Taunton railway station
Taunton 
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The main entrance to the station
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| Location | |
| Place | Taunton |
| Local authority | Borough of Taunton Deane |
| Coordinates | 51°01′22″N 3°06′13″W / 51.0228°N 3.1035°WCoordinates: 51°01′22″N 3°06′13″W / 51.0228°N 3.1035°W |
| Grid reference | ST227254 |
| Operations | |
| Station code | TAU |
| Managed by | Great Western Railway |
| Number of platforms | 6 |
| DfT category | C1 |
| Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries |
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| Annual rail passenger usage* | |
| 2011/12 |
 1.293 million |
| 2012/13 |
 1.289 million |
| 2013/14 |
1.262 million |
| 2014/15 |
1.315 million |
| 2015/16 |
1.376 million |
| History | |
| Original company | Bristol and Exeter Railway |
| Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | Great Western Railway |
| 1842 | Brunel station opened |
| 1868 | Rebuilt in conventional form |
| 1932 | Rebuilt with four tracks |
| National Rail – UK railway stations | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Taunton from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
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Taunton railway station is a junction station on the route from London to Penzance, 143 miles (230 km) west of London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, England and is operated by Great Western Railway. It is also served by CrossCountry trains and by the West Somerset Railway on special event days and by mainline steam excursions.
Originally opened on 1 July 1842 as part of the Bristol and Exeter Railway, Taunton was the terminus of the line until a new temporary terminus was opened on 1 May 1843 further west at Beambridge.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's original design was for a single-sided station with two platforms, each with their own buildings and train sheds, placed on the south side of the line. A hotel was built between them and the Grand Western Canal. Having both platforms on the town side of the line was meant to help passengers but was found to be problematic as the railway became busier, with each train having to cross the line used by trains in the opposite direction. An engine shed was provided at the west end of the station.
A series of branches opened in the area during the next thirty years. These were the Yeovil branch line (1 October 1853), the West Somerset Railway to Watchet (31 March 1862), the Chard Branch Line (11 September 1866), and the Devon and Somerset Railway (8 June 1871, extended to Barnstaple 1 November 1873). While none of these branches had a junction in Taunton, the trains were generally run through to Taunton to provide connections.
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