Bridgwater North railway station

Bridgwater North
The station in 1963
General information
Location	Bridgwater, Sedgemoor England
Coordinates	51°07′57″N 2°59′45″W / 51.1326°N 2.9959°W / 51.1326; -2.9959
Grid reference	ST304374
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Bridgwater Railway
Pre-grouping	Bridgwater Railway
Post-grouping	Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway
Key dates
21 July 1890 (1890-07-21)	Opened as Bridgwater
26 September 1949	Renamed Bridgwater North
1 December 1952 (1952-12-01)	Closed for passengers
7 July 1962	closed for goods

Bridgwater North railway station was the terminus of the Bridgwater Railway, which ran from a junction with the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at Edington, between 1890 and 1954. Although often regarded as part of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, and effectively worked as part of that system, the Bridgwater Railway remained nominally independent until the railway Grouping of 1923 when it was vested in the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway group.^[1][2]

Originally named Bridgwater, the station was opened on 21 July 1890. It was renamed Bridgwater North in 1949 when it came under British Railways ownership, to avoid confusion with the larger former Great Western Railway (GWR) station in the town. The station consisted of an island platform with a canopy, goods yard and a connection to riverside wharves.

The passenger station closed when the branch service was withdrawn on 1 December 1952. The line to Edington Burtle via Cossington was closed completely in 1954 after goods traffic was diverted over a new connection to the GWR docks branch which continued until 1962. Bridgwater railway station remains open on the Bristol to Taunton Line.

The site is now occupied by a Sainsbury's supermarket and an adjacent large retail park.^[3]

v t e Railways in the Bridgwater area
Legend
Bristol–Exeter line to Highbridge and Burnham  A38  to Highbridge River Parrett ROF Bridgwater
Dunball
Dunball down line Cement & Lime works Dunball Wharf sidings King's Sedgemoor Drain Dunball up line
Bridgwater
S&DJR Bridgwater branch to Edington British Cellophane Bridgwater Spinx Cement Works S&DJR wharf sidings 3 4 Bridgwater (S&DJR) passenger & goods 1 2 5 6 Bridgwater Goods (GWR) Bridgwater and Taunton Canal Bridgwater (GWR) Carriage works  A38  to Taunton Somerset Bridge over River Parrett Bristol–Exeter line to Taunton Bridgwater Docks "Telescopic" bridge Clink Yard Bridgwater Cement, Lime, Brick & Tile Works 1954 connection Church Street

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Harrison, J. D. (1990). The Bridgwater Railway. Wallingford: The Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-403-2

• S&DJR stations - Bridgwater
• Station on navigable O.S. map