Although the town had an important history, it was declining during the second half of the twentieth century and the branch lines retained a rural character.

[3][4] The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) had opened its line to Taunton on 1 July 1842, giving rail access to London.

[6][page needed] (The station when built was called Chard Road, and it was two miles (3 km) from the town.)

[7] They promoted an independent "Chard Railway Company", obtaining an Act of Parliament on 25 May 1860 with a share capital of £25,000 and authorised loans of £8,300,[6][page needed] to construct a railway from the town to the main line, and also a horse-operated goods tramway to the canal basin.

[3] The London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened its Chard Road station on 19 July 1860.

Meanwhile, the Chard company's chairman, called Loveridge, negotiated purchase with the L&SWR company, while hinting at alliance with the rival broad gauge interest, and the sale was agreed for the sum of £20,000, taking effect in April 1861, so that completion and operation of the branch now fell to the L&SWR.

The first train was hauled by a coke-burning 2-2-2 well tank called Firefly, believed to have been built specially for the line.

The Chard and Taunton Railway[note 2] got parliamentary authority to build its line by Act of 6 August 1861.

[note 3][6][page needed][9] The Bristol and Exeter Railway was anxious to keep the L&SWR well away from Taunton and therefore made friendly overtures.

[6][page needed] The B&ER built a broad gauge[note 1] single-track line from Creech Junction on its main line (a little west of the later Creech St Michael Halt), 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) east of Taunton to a station at Chard.

The line was 12 miles 61 chains (20.5 km) long, and opened on 11 September 1866 to passengers, goods traffic being made ready in March 1867.

[11] The Chard Joint Station was located at the northern end of Victoria Road, on the site of the earlier canal basin.

The L&SWR had extended its line to the B&ER station by simply connecting to the horse tramway to the canal basin.

It presented it for approval to the Board of Trade inspector on the same day as the much longer B&ER branch was inspected, but it was rejected, and the L&SWR had to upgrade it for passenger operation, opening the line on 26 November 1866.

Eaton-Lacey says that the L&SWR "had ideas of closing the old terminus and constructing a new station on the spur platform, but the intentions did not come to fruition".

However, there were competitive concerns that the L&SWR company would apply for running powers over the northern part of the Chard branch to get access to Taunton, so they delayed the gauge conversion of the Chard line: by 1884 it was the only broad gauge line east of Exeter.

[15] In 1910 the L&SWR and the GWR made an agreement aimed at securing economies in localities where both companies had an activity.

[20] Passenger services were withdrawn permanently on 10 September 1962 and the line closed completely between Creech and Chard on 6 July 1964.

[22] After passenger services were withdrawn the goods yard remained open for nearly two more years, finally closing on 6 July 1964.

A small wooden shelter was provided, and a wartime pill box was built at the north end of the platform.

The halt is next to some World War II defences used on the Taunton Stop Line, with anti-tank traps around the station.

During the threat of invasion, an inspection post could be quickly set up between Donyatt and Ilminster to stop and check the trains before allowing them to proceed.

[28] The word 'Road' in the station name indicated that whilst it was intended to serve Chard, it was not in the town but rather on the road outside.

[28] The signal box built in 1875 was retained to control sidings and a passing loop and was only replaced by a more modern structure in 1982.

[30] In 1947 the six trains to Taunton and nine to Chard Junction appeared in different time tables with no indication of through services.