 Exeter in 1844. William Spreat's print shows the original Exeter station before the South Devon Railway was opened. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bristol |
| Dates of operation | 1844–1876 |
| Successor | Great Western Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) |
The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) was an English railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter. It was built on the broad gauge and its engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It opened in stages between 1841 and 1844. It was allied with the Great Western Railway (GWR), which built its main line between London and Bristol, and in time formed part of a through route between London and Cornwall.
It became involved in the British Gauge War, a protracted and expensive attempt to secure territory against rival companies supported by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) which used the narrow gauge, later referred to as standard gauge.
At first it contracted with the GWR for that company to work the line, avoiding the expense of acquiring locomotives, but after that arrangement expired in 1849, the B&ER operated its own line. It opened a number of branches within the general area it served: to Clevedon, Cheddar, Wells, Weston-super-Mare, Chard, Yeovil and Tiverton.
The B&ER was financially successful but amalgamated with the GWR in 1876, the combined company being called the Great Western Railway.[1][page needed][2][page needed]