A total of just under £200,000 has been contributed to important renovation and maintenance work on the West Somerset Railway during the winter months by two of its support groups.
The Friends of Minehead Station continued their support of the WSR’s northern terminus by providing £40,000 for roof repairs on the main station building, which marked its 150th birthday in 2025.
FoMS has been supporting work at the station and in its environs for nearly three decades and derives much of its income from its “Readers Halt” second hand book stall on the station platform. It has also introduced a popular new line in wooden train garden planters. FoMS members also carry out maintenance work and gardening on site.
READ MORE : School's tree planting event unites community
The largest overall support group for the WSR is the West Somerset Railway Association which has been fund raising and carrying out important work for over fifty years. Its largest recent contribution over the 2024/25 period is £119,000 spent on track relaying at Tribble Bridge ,which carries the line over the A358 at Combe Florey, and is crossed by trains on their way between Bishops Lydeard and Crowcombe Heathfield.
In its entirety the work here cost £180,000 and the Association contribution was vital to getting the project completed.
The Tribble Bridge work was one of a number of track relaying and fettling jobs along the 20 miles of the West Somerset. To complete work on the ballasting of the track.
To aid completion of this work a Volker Rail Lightweight Tamping machine and its operators was hired at a cost of £35,000, with the costs being met by the Association.
Finally the WSRA paid for platform maintenance at Williton and Blue Anchor stations, adding a further £5,605 to their overall contribution. Thanks to the growth in holiday traffic during the history of the Norton Fitzwarren-Minehead line platforms at West Somerset Railway stations are some of the longest in the heritage sector.
West Somerset Railway General Manager Kerry Noble, said: “The West Somerset Railway, as with other heritage lines, relies on the fund raising and volunteer work of its many supporters. In addition to our thanks to FoMS and the WSRA there has been a huge amount of work done and money raised and spent by groups all along the line during the closed season.
When passengers begin to travel again on March 22 they will have good views of the countryside in spring thanks to the cutting back gangs’ hours of labour and the stations will look and be welcoming. Carriages have been cleaned and locomotives maintained. It is due to this work and fund raising that we are ready for Railway200 and our 49th year of operation.”
The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is a 20-mile heritage railway running between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead. Originally part of the Great Western Railway, it is operated as a heritage line, preserving the region's railway history.
For more information, visit www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk.