A former Somerset railway line that once ran from Burnham-On-Sea to Bournemouth has been recognised as one of the UK’s most picturesque lost railway lines.
The 105-mile journey from Bristol to Dorset, which ceased operations in March 1966, has been featured in The Telegraph’s list of the country’s most beautiful lost railway lines.
The Somerset & Dorset Central Railway once served as a vital link across the South West, connecting Bath and Burnham-On-Sea at the northern end of the route to Bournemouth in the south.
Burnham-On-Sea railway station closed to regular passenger traffic in October 1951, although summer excursions continued until 8th September 1962. The station in Pier Street was opened on 3rd May 1858 with the name ‘Burnham’ and on 12th July 1920 the suffix ‘on-Sea’ was added.
The Telegraph describes the historical railway with a critical eye: “Unlike some of its Victorian counterparts, this 105-mile joining of the dots between the Bristol and English Channels was not a single vision brought to fruition.”
“As its name hinted, the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway was an amalgamation of two earlier lines – the Somerset Central Railway and the Dorset Central Railway – to form a whole that was not always greater than the sum of its parts.”
“While there is no doubt that the ‘S&D’ served a cross-section of the south-west – including its branch lines, it reached Bath and Burnham-On-Sea at the northerly ends of its route, and Bournemouth in the south – it did not always do so at a speed to its passengers’ liking.”
“So ponderous was its locomotives’ progress through the Mendip Hills that its acronym was repurposed as ‘Slow & Dirty’ and ‘Slow & Doubtful’. It was also failing before Beeching cast his eye on it, with some of the branches closing in the 1950s (though there were protests at its death all the same).”
The Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust operates a mile of track at Midsomer Norton South station in Somerset. The Gartell Light Railway is a kindred spirit at Yenston (also in Somerset). And the North Dorset Railway is an ongoing labour of love; its team of volunteers hopes to run trains on restored track at Shillingstone in the near future.
The former Bath Green Park station has been transformed into a bustling market hall, home to local businesses, organisations and renowned eateries like The Green Park Brasserie.
Burnham-On-Sea also has multiple railway memorabilia items in place, with a replica signal box in Old Station Approach and other historical railway items nearby along Marine Drive which was the route of the train line up to the top of the jetty in Pier Street.
