A flurry of media reports followed confirmation by Somerset Council in late July that it was working on a business case to reintroduce passenger services from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard, which is the southern terminus of the seasonally operated West Somerset Railway (WSR). Despite local advocates of a more substantial reopening of the entire Taunton – Minehead line gaining media coverage, the council has made it clear there are no current proposals to operate services any further than Bishops Lydeard, assuming funding for that was available and that subnational transport body for Peninsula Transport endorses that position. Great Western Railway previously operated seasonal Taunton to Bishops Lydeard shuttle services on a trial basis in 2019 using a Class 150/2 DMU.
The Taunton to Minehead line closed in 1971, and subsequent track alterations and re-signalling mean there is no direct route from the now out of use bay platforms historically used for Minehead se…
