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Somerset County
Council who declined to buy it as they thought it would cost too much money to re-open it. Based solely upon this statement the local planning authority, South Somerset District Council, are currently stating that they will no longer protect the site in planning terms from redevelopment. In January 2012 a planning application for a concrete batching facility was lodged by Darch and Sons, currently this application is being deliberated by South Somerset District Council and as a result a campaign group has been set up to try and protect the station site from development and to get the planning protection reinstated. Supporters of the campaign include David Laws MP, county and district councillors and the local newspaper the
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room and basic facilities. In front of the station entrance was the road approach and, opposite this, a separate platform used by the Chard branch trains. The track layout did not allow trains to run directly between the branch and main line, instead traffic to and from the branch had to be shunted through a connection in the goods yard which was at the Exeter end of the station between the main and branch lines. This included a
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in the east by 5 miles (8.0 km). A separate signal box known as Chard
Junction Branch controlled movements in and out of the branch platform. It was reduced in status to a ground frame on 5 March 1935 and was closed entirely in 1964. The signal box on the main line platforms was replaced in 1982
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instead. Just two years later, on 7 March 1966, Chard
Junction was closed to passengers and on 3 October that year the remaining goods traffic on the branch line was withdrawn and the line closed completely. Further rationalisation saw the main line reduced to just a single track in 1967, although a
548:
Branch line services were operated between Chard
Junction and Chard Town from 1863 to 1866, and between Chard Junction and Chard Joint (or Central as it was later known) from 1866 to 1962. These were operated by the LSWR until 1916 and then by the GWR, although only very seldom were they advertised
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Whilst the station has been unused since 1966, the site has been subject to protection in planning terms from redevelopment that would preclude the station being reopened for passenger and as a possible freight terminal. In 2010 the site was sold by the former
British Railways Board and offered to
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of
Station Road and the Chard Road Hotel that served railway passengers at this remote location. The main station buildings were on the north-west side, the side nearer to Chard and on the platform for trains going towards Yeovil and London. On the opposite platform there was only a small waiting
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The sidings serving the milk factory were taken out of use in 1980, although two years later a new signal box was built to replace the original that was then more than 100 years old. Additional loops have been installed since the 1960s; since
December 2009 the single-line sections are 17.4 miles
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Today the old London- and Chard-bound platforms can still be seen, along with the signal box next to the level crossing. The goods shed still stands and is in use, but not for railway business. The station hotel still stands to the north east of the level crossing; it was known as now the Three
435:. Things continued much as before but traffic was dwindling. Passenger trains were withdrawn from the Chard branch on 10 September 1962, although goods traffic continued for a few years more. From 1963 the line west of Salisbury was transferred to the Western Region and just a few months later
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The first signal box was provided on the eastbound platform next to the level crossing in 1875. The next signal box to the west was 2 miles (3.2 km) away at Broom Gates (a level crossing), and one was opened at Hewish Gates in 1900, shortening the section towards
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Although no longer a station nor a junction, the name Chard
Junction is still in use to refer to the scattered houses and industrial buildings in the vicinity of the station site, on both sides of the border between Somerset and Dorset.
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but it continues to be known as 'Chard
Junction', despite the lack of any kind of junction since 1966. As part of signalling modernisation the signal box closed and controlled remotely from Basingstoke (info sourced 2012).
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announced it had "no firm plans" to re-open the station. The
Council stated it would cost £60,000 just to investigate a possible reopening. Tatworth & Forton Parish Council voted against supporting the campaign.
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In June 2022, local councillor Connor Payne launched a new campaign to re-open the station, proposing the site re-open as 'Chard Parkway' and serve a similar purpose to stations such as
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report recommended the closure of many rural stations and lines. In 1964 through trains beyond Exeter were mostly rerouted off the line through Chard Junction and along the
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In July 2023, Cllr Payne announced that local businesses were ready to fund the £23,000 needed to develop a business case for the proposed station. In August,
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There are proposals to re-open Chard Junction as part of a Chard town regeneration scheme; this has the support of Mayor Martin Wale, and both the current
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358:(the 'Road' part of the name indicated that it was not in the town). On 8 May 1863 a 3.6-mile (5.8 km) branch line was opened to
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Following the government's support for expanding the railway network it has been proposed that Chard Junction could reopen.
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In September 2023, Thorncombe Parish Council and Upper Marshwood Parish Council announced their support for the campaign.
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and facilities for handling cattle traffic. The private sidings for the milk depot were behind the Exeter-bound platform.
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on 11 June. The old level crossing gates were removed in January 1968 and replaced by full road-width lifting barriers.
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http://www.tatworthandfortonparishcouncil.org.uk/_UserFiles/Files/_Minutes/138587-7.._Minutes_Meeting_7th_July_2022.pdf
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The railway here climbs eastwards at a gradient of 1 in 120 (0.8%). At the north-east end of the station was the
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Everything you need to know about plans for new Chard Parkway railway station | Chard & Ilminster News
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replaced it (304470 built 1951), which had previously been locomotive 12 at Windsor Street gas works in
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1050:'No firm plans' to reopen Somerset railway station - and initial step will cost £60,000 - Somerset Live
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Councillor discusses future of Chard Parkway Station with Network Rail | Chard & Ilminster News
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In January 2018, Devon County Council agreed to re-examine the proposals to reopen the station.
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Long-distance services on the main line were operated by the LSWR and its successors between
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Junction Diagram showing (centre) railways in the vicinity of Chard Junction (lower centre)
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In May 2018, a transport strategy recommended the reopening of the station to passengers.
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passing loop was retained at Chard Junction. The 21.4 miles (34.4 km) eastwards to
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Funding secured for case to re-open Chard Parkway station | Chard & Ilminster News
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agreed to assess the feasibility of trains stopping at the new station, undertaking a
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708:. The support group has accused the local planning authority and county council of "
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four-wheel diesel locomotive (works number 183062 built 1937). Taken over by the
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were laid on the south side of the station in 1937, shunted by the dairy's own
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was singled on 7 May, followed by the 15.3 miles (24.6 km) westwards to
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Plans for new Somerset railway station take big step forward - Somerset Live
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that had been opened in 1866. In 1923 the LSWR became a part of the larger
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was opened on 19 July 1860; in this area the route generally followed the
1039:"No firm plans" to reopen Chard railway station | Somerset County Gazette
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416:. The original locomotive was retired into preservation two years later.
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A view of Chard Junction from the Tobay Express, rail tour in 1978.
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Chard Parkway Station plans progress after study agreed - BBC News
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No plans to reopen Chard Junction station, says council - BBC News
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902:. Handbooks. Greenford: Industrial Railway Society. p. 71.
377:(GWR) with the trains and staff that worked its own branch from
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West Country Railway Archives – The Salisbury to Exeter Line
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and 3.7 miles (6.0 km) westwards to the long loop at
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until March 2021, when control was passed to Basingstoke.
1006:"Chard station campaigners get boost for transport dream"
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about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of the village of
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as running through to Taunton on the latter's branch.
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From 1 January 1917 the branch line was worked by the
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900:Industrial Locomotives of South Western England
962:(3rd ed.). Bradford-on-Avon: Trackmaps.
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795:Southern Railway routes west of Salisbury
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274:remained open to control Station Road
984:"Chard Junction may be back on track"
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406:Wiltshire United Co-operative Society
370:was erected at the junction in 1875.
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1156:Disused railway stations in Somerset
487:Counties Hotel it has since closed.
877:. Newton Abbot: David and Charles.
581:Southern Region of British Railways
652:Western Region of British Railways
258:, England. It was the junction of
27:Disused railway station in England
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986:. This is Dorset. 23 January 2009
438:The Reshaping of British Railways
334:, which forms the border between
783:Chard Junction station in 1984.
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623:London and South Western Railway
320:London and South Western Railway
244:London and South Western Railway
146:London and South Western Railway
52:The site of the station in 1984
873:St John Thomas, David (1973).
240:Chard Junction railway station
1:
1171:Beeching closures in England
932:The Salisbury to Exeter Line
875:West Country Railway History
852:. Bristol: Redcliffe Press.
458:(28.0 km) eastwards to
898:Hately, Roger, ed. (1977).
266:. It was opened in 1860 as
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513:and various stations in
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511:London Waterloo station
282:on the long section of
820:Taunton and Lyme Regis
443:Bristol to Exeter line
392:Sidings for dedicated
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303:Railway Clearing House
189:Renamed Chard Junction
848:Oakley, Mike (2006).
800:Transport in Somerset
599:Line and station open
573:Line and station open
375:Great Western Railway
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694:, and the former MP
322:'s (LSWR) line from
242:was situated on the
221:New signal box built
205:Closed to passengers
170:Opened as Chard Road
1018:RAIL Issue 843 p.14
559:Historical railways
543:Exeter Queen Street
383:Chard Joint station
350:). A station named
260:a short branch line
197:Chard branch closed
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58:General information
1008:. 6 December 2017.
679:Proposed reopening
563:Following station
555:Preceding station
402:Ruston and Hornsby
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100:50.8393°N 2.9367°W
969:978-0-9549866-4-3
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539:Yeovil Town
470:Description
394:milk trains
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79:Coordinates
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806:References
696:David Laws
638:Chard Town
527:Ilfracombe
491:Signalling
481:goods shed
414:Birmingham
368:signal box
360:Chard Town
352:Chard Road
272:signal box
268:Chard Road
88:50°50′21″N
749:timetable
595:Axminster
569:Crewkerne
535:Salisbury
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464:Axminster
448:Sherborne
332:River Axe
162:Key dates
116:Platforms
91:2°56′12″W
789:See also
615:Terminus
521:such as
519:Cornwall
505:Services
398:creamery
342:(before
336:Somerset
256:Somerset
252:Tatworth
67:Tatworth
63:Location
826:. 1974.
758:Gallery
751:study.
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452:Honiton
381:to the
379:Taunton
314:History
301:A 1912
137:History
132:Disused
74:England
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389:(SR).
340:Dorset
328:Exeter
324:Yeovil
292:Pinhoe
278:and a
181:opened
129:Status
515:Devon
410:0-4-0
356:Chard
348:Devon
264:Chard
992:2009
964:ISBN
936:ISBN
904:ISBN
879:ISBN
854:ISBN
728:and
687:for
541:and
529:and
517:and
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366:. A
344:1844
338:and
318:The
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202:1966
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186:1872
175:1863
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
