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Index > Resources > A Brief History of the Somerset Dorset Joint Railway Words & Pictures By Chris Nevard (with a little help from Paul Fry, Russ Garner & John McGarry)
Introduction
The Railway in true Victorian tradition was part of a great plan to link Bristol, South Wales and the Midlands with the South coast and perhaps even France. This is what the promoters had hoped for back in the middle of the 19th century. History The Somerset Central Railway built a broad gauge line between
Highbridge & Glastonbury. This twelve mile section opened to traffic on the
28th of August 1854. The Bristol and Exeter ran this section of line. Later in
the same year the line was extended to Highbridge Wharf. On the 3rd May 1858 the
line was opened a further mile and a half westwards to the coastal town of
Burnham on Sea. An additional line to Wells from of Glastonbury was opened on
15th March 1859.
With the new amalgamation the new company, The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway Company then acquired running powers over the final few miles from Broadstone Junction over London and South-western Railway into Poole. It was hoped that much traffic would be attracted on this route between the Bristol Channel and the South Coast. This was not to be so, and the company was falling into financial difficulties. The company decided to gamble everything on a final extension between bath and Evercreech Junction. The extension would pass over the Mendip Hills which would mean an incredible amount of engineering. This would pay off in the fact that the line would pass through the large North Somerset coal mining district and would provide a source of traffic. The extension would terminate at at the Midland Railway Bath Green Square (later known as Bath Green Park). In 1874 the extension was completed and consequently the company suffered total financial exhaustion and was put up for sale. The Midland and the London & South Western Railway jointly leased the line from the following year. The Great Western Railway also bid for the line but were unsuccessful. This may have influenced the closure of the line in 1966 by the Western Region of British Railways - a grudge going back almost a century.
In 1923 Britain's many railway companies were were grouped together into four major companies; The Great Western Railway (GWR), Southern Railway (SR), London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS)and the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER). The Somerset & Dorset line became jointly owned by the LMS & the SR. Despite this the Somerset & Dorset line retained its individuality. The engines retained their Prussian blue livery for a further seven years & even the gold letters 'S&DJR' remained. The traffic slowly increased until WW2 when the line became a vital link between the Midlands and the South carrying vital supplies and ambulance trains. In 1948, shortly after the end of hostilities the railways were nationalised, the line becoming under the control of the Southern Region of British Railways. Through passenger traffic built up to a peak in the mid 1950's with many passenger trains from places like Birmingham and Wolverhampton including the Pines Express which ran from Manchester to Bournmouth West.
Feeling was that the line would close shortly. Without much surprise during the latter half of 1965 it was announced by the Western Region that the line would close as from the beginning of 1966. The line did have a short last minute reprieve when one of the local bus companies weren't ready to commence with the replacement bus service. The 6th of March 1966 was to finally sound the end of the Somerset & Dorset line. Over the last few days several special trains ran over all parts of the entire network with enthusiasts from all over the country travelling over the line as mark of respect. After closure in 1966 the rails where kept in place from Broadstone Junction to Blandford Forum for goods traffic until the 6th of January 1969. Another section from Highbridge to Bason Bridge was kept open until the 2nd of October 1972 for milk traffic. Finally, a further section remained open from Radstock to Writhlington Colliery for coal traffic, this section finally closing in 1976. Words & 7F picture copyright of Chris Nevard / SDRT 2002
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With
new extension to Bath, the traffic increased substantially; the Burnham on Sea,
to Evercreech Junction became known as 'The Branch' and the new northbound
extension became know as 'The Mainline'.As traffic increased many of the single
line sections were double tracked to cope with the increased traffic. A new line
was built in 1885 between Corfe Mullen and Broadstone to cut out the Corfe
Mullen to Wimborne section so trains wouldn't have to reverse anymore at
Wimborne Minster.
1958
bought yet another change with the Western region of British Railways took
control of the line form bath to Templecombe. The line was soon downgraded with
the withdrawal of many of the interregional services. It has been though that
this was a grudge held over from the previous century when the GWR tried to buy
the line. On the 8th of September 1962 the last Pines Express ran over the
route, the train was from then on went via Oxford avoiding the Somerset &
Dorset line completely. Also from this date all other remaining through trains
were withdrawn - the line from now becoming purely a local affair.