The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) was opened through Norton Fitzwarren on 1 May 1843 but the nearest station was 2 miles (3 km) east at Taunton.

On 31 March 1862 the original West Somerset Railway was opened to Watchet, leaving the Exeter line at Norton Junction, but still no station was provided.

[1][2] In 1931 the GWR started a project to quadruple the track between Cogload Junction (where the mainline from Bristol Temple Meads and the north met the Castle Cary cut-off line from Yeovil, Reading and London Paddington), for the 7 miles (11 km) south through Taunton to Norton Fitzwarren.

The completion of the project also allowed the GWR to create the large regional goods facility at Fairwater Yard, located just east of the station.

[2][3] At the start of World War II, the Royal Army Service Corps choose the relatively large scale station serving the small community as the ideal location for a new logistics depot.

[3] The goods yard continued to operate until 6 July 1964, when the logistics facilities of Norton Manor Camp closed.

[10] Part of the land is used for ballast reclamation, with waste material being delivered to the site by Network Rail in conjunction with their track renewals depot at nearby Fairwater Yard.

On 3 August, services called additionally at Norton Fitzwarren for the annual Steam Fayre Vintage Rally, run by the WSRA, taking place at the station.