Connection Southwards
From 1856, the route of what became the Salisbury to Exeter main line was becoming firmer, after a considerable time spent in wrangling over alternatives: at last there were definite plans for a direct southern, narrow gauge route from Exeter to London.
The people of Chard discovered that this line would not pass through their town, but there would be a station on the new main line, then described simply as "three miles west of Winsham". (The station when built was called Chard Road, and it was two miles from the town.) Wanting a closer railway connection, promoters in the town met in November 1859 and resolved that "a railway from the London and South Western Railway, with a tramroad to the Canal Basin, is of great importance to the prosperity of the town". They promoted an independent "Chard Railway Company", obtaining an Act of Parliament on 25 May 1860 with a share capital of £25,000 and authorised loans of £8,300, to construct a railway from the town to the main line, and also a horse-operated goods tramway to the canal basin.
The London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened its Chard Road station on 19 July 1860. The Chard Railway Company started construction work on its line on 1 November 1860. The contractor for the line found himself unable to discharge his obligations and had to be replaced; this was followed by the second contractor failing too and the engineer to the line also departing.
Meanwhile the Chard company's Chairman, called Loveridge, negotiated purchase with the L&SWR company, while hinting at alliance with the rival broad gauge interest, and the sale was agreed for the sum of £20,000, taking effect in April 1861, so that completion and operation of the branch now fell to the L&SWR.
The branch line was opened on 8 May 1863. The Chard station was at the junction of East Street and Victoria Road. It may have been called Chard Town from the start.
The line was worked by the L&SWR company. The first train was hauled by a coke-burning 2-2-2 well tank called Firefly, believed to have been built specially for the line.
The initial train service was six trips each way, with three on Sundays.
Chard Road station was renamed Chard Junction in 1872.
Read more about this topic: Chard Branch Line
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