Glastonbury bus link to Castle Cary set for go-ahead

By Laura Linham 8th Apr 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 8th Apr 2026

A new bus link from Glastonbury to Castle Cary railway station could finally be just weeks away, after Somerset Council said the service could begin "imminently" once fresh train timetables are checked.

The proposed route would run from Glastonbury via Pilton and Shepton Mallet, giving the town a direct public transport connection to one of Somerset's busiest railway stations. Castle Cary handles more than 354,000 passengers a year, but many people across the area still rely on the car to get there.

The push has come from Glastonbury TrainLink, which has campaigned for the service and submitted a £150,000 bid through the Somerset Bus Partnership to fund at least six months of operation.

Trustee Nick Hall turned up the pressure when Somerset Council's executive committee met in Taunton on Wednesday, 1 April. He said the trial should start from Glastonbury, describing the town as arguably Somerset's most important tourist destination.

Mr Hall said more than 1,050 people had responded to a recent survey, following four years of work on the preferred route, likely demand and acceptable journey times. He said the service must be direct, regular and timed to meet popular train services, running from early morning until late evening, seven days a week.

That would be a major change for Glastonbury residents, commuters and visitors, who have long faced patchy onward travel despite the town's national and international draw.

Somerset Council first confirmed in mid-March that the route could be trialled under its local transport delivery plan. Now Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, says officers are working through the options and checking the new Great Western Railway timetable, due to change in May.

He said the council would contact Glastonbury TrainLink with proposals once that work was complete, adding there was no point running a bus service that failed to meet trains.

The trial sits within a wider transport package backed by more than £3.4 million from the Department for Transport. The money will also fund Sunday services on four existing routes and extra evening services on eight commercial routes from Monday to Saturday.

Council leader Bill Revans also suggested the route could eventually take in Street, and said Glastonbury TrainLink could speak to Clarks Village about helping make the service stack up in the longer term.

For Glastonbury, the message is clear: after years of campaigning, the bus link now appears closer than ever. But the exact start date has still not been confirmed.