WEST Somerset Railway’s (WSR) Blue Anchor station has been shortlisted in the Heritage Railway Association’s annual awards as a contender for the title of ‘Station of the Year’.

The station was opened in 1874 when the West Somerset Railway was extended from Watchet to Minehead, linking Minehead with Taunton.

The track through the station was originally laid to the seven feet and quarter inch broad gauge, a width championed by Brunel, but was converted to standard gauge in 1882, a decade before the wider gauge finally disappeared from Britain’s railway map.

A major tourist attraction is the restored period level-crossing, manually opened from the nearby signal box - one of the few working examples left in the country.

A WSR spokesperson said: “The station is architecturally unusual, being built of brick rather than stone, unlike other stations on the line.

“What was once the waiting room on the platform for Minehead bound trains now houses a museum which is part of the work of the West Somerset Railway Heritage Association and is open when trains call at the station.

“The station is staffed and maintained by volunteers who carry out roles including painting, gardening, selling tickets, and offering a welcome to visitors and passengers.

“Many belong to The Friends of Blue Anchor Station.”

WSR general manager Kerry Noble said: “It is wonderful news that Blue Anchor has been nominated for this national award and recognition of the work of many volunteers both currently and in the last half-century,

“All our 10 stations are the gateways to the railway and the station teams do so much to make them look attractive and welcoming.

“We look forward to them continuing this vital part of the West Somerset Railway during our 50th anniversary year in 2026 and for many more years into the future.”