CrossCountry pledges to consider new services at Bridgwater

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 13:02 · Archive

CrossCountry says it will consider proposals for its services to call at Bridgwater railway station.

CrossCountry has said it will consider proposals for its services to call at Bridgwater railway station. Shiona Rolfe, CrossCountry's managing director, said that any proposals for future services in Somerset would be considered "very seriously" when speaking at a TravelWatch SouthWest regional meeting in Taunton on 9 October.

Bridgwater's road network has been under increased pressure in recent years due to housing growth, the ongoing delivery of Hinkley Point C and construction of a new "gigafactory" at the Gravity enterprise zone. Somerset Council, Bridgwater Town Council and other partners have been lobbying for CrossCountry services to call at the station, arguing it would relieve pressure on local roads and encourage more holidaymakers to visit Somerset.

Bridgwater railway station handled more than 486,000 passengers in 2024/25 according to the Office for Rail and Road, but is currently only served by Great Western Railway stopper services between Bristol and Exeter. Ms Rolfe cautioned that the immediate priority for CrossCountry was to stabilise the existing service with improved punctuality, more seats and fewer cancellations, citing an aging fleet and challenges in keeping pace with network growth.

How it is being reported

• CrossCountry boss pledges to consider new stop at Bridgwater railway stationCrossCountry (which will shortly be nationalised) has said proposals for services to call at Bridgwater in the future will be taken "very seriously"Bridgwater Mercury · 20 Oct, 12:36
• CrossCountry boss pledges to consider new stop at Bridgwater railway stationCrossCountry (which will shortly be nationalised) has said proposals for services to call at Bridgwater in the future will be taken "very seriously"Somerset County Gazette · 20 Oct, 12:36

In this story: CrossCountry · Bridgwater · Somerset Council · Great Western Railway · Shiona Rolfe · Hinkley Point C

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