Long-Gone Railway Route Still Serves Public Transport System

Summary

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ALTHOUGH the original line built by the Bristol & Exeter Railway between Durston and Yeovil (Pen Mill) closed on Saturday, June 13, 1964, parts of the line are still serving the public transport system in different ways.

Back in the final years of the 19th century, when the Great Western Railway was enjoying something of a renaissance, following the eventual abandonment of Brunel's 7-ft 0.75-inh broad gauge, the company turned its attention towards providing its West Country passengers with a shorter route to London, avoiding Bristol, and which was often referred to as the 'Great Way Round'. This was to be done by cobbling together stretches of existing lines with sections of new lines, built with graceful curves and benign gradients.

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Extract

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Long-Gone Railway Route Still Serves Public Transport System

Leaving Paddington today, one is on Brunel's Billiard Table route as far as Reading, but here a sharp left turn takes us on to the rou...

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