Frome railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Frome
code = FRO


manager = First Great Western
locale = Frome
borough = Mendip, Somerset
latitude = 51.2263
longitude = -2.3107
lowusage0405 = 92,126
lowusage0506 = 93,407
lowusage0607 = 100,067
platforms = 1
start = 1850

Frome railway station serves a largely rural area of the county of Somerset in England, and is situated in the town of Frome.

The station is located on a convert|1.5|mi|km long branch line which loops off the main line railway, which at this point carries services on both the London to Penzance Line and Bristol to Weymouth route. Most of the trains which take the loop line in order to serve Frome station are on the Bristol to Weymouth route, and most trains on the London to Penzance line by-pass the station on the main line. The station is convert|22.25|mi|km|0 south of Bath Spa on the Bristol to Weymouth line, and is operated by First Great Western.

Frome station was opened in 1850 and is one of the oldest railway stations still in operation in Britain. The unusual station structure consists of a 120 by 48 foot (36.5 x 14.6 metres) timber train shed. The station has two platforms, one of which is now unused due to the line being made into a single track, and benefits from a public address system.cite web | title = Frome Station roof | url = http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=626 | publisher = Engineering Timelines | accessdate = 2008-02-06]

History

Frome station was originally on the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway, a railway that linked the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Chippenham with Weymouth. The line was authorised in 1845, was acquired by the GWR in 1850, reached Frome in the same year, and was completed throughout in 1857. The original route of this line is that of the loop line through Frome station. This line forms the basis for today's Bristol to Weymouth route.

A branch from Frome to Radstock, authorised by the same act of 1845, opened to freight traffic in 1854 and to passenger traffic in 1875. At Radstock this line connected with the Bristol and North Somerset Railway, providing a more direct route to Bristol than that provided by the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway.cite web | title = History - Frome Signal Cabin | url = http://www.r.heron.btinternet.co.uk/hfrome.html | publisher = Great Western Society - Bristol Group | accessdate = 2008-02-06]

For the remainder of the 19th century, the GWR's principal route from London Paddington station to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance was an indirect one via Bristol Temple Meads (the so-called "Great Way Round"). However in 1895 the GWR directors announced that new lines were to be constructed to enable trains to reach Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance in a shorter time. This involved improvements to the Berks and Hants Extension Railway and the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Line, together with the construction of the Castle Cary Cut-Off, which was opened from Castle Cary to the existing Bristol to Exeter line at Cogload Junction in 1906. This transformed Frome from a station on a secondary north to south line, to one on a main east to west route. The route resulting from these improvements and extensions forms the current London to Penzance line.cite book |last = MacDermot |first = E T |title = History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921 |publisher = Great Western Railway |date = 1931 |location = London]

In 1933 a by-pass route was constructed, enabing through traffic to avoid Frome station and the junction with the Radstock branch, and leaving the station on a looped branch as at present. The line to Radstock closed to passengers in 1959, although the first part of the branch remains open to carry freight trains from Whatley Quarry.cite web | title = History - Frome Signal Cabin | url = http://www.r.heron.btinternet.co.uk/hfrome.html | publisher = Great Western Society - Bristol Group | accessdate = 2008-02-06]

ervices

The station is a quiet one as it is only normally served by Bristol to Weymouth trains, although there are now many other peak services to Bristol and Cardiff which originate and terminate at Frome.

The station is now also served by a train to London Paddington and back in the morning and evening peak.

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References