The West Country is getting better connected. Plans are moving forward for brand-new railway stations at Cullompton in Devon and Wellington in Somerset, a pairing that would restore regular rail services to two market towns that have spent decades watching the trains thunder past without stopping.
Both towns sit along a busy stretch of the Great Western main line between Exeter and Taunton, so the tracks themselves are already there — the project is essentially about building platforms, access and facilities so trains can actually call. Cullompton's station closed back in the 1960s as part of the widespread Beeching-era cuts, and Wellington lost its own station around the same time. Reviving stops at these two spots has been talked about locally for years, and the schemes have been gradually working their way through planning and funding stages.
Why should a traveller care? Because this corner of England is famously awkward without a car. Cullompton sits handily for the blackdown hills and the M5 corridor, while Wellington is right by the Somerset-Devon border, close to the Quantock Hills and an easy hop from Exmoor. Once the stations open, visitors could reach these towns directly by train from Exeter, Taunton and onwards to London Paddington connections, without needing to drive or rely on infrequent buses. It also opens up car-free options for exploring the countryside between Devon's coast and Somerset's rolling hills.
The broader picture is a quiet renaissance for small-station reopenings across Britain, with dozens of stations proposed or under construction nationwide. Cullompton and Wellington are part of that wave, and while exact opening dates have shifted as funding and approvals progress, the direction of travel is clear. If you've ever fancied a slow-paced West Country break built around market towns, real ale pubs and National Trust houses like Knightshayes Court near Cullompton, the practical barriers are about to drop.
For now, keep these two names on your radar. When the platforms open, expect early-bird opportunities: quieter towns, good-value accommodation compared with the Devon coast, and direct rail access that hasn't existed here for over half a century.
