NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR – PART 46
Somerton and Langport
Michael L. Roach
Somerton (pop. 5,500) and Langport (pop. 3,500) are two small towns in Somerset and to locate them they once both had railway stations on the main line from Paddington to Penzance They were approximately five miles apart and there was another station between them serving the villages of Long Sutton and Pitney. Two of the three stations dated from the opening of the Langport and Castle Cary Cut-off on 2 July 1906; Long Sutton & Pitney Station followed 15 months later. All three were closed to passengers on and from 10 September 1962. The milepost distances of all the relevant stations in the area is as follows:
Castle Cary - 115m 08c
Somerton - 125m 56c
Long Sutton & Pitney - 127m 70c
Langport East - 129m 73c
Taunton - 142m 71c
The 27¾ route miles between Castle Cary and Taunton Stations make it the longest stretch of railway between any two stations on the whole of the route from London to Penzance. The town of Langport also had a railway station on the former Bristol and Exeter Railway Branch from Durston (later Taunton) to Yeovil, called Langport West. Some photos of the two Langport Stations are attached on the last day of passenger services between Taunton and Yeovil. Somerton Station was visited by a CRS minibus tour in June 1984 when we were able to drive the minibus right up to the railway fence between the site of the former passenger and goods stations almost opposite the signal box, some 22 years after closure to passengers on 10.09.1962. The reason for lumping Somerton and Langport together in this article is that there has been a proposal on the table for some time to construct a single parkway station to serve the two towns. The logical place might be at the site of Long Sutton & Pitney Station where the line is in cutting alongside an unclassified (yellow) road which passes over the line on a bridge. This location has the added advantage of being roughly equidistant from both Langport and Somerton – about 3 miles by road, but the roads in the area are not great. The proposed location is close to the hamlet of Upton which retains its yellow circular AA village sign dating from the period 1906 – 1932. Although they were erected in their thousands there are only about 65 still in-situ.
The double-track Paddington to Penzance line passes through both Langport and Somerton with residential areas on both sides of the line in both towns. In the last twelve months a new factor has come to the fore. The Go-op Co-operative is a train operating company planning to operate train services across Somerset and Wiltshire linking main lines to smaller market towns and providing better connectivity. In November 2024 it won conditional approval for its services to begin no later than December 2026. A recent press release proposed seven services each way between Taunton and Westbury with some services extended north from Taunton to Weston-super-Mare and at the other end some extended to Swindon. Their trains would be operated by Class 153 single railcar and would stop at all stations. In view of the Go-op proposals I think it might be better to build new unstaffed stations right in the middle of both Langport and Somerton with medium sized car parks but within walking distance of the whole population of the two towns. This would save the awkward 3-mile trip to a single parkway station for those without cars and parking fees. Each station would serve at least half a dozen villages as well.
On Saturday 2 June 1984 the Outdoor Events Secretary organised a minibus trip to Somerset and Wiltshire visiting many locations where the manual signal boxes and semaphores were soon to be replaced. The Secretary then as now was Roger Winnen who has been doing a marvellous job for a very long time. Among the stations visited that day were Warminster, Dilton Marsh, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Frome and most of the junctions and junction boxes in the area. My last photo was of the up motorail train at Witham Friary at 6.09pm. The first photo of the day was taken at Hatch Station building at 10.15am with the second call at Somerton Station where we arrived at 10.55am. My photos appear below. A very full day with no rain. There were a couple of dull or cloudy periods but the vast majority of photos were taken in clear sun. A highly successful day out thanks to Roger. Engines photographed that day were: 33010, 33020, 33022, 33035, 47277, 47285, 47379, 50005, 50015 and 50037.
The Go-op proposals are a response to what the proposers see as an erratic train service at the existing smaller stations with long gaps and poor connections at times, and is aimed at improving travel within Somerset for local people. There are already a couple of expresses starting at Taunton and running to London Paddington via Bristol, but I think that there could be room for a semi-fast service from Taunton to Paddington via Westbury every two hours to provide more choice along the Berks and Hants line; and stopping at every station as far as Westbury. A recent article in The Sunday Times extolled the virtue of the existing railway stations and how those towns with a station were doing so much better than those without a railway station. However that success is a two-edged sword as the resultant escalation in house prices had put them out of reach of the local people brought up in those towns and now reaching adulthood. Finally this instalment finishes with some scans from 1905 which appeared in the GWR Magazine for July and August that year as the Langport and Castle Cary Cut-off was nearing completion.
All of the above was written before I searched the internet to see how great the pressure was for restoration of train services in the Langport / Somerton area and it became clear that there has been a vigorous campaign underway for several years. You can read more about the campaign at langporttransportgroup.org We wish the campaigners success in their campaign and feel sure that the demand is there from an ageing population and electric vehicles making private motoring too expensive for many families. A railway station or stations would also encourage the longer day trips by rail to Bristol, Bath, London and Weymouth for the 50,000 people in the catchment area.
Castle Cary - 115m 08c
Somerton - 125m 56c
Long Sutton & Pitney - 127m 70c
Langport East - 129m 73c
Taunton - 142m 71c
The 27¾ route miles between Castle Cary and Taunton Stations make it the longest stretch of railway between any two stations on the whole of the route from London to Penzance. The town of Langport also had a railway station on the former Bristol and Exeter Railway Branch from Durston (later Taunton) to Yeovil, called Langport West. Some photos of the two Langport Stations are attached on the last day of passenger services between Taunton and Yeovil. Somerton Station was visited by a CRS minibus tour in June 1984 when we were able to drive the minibus right up to the railway fence between the site of the former passenger and goods stations almost opposite the signal box, some 22 years after closure to passengers on 10.09.1962. The reason for lumping Somerton and Langport together in this article is that there has been a proposal on the table for some time to construct a single parkway station to serve the two towns. The logical place might be at the site of Long Sutton & Pitney Station where the line is in cutting alongside an unclassified (yellow) road which passes over the line on a bridge. This location has the added advantage of being roughly equidistant from both Langport and Somerton – about 3 miles by road, but the roads in the area are not great. The proposed location is close to the hamlet of Upton which retains its yellow circular AA village sign dating from the period 1906 – 1932. Although they were erected in their thousands there are only about 65 still in-situ.
The double-track Paddington to Penzance line passes through both Langport and Somerton with residential areas on both sides of the line in both towns. In the last twelve months a new factor has come to the fore. The Go-op Co-operative is a train operating company planning to operate train services across Somerset and Wiltshire linking main lines to smaller market towns and providing better connectivity. In November 2024 it won conditional approval for its services to begin no later than December 2026. A recent press release proposed seven services each way between Taunton and Westbury with some services extended north from Taunton to Weston-super-Mare and at the other end some extended to Swindon. Their trains would be operated by Class 153 single railcar and would stop at all stations. In view of the Go-op proposals I think it might be better to build new unstaffed stations right in the middle of both Langport and Somerton with medium sized car parks but within walking distance of the whole population of the two towns. This would save the awkward 3-mile trip to a single parkway station for those without cars and parking fees. Each station would serve at least half a dozen villages as well.
On Saturday 2 June 1984 the Outdoor Events Secretary organised a minibus trip to Somerset and Wiltshire visiting many locations where the manual signal boxes and semaphores were soon to be replaced. The Secretary then as now was Roger Winnen who has been doing a marvellous job for a very long time. Among the stations visited that day were Warminster, Dilton Marsh, Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Frome and most of the junctions and junction boxes in the area. My last photo was of the up motorail train at Witham Friary at 6.09pm. The first photo of the day was taken at Hatch Station building at 10.15am with the second call at Somerton Station where we arrived at 10.55am. My photos appear below. A very full day with no rain. There were a couple of dull or cloudy periods but the vast majority of photos were taken in clear sun. A highly successful day out thanks to Roger. Engines photographed that day were: 33010, 33020, 33022, 33035, 47277, 47285, 47379, 50005, 50015 and 50037.
The Go-op proposals are a response to what the proposers see as an erratic train service at the existing smaller stations with long gaps and poor connections at times, and is aimed at improving travel within Somerset for local people. There are already a couple of expresses starting at Taunton and running to London Paddington via Bristol, but I think that there could be room for a semi-fast service from Taunton to Paddington via Westbury every two hours to provide more choice along the Berks and Hants line; and stopping at every station as far as Westbury. A recent article in The Sunday Times extolled the virtue of the existing railway stations and how those towns with a station were doing so much better than those without a railway station. However that success is a two-edged sword as the resultant escalation in house prices had put them out of reach of the local people brought up in those towns and now reaching adulthood. Finally this instalment finishes with some scans from 1905 which appeared in the GWR Magazine for July and August that year as the Langport and Castle Cary Cut-off was nearing completion.
All of the above was written before I searched the internet to see how great the pressure was for restoration of train services in the Langport / Somerton area and it became clear that there has been a vigorous campaign underway for several years. You can read more about the campaign at langporttransportgroup.org We wish the campaigners success in their campaign and feel sure that the demand is there from an ageing population and electric vehicles making private motoring too expensive for many families. A railway station or stations would also encourage the longer day trips by rail to Bristol, Bath, London and Weymouth for the 50,000 people in the catchment area.
Langport West Station on 13 June 1964 with 4593 calling with the 4.00pm from Yeovil Pen Mill to Taunton train on the last day of passenger services. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The former Langport East Station on 13 June 1964. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Somerton Signal Box seen on 2 June 1984. The box was located on the south side of the line just off the west end of the platforms. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Somerton Box appears to be switched out at the time of our visit. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Looking west showing the minibus hired for the day. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Article from the GWR Magazine for July 1905. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Article from the GWR Magazine for July 1905. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Article from the GWR Magazine for August 1905. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Article from the GWR Magazine for August 1905. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Article from the GWR Magazine for August 1905. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Article from the GWR Magazine for August 1905. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks as always Michael.
For more of Michaels articles, please click here.
This article has prompted Roger to dig out some pictures - the first of which are shown below.
For more of Michaels articles, please click here.
This article has prompted Roger to dig out some pictures - the first of which are shown below.
CRS Mini Trip to the Westbury Area
Saturday 2nd June 1984
By Roger Winnen
Part 1
Please click any of the below images for an enlargement and a caption.
All images are copyright Roger Winnen and dated 02.06.1984.
All images are copyright Roger Winnen and dated 02.06.1984.
Trains of interest
Wilts and Somerset - 31.05.2025
Guy Vincent
Some interesting workings in Wilts and Somerset on the last day of May 2025, a month that has seen a larger than usual variety of classic traction passing through the area.
Nearly as much a variety of encroaching, ever-thickening lineside vegetation in these photos as there is motive power!
Nearly as much a variety of encroaching, ever-thickening lineside vegetation in these photos as there is motive power!
Bradford on Avon. 60096 with the SO 0844 Tytherington (Glos) - Willesden DC Rail loaded aggregate. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Monkton, south of Melksham for an oddball working. Privately owned 50008 'Thunderer' with GWR sleeping car 10584 fresh from overhaul and running as 5V50 0857 Eastleigh Arlington - Reading TCD. These movements normally run via Basingstoke and Didcot where reversal takes place. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Westbury North Jcn and 43049 coming off the Berks and Hants at 11.35 to run through the station non-stop heading the 1Z20 0610 Nottingham - Paignton 'Torbay Riviera Pullman'. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Westbury. 43050 at the rear of 1Z20 as it passes non stop through platform 1. A few minutes before 59204 had gone down the nearby Avoiding line with 6C31 0931 Theale - Whatley and was now waiting at Clink Road, Frome, for SWR's 1O40 1130 Frome - Waterloo to come through the single lead junction. By routing 1Z20 through Westbury the train stayed on the move and then had a clear run after Fairwood Jcn. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Hawkeridge Jcn. 50008 returning with sleeper car 10225 as 5O50 1504 Reading TCD - Eastleigh Arlington. The vehicle was reportedly locked out of use on the previous night's up sleeper service and is now for overhaul. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Westbury North with the '50' about to pass 165132 on the late running 2E72 1602 Westbury - Gloucester. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Westbury North with GBRF celebrities 66721 and 66780 (ex 66016) arriving as 0G97 1550 Bristol East Depot - Westbury. These later top and tailed a 6G97 2154 Westbury - Heywood Road Jcn long welded rail delivery set. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Frome Avoiding Line (a) 43050 'Loch Morar' (originally part of WR set 253025, with 43051, now part of the Colas fleet) heading the return Torbay Coastal Pullman. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Frome Avoiding Line (b) 43049 'Neville Hill' (from new part of 253024 with 43048, now owned by the 125 Group) bringing up the rear of the Pullman. Running around 7 minutes late at this point, 1Z21 used the Westbury avoiding line to make up a small amount of time. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Westbury Up Yard 66791 66792 and 59003 viewed through the access gate at the approximate entrance to the former Westbury Diesel Depot. Fifty years ago locos stabled in the same spot would likely as not be class 52 'Westerns' with 08s, 25s, 31s, 46s and 47s in varying numbers. 31.05.2025, copyright Guy Vincent.
Many thanks indeed, Guy - some great variety!