A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Reading–Taunton line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A First Great Western HST approaching Great Cheverell on its way to Westbury | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | South East England South West England | ||
| Termini | |||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | Great Western Railway | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1906 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 103 mi 51 ch (166.8 km) | ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 hz AC OLE (Reading to Newbury) | ||
| Operating speed | 110 mph (180 km/h) maximum | ||
| |||
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 (east of Taunton) where it joins the Bristol to Exeter and Penzance line.
Since 1906 it has served as the principal route from London Paddington to Devon and Cornwall, having been built by the Great Western Railway (GWR) joining up several earlier railway lines. These included the Berks and Hants Railway from Reading to Hungerford and part of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway from Westbury to Castle Cary. The section from Reading to Westbury is sometimes called the Berks and Hants Line, despite never entering the county of Hampshire.[1]
History
The Great Western Railway first ran trains from London to Plymouth in 1848. These trains ran via Bristol. The London and South Western Railway completed the rival West of England line in 1860, which provided a more direct route from London to Exeter. The GWR's longer route via Bristol became nicknamed the "Great Way Round" (after its initials GWR).[2][page needed]
The direct line from Reading to Taunton was created from three earlier routes. These had been created by companies that had been absorbed into the GWR:
- The Berks and Hants Railway's route between Reading and Pewsey, which was part of a route that was extended west to Devizes and Trowbridge. The line was opened as a branch to Hungerford in 1847, then extended west in 1862.
- The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway's route between Westbury and Castle Cary, which was part of a route from Chippenham to Weymouth. These sections opened in stages from 1848 to 1856.
- The Bristol and Exeter Railway's route between Langport and Taunton, which was part of the branch to Yeovil they had opened in 1853.
The first step of creating the direct line was in 1900 when the Stert and Westbury Railway was built from Patney and Chirton (west of Pewsey) to Westbury. In addition to being part of creating a long-distance line from Reading to Taunton, it also created a shorter GWR route from London to Weymouth. The last stage to be built was the Langport and Castle Cary Railway from Castle Cary to Taunton. This route shared some of the route of the Yeovil–Taunton line west of Langport, but joined the existing main line further south at Cogload Junction. This route opened on 2 July 1906.
The various sections of line were opened:
- Reading to Hungerford – 21 December 1847[3][page needed][4][page needed]
- Hungerford to Patney and Chirton – 11 November 1862[3][page needed]
- Patney & Chirton to Westbury, Wiltshire – 29 July 1900[3][page needed] (the Stert and Westbury Railway)
- Westbury to Frome, Somerset – 7 October 1850[3][page needed]
- Frome to Castle Cary – 1 September 1856[3][page needed]
- Castle Cary to Charlton Mackrell – 2 July 1905[3][page needed]
- Charlton Mackrell to Somerton – 20 May 1906[3][page needed] goods trains, 2 July 1906 passenger trains
- Somerton to Curry Rivel Junction – 12 February 1906[3][page needed] goods trains, 2 July 1906 passenger trains
- Curry Rivel Junction to Athelney Junction – 1 October 1853 as part of Taunton to Yeovil line[3][page needed]
- Athelney Junction to Cogload Junction – 2 April 1906[3][page needed]
- Cogload Junction to Taunton – 1 June 1842[3][page needed]
In 1933, bypass lines were built at Westbury and Frome.[5]
The Great Western was nationalised on 1 January 1948 as part of the new British Railways (BR). Resignalling in the 1980s enabled faster running. This was followed by privatisation in the 1990s, with the line being transferred first to Railtrack and then to its successor Network Rail.
In 1977 the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommended considering electrification of the BR network, and by 1979 BR presented a range of options that included electrifying numerous Western Region routes including Reading to Taunton line by 2000.[6] Under the 1979–90 Conservative governments that succeeded the 1976–79 Labour government the proposal was not implemented.
