Norton Fitzwarren railway station
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Norton Fitzwarren | |||
| Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Norton Fitzwarren | ||
| Area | Taunton Deane, Somerset | ||
| Operations | |||
| Original company | Bristol and Exeter Railway | ||
| Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway | ||
| History | |||
| 1873 | Opened | ||
| 1961 | Closed | ||
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |||
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Closed railway stations in Britain |
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Norton Fitzwarren railway station is a former railway station on the Bristol and Exeter Railway, in the village of Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset, United Kingdom. The nearest operational station is at Taunton.
Contents |
[edit] History
It was opened in 1873 on the Bristol and Exeter Railway, but from 1876 to 1947 it was operated by the Great Western Railway. The station closed to passenger services in 1961.
[edit] Location
It was close to the junction from the main line for the branches to Minehead and Barnstaple. The West Somerset Railway are planning to build a loco servicing facility, carriage works and passenger station facilities here, and have purchased 33 acres of land for that purpose. However, there are no current passenger facilities here. Most West Somerset Railway services have their southern terminus at Bishops Lydeard, but there are some special workings from Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren (where passengers may not leave the train), and some special through workings from the main line to the West Somerset Railway. Regular passengers workings of sorts restarted in late 2007 with the 'Butlins Express' trains running from Bristol Temple Meads to Minehead on the West Somerset Railway for part of the summer season. It is hoped to repeat these workings in 2008.
[edit] Accidents
[edit] Ocean Mails collision
Ex-Bristol and Exeter Railway 4-4-0ST No. 2051 was withdrawn following a fatal collision at Norton Fitzwarren while working a special ocean mail train from Plymouth on 11 November 1890.
[edit] 1940 collision
Main article: Norton Fitzwarren rail crash (1940).
Another crash occurred on 4 November 1940, this time with trains leaving Taunton under blackout conditions due to the war.
[edit] Taunton sleeper fire
Main article: Taunton train fire.
A coach in the 22:30 sleeper train from Penzance railway station to London caught fire on the morning of 6 July 1978 and was brought to a stand near Norton Fitzwarren. Twelve people were killed.
