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of Taunton showing the location of the station]] Taunton railway station serves Taunton in Somerset , England . The station is operated by First Great Western and is an important station on the London To Penzance Main Line . It is sited about a mile from the centre of the town. HISTORY Originally opened in July 1842 as part of the Bristol And Exeter Railway it provided the first railway link between Taunton and London . The line was extended to a temporary terminus at Beambridge the following year and completed to Exeter in 1844. Numerous small branch lines, now mostly closed, made Taunton a railway hub. The original railway buildings were simple with a pair of station platforms both placed on the south side of the line and a hotel between them and the Grand Western Canal . They were rebuilt in 1868 to use a more conventional layout as the original Brunel-designed layout meant to help passengers change train was found to be problematic. Today the main station survives intact although the yards and locomotive depot around it are disused and have either been demolished or are derelict. For a long period the central platforms were also unused but increasing railway traffic has led to their re-opening although most of the original features had previously been demolished. DESCRIPTION The station is situated on a viaduct and bridge above road level, with the ticket office at this level on the north side (away from the town centre). There is a car park on both sides of the station and bus services to and from the town centre call at bus stops on the road that passes beneath the bridge. The platform above the ticket office is Platform 5, which is the main platform used by trains towards London Paddington and also Bristol and the Cross Country Network . The station buffet is situated on this platform. An east-facing bay platform, Platform 6, is beyond this; it only sees occasional use nowadays, mainly being used for local trains towards Bristol. In the centre of the station is an island platform, to which a lift is currently being constructed (the other platforms already have lifts). The face on the north side is Platform 4 which can be used by similar trains to Platform 5. The face on the south side is Platform 3, which is used as an extra platform for services towards Exeter but is mainly used for terminating services from the Bristol direction that can start back from this platform. The southerly platform is Platform 2 and is the main platform for services to Exeter and beyond, but again can be used for trains arriving from and then returning towards Bristol. It has level access from a second car park. Trains can also start away from this platform towards London and Bristol if required. At the north end is the bus shelter for rail-link buses to Minehead and Ilfracombe . At the west end of this platform is another bay platform, Platform 1. While this is signalled for passenger trains it is not generally used for these. Behind this are some sidings used by the engineers department for stabling on-track plant, and the disused Engine Shed . The line behind this is the headshunt for Fairwater Yard . FAIRWATER YARD A marshalling yard was opened to the west of the station during the 1940s. It was used for many years by the British Railways ' Civil Engineer and was home to a Ruston And Hornsby 0-6-0 diesel shunter, PWM652 . After the end of this permanent way work the sidings were little used, mainly being a place to store unwanted wagons. During 2006 they were relaid and in January 2007 were returned to use. Fairwater is now the home for a High Output Track Renewal System. This is engaged on renewal of track on the Great Western Main Line west of Swindon , the Reading To Exeter Main Line and the Bristol-Taunton Line . The equipment based in the yard is a Plasser And Thueurer High Output Ballast Cleaner, a Matisa High Output Track Renewal Train, and smaller on-track plant. Trains are mainly worked by Freightliner locomotives and Bo-Bo 73133 is used as the yard shunter. SERVICES
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