Chard Branch Line

The Chard and Taunton Railway was a British railway company in Somerset in southwest England.

The Company was incorporated on August 6, 1861 to build a line from Taunton to Chard. The construction of the line took over the Bristol and Exeter Railway. The B & ER took on June 8, 1863, the Company.

Opened on September 11, 1866 route went partially along the Chard canal in 1842 and was carried out in the broad gauge of 2140 mm. They branched into Creech Junction from (east of Taunton ) from the main line Bristol- Exeter and led through Ilminster to Chard. There was a connection with London and South Western Railway. Due to the Great Western Railway, the route was changed on July 19, 1891 on standard gauge. After a temporary closure in 1951 by the energy crisis in 1964 was the final out of the course by the Beeching Axe.