No start date for ‘small fix’ to let buses access Bridgwater railway station
Council backs better bus-rail links, but Bridgwater station fix remains without a timeline.
There is no start date for a “small fix” which would allow buses to access Bridgwater railway station.
The station received £1.2m of upgrades from Great Western Railway (GWR) in 2020, but the resulting changes to its car park and forecourt made it impractical for buses of a certain size to access the site.
Both local Conservative MP Sir Ashley Fox and the Somerset Bus Partnership have been pushing for changes to be made to the layout to correct this mistake, arguing it will encourage more people to use both forms of transport.
Somerset Council’s executive committee voted on Wednesday (March 11) to approve its new transport plan, which includes commitments to improved accessibility at stations and better links between bus and rail services.
But the council has declined to say when the Bridgwater improvements will be implemented, stating only that the project is “in progress”.
Mr Fox raised the issue during a debate on the government’s Buses Bill in the House of Commons back in September 2025.
He said: “There has been no usable bus stop at Bridgwater railway station for several years because of road layout problems.
“It is a relatively small fix, but despite running Somerset Council for the last three years, the Liberal Democrat administration seems unable to fix the problem.
“We must ensure that the Bill obliges local authorities to act in circumstances such as these.”
David Northey from the Somerset Bus Partnership raised this issue afresh when the executive committee met in Taunton on Wednesday (March 11) – with his question being read aloud by counterpart Barrie Childs.
They asked: “The plan claims bus-rail integration improvements will be delivered through existing revenue support, yet no specific funding or schemes are identified.
“Given that bus-rail interchange at Bridgwater remains unresolved after six years, buses at Yeovil Pen Mill still fail to connect with trains, and the Minehead service is not even promoted as a rail-link route in Somerset timetables, what concrete funded actions will the council take between 2026 and 2030 to actually deliver the integration promised in this plan?”
The local transport plan commits to delivering “secure cycle parking and way-finding at railway stations” along with “improved accessibility and
interchange opportunities between several modes of transport.”
The plan states that bus stops at railway stations will be improved though “revenue bus service support”, but does not make a specific commitment to Bridgwater or specify how much this project may cost.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said: “Work is in progress to provide access for buses to Bridgwater railway station.
“Way-finding work is also under way at Highbridge and Burnham railway station.”