Southern Railway routes west of Salisbury facts for kids
The railway lines west of Salisbury were built by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) and its friends. These lines later became part of the Southern Railway in the United Kingdom. Salisbury was a natural border. It separated the Southern Railway's main lines near London from the long routes going to Devon and Cornwall.
Contents
Railway Network West of Salisbury
The railway lines in this story start west of Salisbury. The LSWR reached Salisbury from Southampton in 1847. By 1857, a direct line came from London Waterloo, which was 84 miles away. In 1859, this line stretched towards Yeovil.
From Salisbury, the main line went west. It did not pass any big towns until it reached Exeter. The land was hilly with many valleys. This made it hard to choose where to build the tracks. Many towns were a few miles from the main line. People in these towns often had to take a horse bus to the station. Later, some towns like Yeovil, Chard, and Exeter got their own branch lines.
In Exeter, the LSWR had its own station called Queen Street. This station was easier to reach than the St Davids station of the Bristol & Exeter Railway (B&ER). But Queen Street was on high ground. This made it hard to extend the line further into west Devon. When the line did extend, it went down a steep, curvy path to the B&ER station. It ran a few miles north on that line, then turned west to Crediton. From there, the line split into several main branches. These went to Barnstaple, Bideford, Halwill, and Plymouth.
Winning New Areas
The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) grew from the London and Southampton Railway. This was one of the first long-distance lines, opening in 1838. The first line was a success. The company then built more lines. They started with branch lines from the main line. Then they built completely new lines.
Winning new areas by building tracks quickly became a goal. This helped the company grow its business. It also led to strong competition with other railway companies nearby.
This competition was very strong with the Great Western Railway (GWR). The GWR opened its main line from London to Bristol in 1838. It made deals that extended its reach to Exeter. Most railways built then used the standard track gauge (the distance between the rails) of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in). But the GWR used a broad gauge of 7 ft (2,134 mm).
Local people often started new railways in their areas. They hoped a bigger company would run or buy their line. It would be difficult to operate if it used the rival company's track width. So, the choice of track width had to be made when asking Parliament for permission to build. This choice often meant joining one of the bigger companies. This led to the competition being called the "gauge war".
As areas near London became full of railways, companies looked to the less developed west of England. The GWR and the Bristol & Exeter Railway worked together. They created a route from London to Exeter in 1844. With the South Devon Railway, they reached Plymouth in 1848. These three companies formed a strong "broad gauge alliance".
The broad gauge route to Exeter went through Bristol. This left many areas without a railway. Even with the agreement, the LSWR decided to build a line to Exeter. But it had only reached Salisbury, which was a branch line from Bishopstoke (Eastleigh). Exeter was 88 miles away. The story of how the LSWR built its lines further west is the main part of this article.
Building LSWR Routes
First to Salisbury
On January 17, 1847, the first LSWR goods train arrived at Salisbury station. It was pulled by a locomotive named Rhinoceros. The station was at Milford, on the south-eastern edge of the city. This was a very important event for Salisbury. It brought the chance for factories and growth. People even hoped Salisbury would become "the Manchester of the South".
W. J. Chaplin, the LSWR Chairman from 1843, had focused on Southampton and Portsmouth. He had not paid much attention to towns west of Salisbury that wanted railways. A lawyer from Wimborne, A. L. Castleman, planned a railway from Southampton to Dorchester. He hoped to extend it west to Exeter. His line had so many curves that people called it "the water snake". The LSWR did not like his ideas. So, he turned to the GWR for help. The GWR welcomed him. They agreed to rent his line once it was built. This would give the GWR access to Southampton.
Meanwhile, the GWR and LSWR both tried to reach Newbury. A government committee decided in favor of the GWR route. But the GWR and LSWR made a deal on January 16, 1845. The GWR would stop helping Castleman's line. In return, the LSWR agreed not to build any competing lines west of Salisbury or Dorchester.
Castleman's company, the Southampton and Dorchester Railway, was approved. The line from Southampton to Dorchester opened on June 1, 1847. The Southampton and Dorchester company joined the LSWR on October 11, 1848.
This was during the "Railway Mania". Many new railways were planned everywhere. Three plans to reach Exeter were presented to Parliament in 1847. Two were approved, including the LSWR plan. This plan would have built a direct line between Basingstoke and Salisbury. But then, money became scarce. The LSWR and its rivals could not afford to build new railways. The direct line from Basingstoke to Salisbury finally opened on May 1, 1857. It also went to the Milford station. A connection from there to the current Salisbury station, which included a tunnel, opened on May 2, 1859.
From Salisbury to Yeovil
The agreement about the Southampton and Dorchester line meant the LSWR could not build west of it. This agreement was later much regretted. The GWR then built the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway. By 1851, it reached Salisbury and Frome. It was also building towards Dorchester and Weymouth.
In 1853, the LSWR directors suggested extending the line from Dorchester to Exeter. The military said that railways across the country without changing track width were important. But at a special meeting on November 15, 1853, the plan was rejected.
In 1854, the independent Salisbury and Yeovil Railway (S&YR) company got permission (on August 7) to build from Salisbury. It would connect with the GWR and B&ER, which were already in Yeovil. The LSWR's plan to reach Exeter via Dorchester was finally dropped on July 21, 1856.
The first part of the S&YR opened from Salisbury to Gillingham on May 2, 1859. The Salisbury station was a new building at Fisherton Street. It opened on the same day. It was just south of the GWR station. On the same day, the LSWR opened connecting lines from Bishopstoke and Basingstoke to Fisherton Street. They closed the Milford station for passengers.
The Salisbury & Yeovil company extended its line to Sherborne on May 7, 1860. It reached Yeovil on June 1, 1860, for passengers. Goods trains started on September 1. The Yeovil station was the Bristol and Exeter Railway station at Hendford. This had been the end of their line from Durston. The two companies planned a shared station called Yeovil Town. The B&ER built a separate narrow gauge track to Hendford. This created mixed gauge tracks in their goods yard there.
From Yeovil to Exeter
Once the S&YR was approved, the LSWR's path to Exeter was clear. They easily got permission for the line on July 21, 1856. Construction was fast. The line opened all the way from Yeovil to Exeter Queen Street on July 19, 1860. This was seven weeks after the S&YR opened. The Bristol & Exeter Railway, a broad gauge company, had reached Exeter 16 years earlier.
The LSWR line joined the S&YR at Bradford Abbas. This was simply a continuation of the main line. They built a station called Yeovil Junction. They also built a connecting line from the Hendford line, forming a triangle. The LSWR operated the S&YR line from the start. The main line from Salisbury to Exeter Queen Street was single track. It had stations where trains could pass each other. These included Wilton, Gillingham, Templecombe, Sherborne, Yeovil Junction, Crewkerne, Axminster, Honiton, and Whimple.
The route went through difficult land. Most river valleys ran across the line's direction. So, the slopes were steep, often 1 in 80. Only three tunnels were needed. These were Buckhorn Weston (742 yards), Crewkerne (206 yards), and Honiton (1,345 yards). Honiton was the longest tunnel on the LSWR system. Because of the tough landscape, the line passed by most important towns. This led to building several branch lines later to reach these towns.
Yeovil Town station opened on June 1, 1861. LSWR passenger trains stopped going to Hendford. Goods trains still used the yard there. In 1860, there were four passenger trains each way between Salisbury and Exeter. At least one train each way went via Hendford. Other trains had a connecting shuttle from Yeovil Junction.
The sidings (extra tracks) at Hendford were very small. To help move goods, the GWR built a short goods branch line to Yeovil Junction. It opened on June 13, 1864. It was broad gauge. There were no shared sidings. Goods had to be moved from one train to another.
The east curve (a connecting track) closed on January 1, 1870. After this, trains from Salisbury to Yeovil Town had to reverse at Yeovil Junction. On July 1, 1870, the entire line between Salisbury and Exeter was made double track.
Exeter and North Devon Lines
The LSWR built a line to a central station in Exeter, Queen Street. But extending west seemed blocked by the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) and South Devon Railway (SDR) line. This line ran north-south on lower ground. However, an agreement was made on March 14, 1860. It allowed the LSWR to extend its line from Queen Street down to the St Davids station. The B&ER would lay mixed gauge tracks at the station. They would also lay them to Cowley Bridge Junction, where the Crediton line split off. The B&ER agreed to help LSWR trains run with few problems. But the LSWR had to stop every passenger train at St Davids station.
The line went down to St Davids at a very steep slope of 1 in 37. It had a 184-yard tunnel. Special care was taken when operating trains on this steep part. The connecting line cost £19,550. It opened on February 1, 1862.
Before this, the LSWR saw a chance to grow in Devon. They became very interested in local railways being built between Exeter and North Devon. When the Taw Vale Extension Railway (TVER) was planned and approved in 1846, the LSWR bought shares in the nearby Exeter and Crediton Railway (E&CR). In 1847, the LSWR agreed to lease the TVER, which itself leased the E&CR. When these lines finally opened on August 1, 1854, the LSWR controlled a railway from Exeter to Fremington, just past Barnstaple. However, the government made them use the broad gauge. The LSWR did not have broad gauge trains. So, for some time, the Bristol & Exeter Railway had to run their trains for them. After the LSWR reached Exeter, a decision was made. The Bristol & Exeter had to lay mixed gauge track from Exeter St Davids to Cowley Bridge Junction. This was where the North Devon lines split from the B&ER main line. This allowed the LSWR to run standard gauge trains to Crediton from 1862. They could run all the way to Fremington from 1863.
The Bideford Extension Railway built a line from Fremington to Bideford. It opened in 1855. The LSWR operated it using the broad gauge with B&ER trains until 1863.
The LSWR extended the Bideford line to Torrington. This happened after local people pushed for an earlier promise to be kept. It opened in 1872.
These developments are explained more in the article North Devon Railway.
The line from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe was extended in 1874. The route was very difficult. It had steep slopes and sharp curves.
Into Cornwall and to Plymouth
Wanting to expand further west, the LSWR encouraged an independent company. This was the Devon and Cornwall Railway. It planned a line from Coleford Junction, north-west of Crediton, to Lydford. This line went around the northern edge of Dartmoor. At Lydford, the line joined the South Devon & Tavistock Railway. This was a broad gauge company that had reached Lydford in 1865. The LSWR got permission to use their tracks to continue to Plymouth. The D&CR line opened slowly in stages between 1865 and 1874. When it was finished, the LSWR opened its own station at Devonport. Its trains ran through Plymouth from Tavistock Junction. They stopped at Mutley station and later North Road station. Then they continued to the Devonport station. Goods were handled at Friary station, on the south-east side of Plymouth.
Relying on a rival company's line was not ideal. This line was never meant to be a main line. So, the LSWR encouraged a new independent company. This was the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway (PD&SWJR). It was formed to build its own line from Lydford to Plymouth. The PD&SWJR got permission on August 25, 1883. Its line would go from Lydford, west of Tavistock, then down the River Tamar valley to Plymouth. In 1889, the idea of a central station in Plymouth was dropped. Instead, they would run to Devonport and turn Friary into a passenger station. The PD&SWJR line opened on June 2, 1890. This made Devonport a through station. A new curve allowed trains from Devonport to go directly to Friary. It opened on April 1, 1891. Friary became the LSWR's main Plymouth passenger station. Trains to London started from Friary. They ran through Plymouth from east to west, stopping at North Road. They continued west through Devonport before heading north along the Tamar.
The Lydford line allowed the LSWR to build a railway to Holsworthy. This was an important market town. It opened in 1879. This line was extended to the Cornish harbor town of Bude in 1898. This route is described in the article Okehampton to Bude Line.
Branch Lines Between Salisbury and Exeter
The difficult land between Salisbury and Exeter made it hard for the main line to serve several important towns nearby. This led to several important branch lines being built to reach them. Local people often pushed for these lines. Most branch lines joined the main line away from a town. This made them less useful for businesses.
Even the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway served Yeovil itself by a branch from Bradford Abbas. This fact made many people in Yeovil less supportive at first.
When the Yeovil branch opened, on the same day as the S&YR main line (June 1, 1860), the Yeovil station was not ready. Trains continued on the Bristol & Exeter line to Hendford. This was the B&ER station on the western edge of town. The B&ER laid mixed gauge track for this purpose. They had reached Hendford in 1857, connecting with the GWR at Pen Mill. The grand Yeovil joint station opened on June 1, 1861. It was run jointly by the B&ER, GWR, and LSWR. LSWR trains stopped running through to Hendford.
Chard was served by a railway built by the Chard Railway company. When it was partly built, the LSWR bought the railway on January 1, 1863. The line opened on May 8, 1863, from Chard Road to Chard Town. When the Bristol & Exeter Railway reached Chard from Taunton in 1866, the LSWR line was extended. It bypassed the original station and went to a new Joint station. This was called New Chard or "Chard Joint". It opened on November 26, 1866. The original station stayed open but was only for goods after 1917.
Lyme Regis was the last of the smaller branches to be built. Several earlier plans from 1864 failed. The Lyme Regis branch line ran from Axminster station. It had steep slopes (1 in 40) and sharp curves. It opened on August 24, 1903. The Axminster & Lyme Regis Light Railway built and operated it. The LSWR took it over on January 1, 1907. Even though it went south, it started from the "up" (north) side of Axminster station. It crossed over the main line. There was a short track to the "down" sidings at Axminster station.
The Seaton branch was built by the Seaton and Beer Railway. It opened on March 16, 1868, from Colyton Junction (later Seaton Junction). It had stations at Colyton Town, Colyford, and Seaton. The LSWR leased the line from January 1, 1880. It fully took it over on January 1, 1888.
The Sidmouth Railway got permission on June 29, 1871. Its line opened on July 6, 1874, from Feniton. It had stations at Tipton and Ottery St Mary. The Sidmouth station was a bit outside the town itself. Feniton had been renamed Ottery Road in 1861. But it was renamed Sidmouth Junction when the Sidmouth line opened. (After the branch line closed, it went back to Feniton in 1971).
A light railway called the Budleigh Salterton Railway got permission on July 20, 1894. Its line opened in 1897 from Tipton St Johns (the earlier Tipton station, renamed in 1881) to Salterton. It had a station at Budleigh. In 1898, Salterton was renamed Budleigh Salterton. Budleigh was renamed East Budleigh. A new station opened at Newton Poppleford.
The LSWR already ran an Exmouth branch. It filled the gap by opening its Exmouth & Salterton Railway from Budleigh Salterton to Exmouth. This line had a station at Littleham. It opened on June 1, 1903.
Much earlier, the Exeter & Exmouth Railway had opened its line from the LSWR at Exmouth Junction on May 1, 1861. The LSWR operated it from the start.
Independent Railways
There were three other railway lines in Devon and Cornwall. They were connected to the LSWR or its later company, the Southern Railway.
The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway (PD&SWJR) built the line between Lydford and Devonport. Once finished, it leased that line to the LSWR. It did not operate the line itself. However, it also built a branch line from Bere Alston to Callington. Part of this line used tracks from the older East Cornwall Mineral Railway. The PD&SWJR operated this branch line itself. It remained independent until the railways were taken over by the government in 1947.
The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway was a narrow gauge line. It connected the coastal town of Lynton to the market town of Barnstaple. It opened in May 1898. It used a track width of 1 foot 11½ inches (597 mm). It was not very successful financially. It became part of the Southern Railway group in 1923. But it closed in September 1935.
The North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway opened on July 27, 1925. This happened after narrow gauge lines, built for the china clay industry, were improved. This line stayed independent until the railways were nationalized in 1948.
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway was a very important connecting line for the LSWR. It crossed at Templecombe. This line was first started by a local company, the Dorset Central Railway. It began from the LSWR's Southampton–Dorchester line at Wimborne. It connected with the LSWR at Templecombe in 1862. At the same time, this company joined with the Somerset Central Railway. They formed the Somerset & Dorset Railway. At this point, they only wanted to connect the port of Poole with Burnham-on-Sea on the Bristol Channel. However, the small company finished its extension to Bath Green Park in 1874. There, it connected with the Midland Railway. This instantly created an important route to the Midlands and the North. It helped avoid relying on the Great Western Railway.
But building the Bath extension cost too much money. It ruined the S&DR. So, it leased its line to the LSWR and Midland Railway companies in 1876. They operated the line together as the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway. The Midland company provided the engines and trains. The LSWR provided the tracks and staff.
The Joint line connected with other LSWR routes at Poole and Bournemouth. This was the most important passenger route. Fewer passengers used the Templecombe connection with the Salisbury–Exeter line. However, a lot of goods were exchanged at Templecombe.
Joining of the Railways
In the 1800s and early 1900s, the government encouraged railway companies to compete. They saw cooperation as bad for business. But after the First World War, the government controlled the railways. The railways could not fix or update their systems properly. Also, there was a lot of competition from outside. This made it impossible for the companies to keep competing. So, the government passed the Railways Act 1921. This law made the main railway companies in Great Britain combine into four big groups. These were called the "big four". This happened on January 1, 1923. The LSWR joined the new Southern Railway. So did its southern neighbors, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. The GWR formed its own group, joining with many smaller lines. Competition to the south, like to Portsmouth, stopped. But importantly, competition in the West with the GWR continued. The Somerset & Dorset remained a joint railway. It was owned by the Southern and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. These were the new owners of the Midland Railway. They also remained very competitive with the GWR.
