West Somerset Railway

The line

The West Somerset Railway runs 20 miles from Bishops Lydeard, just outside Taunton, to Minehead on the coast. It is the longest standard-gauge independent heritage railway in the UK. The timetables mix steam trains with diesel units, and each running day is colour-coded, so check which type of train is on your date.

The line calls at Crowcombe Heathfield, Stogumber, Williton, Doniford Halt (a request stop), Watchet, Washford, Blue Anchor, Dunster and Minehead. The railway describes the route as running through Somerset countryside and coast.

A short history

The line reached Minehead in 1874, run by the Bristol and Exeter Railway, which the Great Western Railway absorbed in 1890. It closed at the start of January 1971. Reopening began at Easter 1976 with trains between Minehead and Blue Anchor, and by 1979 services ran the full 20 miles to Bishops Lydeard.

Planning a trip

Services do not run every day. The railway publishes a calendar of operating days, and many dates have no public service while others are given over to special events. Check the railway’s timetable before you travel.

Rover tickets, which cover a day’s travel, can be bought in advance online. Tickets for intermediate stations are sold only on the day, at a booking office or on the train. Choose your station to suit the plan. Bishops Lydeard has the free car park. Minehead is the end of the line, with pay-and-display parking. Groups of 16 or more paying passengers book by phone through the railway’s group service. Dunster station is about a mile from Dunster Castle, a walk of roughly 25 minutes.

With a dog or a pushchair

Dogs travel on ordinary services but not in the buffet car, on seats or on the dining trains. Wheelchair users should read the accessibility statement first, because the Quantock Belle services cannot carry wheelchairs or mobility scooters.