Watchet station bench and platform, West Somerset Railway,Somerset,South West England, UK

Watchet railway station is a station on the West Somerset Railway, a heritage railway in Somerset, England. It is situated in the small harbour town of Watchet. History Terminus: 1862–1873 The station opened on 31 March 1862 when the West Somerset Railway (WSR) opened from Norton Junction (later Norton Fitzwarren), serving as the WSR's original line terminus. Watchet was chosen as the WSR line's terminus, as it had been since the Middle Ages an important regional port on the Bristol Channel. Local iron ore, timber and paper products were exported, whilst from the same time, it had become an important national port for the import of French wine and salt. The commercial aim of the WSR in choosing Watchet as its terminus was hence to provide a wider and cheaper distribution route for goods from the port. The GWR increased the capacity of the line in the 1930s. Because of the position of the goods shed opposite the platform, it was not possible to add a second track and platform, and a passing loop was constructed at Kentford just 0.75 miles (1.21 km) west of the station. It opened on 10 July 1933 but the signal box was only used during the daytime each summer. Nationalisation in 1948 saw the GWR become the Western Region of British Railways. On 24 August 1952, the signal box at Washford closed, and the one at Kentford remained open until 7 May 1964 when it also closed. Freight traffic was withdrawn on 6 July 1964 and passenger trains on 4 January 1971. Preservation The station was reopened by the new West Somerset Railway on 28 August 1976