.jpg
General information
Location Castle Cary, South Somerset
England
Coordinates 51°05′59″N2°31′27″W / 51.0996°N 2.5241°W / 51.0996; -2.5241
Grid reference ST634335
Managed by Great Western Railway
Platforms3
Other information
Station codeCLC
Classification DfT category D
History
Original company Great Western Railway
Key dates
1 September 1856Opened
Passengers
2019/20Increase2.svg 0.278 million
 Interchange Decrease2.svg 32,119
Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Taunton   Great Western Railway
Reading to Taunton Line
  Westbury
Yeovil Pen Mill   Great Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line
  Bruton
Yeovil Pen Mill   South Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line
  Bruton

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter St Davids railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Exeter St Davids railway station is the principal and largest railway station in Exeter, also the second-busiest station in Devon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheltenham Spa railway station</span> Railway station in Gloucestershire, England

Cheltenham Spa railway station serves the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, England. Situated on the Bristol–Birmingham main line, it is managed by Great Western Railway, although most services are operated by CrossCountry. The station is about one mile from the town centre. The official name of the station is Cheltenham, however when the station was renamed in 1925, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway chose to add Spa to the station name. It is a regional interchange and the busiest station in Gloucestershire, as well as one of the busiest railway stations in South West England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester railway station</span> Railway station in Gloucestershire, England

Gloucester, formerly known as Gloucester Central, is a railway station serving the city of Gloucester in England. It is located 114 miles 4 chains (183.5 km) west of London Paddington, via Stroud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeovil Pen Mill railway station</span> Railway station in Somerset, England

Yeovil Pen Mill is one of two railway stations that serve the town of Yeovil, Somerset, England. It is situated just under a mile to the east of the town centre. The station is located 59.5 miles (96 km) south of Bristol Temple Meads, on the Heart of Wessex Line. It is managed by Great Western Railway, who operate services along with South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Totnes railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Totnes railway station serves the town of Totnes in Devon, England. It was opened by the South Devon Railway Company in 1847. Situated on the Exeter to Plymouth Line, it is located 222 miles 66 chains down the line from London Paddington via Box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorchester West railway station</span> Railway station in Dorset, England

Dorchester West is one of two railway stations that serve the town of Dorchester in Dorset, England, the other is Dorchester South. It is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates all services that stop here. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex Line between Castle Cary and Weymouth, at the southern end of a single track section from Maiden Newton. It is sited 161.63 mi (260.12 km) from London Paddington, via Swindon and Westbury. The line becomes double at the station and remains so to just before nearby Dorchester Junction, where the line joins the South West Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maiden Newton railway station</span> Railway station in Dorset, England

Maiden Newton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Maiden Newton in Dorset, England. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex Line, 154.12 miles from the zero point at London Paddington, measured via Swindon and Westbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westbury railway station</span> Railway station in Wiltshire, England

Westbury railway station serves the market town of Westbury in Wiltshire, England. The station is managed by Great Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swindon railway station</span> Railway station in Wiltshire, England

Swindon railway station is on the Great Western Main Line in South West England, serving the town of Swindon, Wiltshire. The station is 77 miles 23 chains down the line from the zero point at London Paddington and lies between Didcot Parkway and Chippenham. It is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates all of the services from the station. It is the busiest station in Wiltshire, and the fifth busiest station in South West England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruton railway station</span> Railway station in Somerset, England

Bruton railway station serves a largely rural area in the county of Somerset in England. The station is situated in the market town of Bruton. The station is on the Bristol to Weymouth line some 32.75 miles (53 km) south of Bath Spa. Trains on the Reading to Taunton line pass through the station but do not normally stop. Services are operated by Great Western Railway and South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Austell railway station</span> Railway station in Cornwall, England

St Austell station is a Grade II listed station which serves the town of St Austell, Cornwall, England. It is 286 miles 26 chains from the zero point at London Paddington measured via Box and Plymouth Millbay. The station is operated by Great Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redruth railway station</span> Railway station in Cornwall, England

Redruth station serves the town of Redruth, Cornwall, United Kingdom; it is situated on the Cornish Main Line between Truro and Camborne. The station is 309 miles 68 chains down the line from the zero point at London Paddington, measured via Box and Plymouth Millbay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Witham (Somerset) railway station</span> Railway station in Somerset, England

Witham (Somerset) railway station was a station serving the Somerset village of Witham Friary and was located on the Frome to Yeovil section of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway that opened in 1856.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melksham railway station</span> Railway station in Wiltshire, England

Melksham railway station serves the town of Melksham in Wiltshire, England. It is 100 miles 13 chains measured from London Paddington, on the TransWilts Line between Chippenham and Trowbridge that was originally part of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway, absorbed in 1850 by the Great Western Railway.

The Cheddar Valley line was a railway line in Somerset, England, running between Yatton and Witham. It was opened in parts: the first section connecting Shepton Mallet to Witham, later extended to Wells, was built by the East Somerset Railway from 1858. Later the Bristol and Exeter Railway built their branch line from Yatton to Wells, but the two lines were prevented for a time from joining up. Eventually the gap was closed, and the line became a simple through line, operated by the Great Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frome railway station</span> Railway station in Somerset, England

Frome railway station serves a largely rural area of the county of Somerset in England, and is situated in the town of Frome. The station is located on a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long branch line which loops off the main line railway, which carries services on both the Reading to Taunton line and Bristol to Weymouth route. Most of the trains which take the loop line in order to serve Frome station are on the Bristol to Weymouth route, and most trains on the Reading to Taunton line by-pass the station on the main line. The station is 22.25 miles (36 km) south of Bath Spa on the Bristol to Weymouth line, it is owned by Network Rail and is operated by Great Western 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 Dorset. It opened the first part of the network but found it impossible to raise further money and sold its line to the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1850.

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 20+14 miles (32.6 km).

The Stert and Westbury Railway was opened by the Great Western Railway Company in 1900 in Wiltshire, England. It shortened the distance between London Paddington station and Weymouth, and since 1906 has also formed part of the Reading to Taunton line for a shorter journey from London to Penzance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading–Taunton line</span> Major branch of the Great Western Main Line

The Reading–Taunton line is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line from which it diverges at Reading railway station. It runs to Cogload Junction where it joins the Bristol to Exeter and Penzance line.

References

  1. 1 2 MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway.
  2. 1 2 3 Coward, Andy (30 January 2008). "Castle Cary rocks". Rail. emap active. pp. 50–53.
  3. "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.3". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 40. 1835. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  4. "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.3". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 155. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. "1835-1863 Clerks". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 38. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  6. "Castle Cary" . Western Gazette. England. 2 January 1885. Retrieved 19 June 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Castle Cary" . Somerset County Gazette. England. 2 June 1888. Retrieved 19 June 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Castle Cary" . Wells Journal. England. 17 March 1892. Retrieved 19 June 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "Castle Cary. Suicide of the Stationmaster" . Shepton Mallet Journal. England. 28 July 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Castle Cary" . Shepton Mallet Journal. England. 13 February 1903. Retrieved 19 June 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.6". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 464. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  12. "1835-1910 Clerks Vol.6". Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts: 480. 1899. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  13. "Woodborough. Presentation to the Late Station Master" . Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser. England. 15 July 1916. Retrieved 19 June 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. "New Stationmaster" . Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser. England. 4 May 1935. Retrieved 19 June 2021 via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. "Great Western Railway London Paddington-Devon/Cornwall timetable" (PDF). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  16. "Great Western Railway Gloucester-Weymouth timetable" (PDF). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  17. "South Western Railway London Waterloo-Salisbury/Exeter St Davids timetable" (PDF). Retrieved 19 February 2024.