Trains to Taunton - Station Details and further Information on Taunton Train Services
Taunton train station is a junction station on the London to Penzance Line, 143 miles from London Paddington station. It is situated in Taunton, Somerset, England and is operated by First Great Western but also served by CrossCountry trains.
The station is situated on an embankment and a bridge above road level. The ticket office is at ground level on the north side although the town centre lies to the south of the station, about 1 mile away. There is a car park on both sides of the station and bus services to the town centre call at a bus stop in front of the ticket office; those from the town call at a stop on the main road that passes beneath the station.
The platform above the ticket office is Platform 5, which is the main platform used by trains towards London Paddington and also Bristol and the north. The station buffet is situated on this platform. An east-facing bay platform, Platform 6, is beyond this; it only sees occasional use nowadays, mainly being used for local trains towards Bristol.
Schematic of Taunton Station.In the centre of the station is an island platform. The face on the north side is Platform 4 which can be used by similar trains to Platform 5. The face on the south side is Platform 3, which is used as an extra platform for services towards Exeter but is mainly used for terminating services from the Bristol direction that can also start back from this platform.
The southerly platform is Platform 2 and is the main platform for services to Exeter and beyond. Trains can also start from this platform towards London and Bristol if required. At the north end is the bus shelter for rail-link buses to Minehead and Ilfracombe. It has level access from a second car park.
At the west end of this platform is another bay platform, Platform 1. While this is signalled for passenger trains it is not generally used for these. Behind this are some sidings used by the engineers department for stabling on-track plant, and the disused engine shed. The line behind this is the headshunt for Fairwater Yard.
Terminating trains from Bristol that need to cross to Platform 2 or 3 have to run forward towards Fairwater and then return to the station once the driver has changed ends. To reach Platform 6 they have to make this move and then run right through the station, the driver change ends, and then reverse into Platform 6. First Great Western have proposed that alterations be made to the layout at the east end of the station to allow terminating trains from Bristol to run straight into Platform 6.
First Great Western operates regular intercity services from Taunton to London Paddington with around 1 - 2 trains per hour. The Atlantic Coast Express service calls at Reading and London Paddington only. First Great Western also operate the Night Riviera sleeper service from Penzance to London.
The high speed service from London Paddington continues to Exeter St Davids then either Paignton or Plymouth and Penzance. These services usually run via Westbury but some operate via Bristol. They also run an hourly service from Taunton to Bristol and Cardiff.
CrossCountry operates long distance services between Scotland or the north of England and Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance.
There are 2-3 trains per hour to Bristol Temple Meads.
Taunton is also one of the 32 stations in the UK which offers a Eurostar connection, allowing people to travel from Taunton to destinations such as Paris with one fare and one ticket to London's St Pancras International.
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