Castle Cary station is to get a new accessible footbridge and lifts, with construction expected to begin after next summer's Glastonbury Festival. The scheme forms part of a programme worth more than £24 million across five stations.

Network Rail announced the update on Friday, 30 October. It has not given a completion date for the Castle Cary improvements or a separate cost for the work there.

The station will welcome thousands of festival passengers again in June 2027, before the planned construction begins. The new bridge and lifts are intended to make the station easier to use for passengers who need step-free access.

Castle Cary is one of two Somerset stations included in the programme. At Weston-super-Mare, two lifts are being added to the Grade II-listed footbridge, providing step-free access between platforms for the first time.

The Weston footbridge opened in 1884, and its new lifts are due to open in autumn 2027. A public drop-in session about that project will take place at Front Room Theatre on Wednesday, 4 November, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

Thomas Madgwick, lead portfolio manager for Network Rail's Great Western route, said: "We're investing in stations right across the West to make the railway easier to use and accessible to more people.

"With new lifts, footbridges, ramps and improved passenger facilities being installed, these projects will make a real difference to people using our stations every day.

"They're also important improvements for stations such as Castle Cary and Cheltenham, which welcome thousands of additional passengers for some of the region's biggest events.

"There's a lot of work happening across the region over the next couple of years and we're looking forward to seeing passengers and communities benefit from it."

The other stations receiving improvements are Lostwithiel, Cheltenham and Torquay. Work across the programme is scheduled to deliver new facilities during 2027 and 2028.

At Lostwithiel, a permanent footbridge is due to open in summer 2027, replacing a temporary crossing installed in 2024. Cheltenham's improvements include a lift for the northbound platform, due to open in spring 2028, and an accessible ramp for the southbound platform.

Torquay will receive a ramp, a waiting room and an accessible toilet, alongside changes to parking and drop-off areas. That work is due to finish in spring 2027.

Joe Graham, business assurance and property director for GWR, said: "We want everyone to feel confident and comfortable using the railway and improving accessibility at stations is an important part of that.

"These upgrades will make a real difference for passengers, providing easier access and better facilities for people travelling across the region.

"We're pleased to see this investment progressing at stations across the Great Western network and look forward to customers benefiting from these improvements."

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