Castle Cary railway station’s restored ticket office and waiting room have reopened after an £835,000 investment, bringing step-free access, upgraded passenger facilities and renewed historic features to one of Somerset’s busiest stations.
The station building was officially reopened on Monday 17 August by Sir Andrew Haines, chairman of Department for Transport Operator Limited. The work was funded by £560,000 from the Department for Transport and £275,000 from the Railway Heritage Trust.
What has changed at Castle Cary station?
The original entrance has been reopened with a new accessible ramp, providing step-free access. The ticket office has been relocated to improve the flow of passengers through the building.
The waiting room has also been refurbished. Historic features were uncovered during the work, while period-appropriate timber furniture was installed to reflect the station’s early 20th-century atmosphere.
Passengers now have additional seating on the main platform, a digital departure board and upgraded toilet facilities. The improvements include a larger accessible toilet with baby-changing facilities.
Castle Cary attracts more than 370,000 passengers each year and is described as the main rail hub for large parts of eastern Somerset. Great Western Railway serves the station, including Bristol to Weymouth trains and faster services between Exeter and London Paddington via Taunton.
New bus link and future plans
The station’s wider transport offer has also expanded. A new 567 bus service began a six-month trial connecting Castle Cary with Glastonbury and Street. The trial is due to end in February 2027, and Somerset Council’s highways and transport portfolio holder, Councillor Richard Wilkins, has encouraged residents to use the service.
The full timetable is available through Somerset Bus Partnership. The council says the trial’s success will depend on passenger use and how well the service connects with train times.
Further improvements are being considered. These include exploring a third car park to meet rising passenger numbers and investigating additional step-free access through the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme.
The station project was delivered with support from GWR, the Department for Transport, the Railway Heritage Trust and Oxford Architects. The Newt in Somerset, which operates an artisan dairy, restaurant and farm shop beside the station in the restored 1912 Creamery building, is also part of the station-area partnership.
The development is outside Yeovil and does not report a direct change to Yeovil services. Yeovil residents travelling through Castle Cary should check the latest train and bus information before making a journey.
