SOMERSET Council has been urged to ensure buses can physically access one of the county’s main railway stations to pick up passengers.

Improvements to the entrance of Bridgwater railway station on Wellington Road were put in place by Great Western Railway (GWR) from May 2019, using funding from Somerset County Council, Sedgemoor District Council, and EDF Energy (as part of the Hinkley Point C mitigation programme).

Unfortunately, the current layout of the car park and mini-roundabout onto the A372 St John’s Street means that buses cannot properly turn into the station site to pick up passengers.

Councillor Diogo Rodrigues, one of two Conservative councillors for the Bridgwater East and Bawdrip division, used a full council meeting in Taunton on Wednesday afternoon (February 12) to press the council to take action following the publication of its new local transport plan.

The council said it was working closely with the relevant landowners and rail operators to resolve the issue.

Speaking at Somerset County Cricket Club in Taunton town centre, Mr Rodrigues stated: “The current road configuration prevents buses from using the designated bus stop at Bridgwater railway station.

“Given the importance of linking bus and rail services to improve transport options, when will Somerset Council carry out the necessary works to enable buses to stop at the station?”

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, responded: “I am actually very aware of the issues around the bus stop at Bridgwater railway station, and I am keen to resolve the issue.

“The existing stop is on land owned by Network Rail and leased to GWR under their franchising agreement.

“I met with GWR representatives, with support from our officers, in the autumn to understand the options for making improvements.

“Our officers have also met with representatives of Bridgwater Town Council about the matter, and we have agreed to facilitate work to develop proposals for an improvement scheme and seek funding to support its delivery.

“Constructing improvements on railway property is complex due to the franchising arrangements, and further work will be needed with GWR to understand the most appropriate route for delivery once a solution is agreed.”

St John’s Street forms the final section of the Celebration Mile linking the railway station to the historic docks via the town centre – though there is currently no funding to deliver any improvements on this road.

Town councillor Mick Lerry hinted in October 2024 that funding for this project (and associated improvements) could be sourced from the construction of the new £4bn gigafactory at the nearby Gravity enterprise zone.

Bridgwater MP Sir Ashley Fox has been pushing for bus service improvements across the area since the general election campaign, and recently met with representatives from FirstBus to discuss a range of issues.

In addition to the Bridgwater interchange, Mr Fox’s constituents complained about “unreliable services, insufficient routes to rural areas, and a lack of evening services”, according to a survey carried out by Mr Fox’s staff.

Mr Fox said he would be raising these issues further with Somerset Council following the publication of its revised bus service improvements plan (BSIP) earlier this month.

He said: “Local bus services are a vital lifeline for residents, especially those in rural communities, and these long-standing concerns cannot be allowed to continue.

“I will keep pressing FirstBus and Somerset Council to deliver the reliable and accessible transport services that our communities need.”