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Yeovil Pen Mill railway station

{{Short description|Railway station in Somerset, England}}

{{For|the station on the London Waterloo to Exeter line|Yeovil Junction railway station}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Yeovil Pen Mill

| symbol_location = gb

| symbol = rail

| image = 2016 at Yeovil Pen Mill - exterior.JPG

| borough = Yeovil, Somerset

| country = England

| coordinates = {{coord|50.945|-2.613|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}

| grid_name = Grid reference

| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|ST570163|25|ST570163}}

| manager = Great Western Railway

| platforms = 2

| code = YVP

| classification = DfT category E

| original = Great Western Railway

| years = 1854

| events = Opened

| mpassengers =

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{increase}} 0.144 million |interchange={{pad|2em}} {{steady}} 5,245}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 37,770 |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 915}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.121 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 2,321}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.147 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 12,400}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.166 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 16,090}}

| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

}}

Yeovil Pen Mill is one of two railway stations that serve the town of Yeovil, Somerset, England. It is situated just under a mile to the east of the town centre. The station is located {{convert|59.5|mi|km|0}} south of {{stnlnk|Bristol Temple Meads}}, on the Heart of Wessex Line. It is managed by Great Western Railway, who operate services along with South Western Railway.

History

File:Yeovil railways.png

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) as part of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth route on 1 September 1856. The route was completed to {{stnlnk|Weymouth}} on 20 January 1857. The Bristol and Exeter Railway's (B&ER) line from Taunton, which initially terminated at {{stnlnk|Yeovil Hendford}}, was extended to connect with the GWR at Yeovil Pen Mill from 2 February 1857. Both these lines were built using the {{railgauge|7ft}} broad gauge. The GWR line was converted to what become the {{railgauge|ussg}} standard gauge in June 1874. The B&ER line was mixed and had trains of both gauges from 12 November 1868 but broad gauge trains ceased operation after 30 June 1879 by which time the B&ER had been taken over by the GWR.{{cite book |last= Jackson |first= B.L. |title= Yeovil, 150 Years of Railways |year= 2003 |publisher= Oakwood Press |location= Usk |isbn= 0-85361-612-4}}

The station originally had two platforms, one for each direction, with a train shed for protection. A fire on 18 April 1859 resulted in one building being burnt down. All trains then used the 'up' platform (that built for trains towards {{stnlnk|Frome}} and London Paddington) until the station was rebuilt in the 1880s.

The GWR opened a locomotive depot at the station in September 1856, which operated until January 1959, when it was closed and the locomotives transferred to Yeovil Town depot.

A connection between the GWR line and the Southern Railway line to Exeter was established during World War II to allow trains direct access between {{stnlnk|Yeovil Junction}} and Yeovil Pen Mill. This was opened on 13 October 1943 and offered a new route for trains of war materials as well as a diversion route in the event of bomb damage.

= 1913 accident =

A passenger train, hauled by GWR City Class 4-4-0 No. 3710 City of Bath, overran a signal on 8 August 1913 and hit the rear of another passenger train. Two people were killed and ten injured.{{cite book |last=Hoole |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Hoole |title=Trains in Trouble: Vol. 4 |year=1983 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=Truro |isbn=0-906899-07-9 |page=17 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_Yeovil1913.pdf |title=Great Western Railway |publisher=Board of Trade |date=27 August 1913 |access-date=21 March 2017}}

=Stationmasters=

{{div col}}

  • George Roberts ca. 1857
  • William Clarke 1860{{cite journal |author= |date=1899 |title=1835-1910 Clerks Vol.3 |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1728/images/32167_626640_0027-00129?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=137417 |journal=Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts |volume= |issue= |pages=105 |doi= |access-date=19 June 2021}} - 1863 (formerly station master at {{stnlnk|Warminster}})
  • George Pinkerton 1863 - 1872{{cite journal |author= |date=1899 |title=1838-1876 Clerks Vol.3 |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1728/images/32167_626640_0259-00023?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=1219241 |journal=Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts |volume= |issue= |pages=22 |doi= |access-date=19 June 2021}} (formerly station master at Taplow, afterwards station master at {{stnlnk|Salisbury}})
  • George King Forster 1876 - 1887{{cite journal |author= |date=1899 |title=1835-1910 Clerks Vol.5 |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/1728/images/32167_626640_0068-00496?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.89954589.723301223.1624101322-1722903150.1624101322&pId=343924 |journal=Great Western Railway Operating, Miscellaneous Depts |volume= |issue= |pages=492 |doi= |access-date=19 June 2021}}
  • Richard Stonnill 1887 - 1894{{cite news |author= |title= Presentation | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001613/18941207/269/0006 |newspaper=Western Chronicle |location=England |date=7 December 1894 |access-date=19 June 2021 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} (formerly station master at Aberdare, afterwards station master at {{stnlnk|Westbury}})
  • Samuel Martin 1894 - 1899{{cite news |author= |title= Yeovil | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000035/18990422/378/0011 |newspaper=Bristol Mercury |location=England |date=22 April 1899 |access-date=19 June 2021 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}
  • J. Parry 1899 - 1907
  • W.F. Vaughan 1907 - 1916
  • Frank George Dunford 1916 - 1926
  • P. Williams 1926 - 1933{{cite news |author= |title=Highbridge Station Master Promoted | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002470/19340105/084/0005 |newspaper=Central Somerset Gazette |location=England |date=5 January 1934 |access-date=19 June 2021 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} (afterwards station master at Highbridge)
  • William Gard ca. 1942
  • L.E. Hole 1944{{cite news |author= |title= Stationmaster's Appointment | url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000407/19440609/001/0002 |newspaper=Western Gazette |location=England |date=9 June 1944 |access-date=19 June 2021 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} - ca. 1956 (formerly station master at {{stnlnk|Maiden Newton}})

{{div col end}}

Description

Yeovil Pen Mill has three platform faces but only two are in use. Platform 1 is used predominantly by trains heading north and platform 3 is used mostly by trains heading south to Weymouth. The former platform 2 is now unused; there is only a single track between platforms 1 and 2 but trains open their doors on the platform 1 side.

{{Clear}}

Services

File:Yeovil Pen Mill - SWR 159003 and GWR 150261.JPG

Great Western Railway operate the majority of services at Pen Mill on their route between {{stnlnk|Weymouth}} and {{stnlnk|Gloucester}}, via {{stnlnk|Bristol Temple Meads}}.{{Cite web |title=Train Times |work=Great Western Railway |date=2 June 2024 |access-date=15 July 2024 |url= https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/train-times |quote=}}

South Western Railway operate a few services between London Waterloo and Pen Mill, some via Yeovil Junction and others via {{stnlnk|Westbury}}.{{Cite web |title=Timetables |work=South Western Railway |date=2 June 2024 |access-date=15 July 2024 |url= https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/timetables |quote=}}

{{rail start}}

{{rail line|next={{stnlnk|Thornford}}|previous={{stnlnk|Castle Cary}}|route=Great Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line |col={{FGW colour}} }}

{{rail line|next={{stnlnk|Yeovil Junction}} |previous={{stnlnk|Castle Cary}}|route=South Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line |col={{SWR colour}} }}

{{s-end}}

The town is also served by {{stnlnk|Yeovil Junction}}, around two miles away, on the West of England Main Line; it is also served by South Western Railway. Commencing in December 2015, a limited regular passenger service began using the connection between the two lines.

References

{{commons category|Yeovil Pen Mill railway station}}

{{reflist}}

{{Somerset railway stations}}

Category:Railway stations in Somerset

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1854

Category:Former Great Western Railway stations

Category:Railway stations served by Great Western Railway

Category:Railway stations served by South Western Railway

Category:Buildings and structures in Yeovil

Category:DfT Category E stations