Reading–Taunton line
The Reading–Taunton line is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line from which it diverges at Reading railway station. It runs to Cogload Junction (east of Taunton) where it joins the Bristol to Exeter and Penzance line.
| Reading–Taunton line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
A First Great Western HST approaching Great Cheverell on its way to Westbury | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | South East England South West England | ||
| Termini | |||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | Great Western Railway | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1906 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 103 mi 51 ch (166.8 km) | ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 hz AC OLE (Reading to Newbury) | ||
| Operating speed | 110 mph (180 km/h) maximum | ||
| |||
Since 1906 it has served as the principal route from London Paddington to Devon and Cornwall, having been built by the Great Western Railway (GWR) joining up several earlier railway lines. These included the Berks and Hants Railway from Reading to Hungerford and part of the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway from Westbury to Castle Cary. The section from Reading to Westbury is sometimes called the Berks and Hants Line.
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