From 1988 onwards the route of the line west of South Molton was redeveloped to form the part of the North Devon Link Road.

The first 7+1⁄4-mile (11.7 km) section of the line was opened on 8 June 1871, from Watchet Junction (later Norton Fitzwarren) to Wiveliscombe on the edge of Exmoor.

The Tiverton services started from Dulverton and ran over the D&SR as far as Morebath Junction where they diverged southwards, and that line was later extended to Exeter.

In October 1913 the Railway Magazine reported that she was "very proud" of her job after 23 years service and hoped to continue indefinitely.

[2] On 1 July 1905 an avoiding line was opened at Barnstaple, which allowed through trains to Ilfracombe to run directly to the LSWR station without having to reverse in the D&SR terminus.

In 1937 the junction at Norton Fitwarren was modified to allow an easier route from the main line, and the single track as far as Milverton was doubled.

Victoria Road station closed to passengers on 12 June 1960, after which all through trains ran directly to Barnstaple Junction.

On 1 October 1966 the last train ran on the line; Victoria Road remained open for freight traffic, served from Barnstaple Junction, until 30 May 1970.

[10] The principal engineering works on the railway were:[2] The first section of the line from a junction west of Taunton to Wiveliscombe opened on 8 June 1871; there was one intermediate station, at Milverton.

Unless otherwise stated, each opened with its respective section of line; goods services were withdrawn from 6 July 1964, and the stations closed after the passage of the last passenger train on 1 October 1966.

The Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) was opened through Norton Fitzwarren, 2 miles (3 km) west of Taunton, in 1843.

[12] The station at Milverton in Somerset was initially just a single platform on the south side of the line with a brick building.

[citation needed] Wiveliscombe station was in Somerset and acted as the temporary terminus of the line from 8 June 1871 until 1 November 1873.

The main station building and goods shed remain as part of an industrial estate that has built up on the site.

[19][20] The Tiverton line joined the D&SR at Morebath Junction but its trains continued to Dulverton, the next station towards Barnstaple.

Trains on both lines called there, so it had a more frequent service than at Morebath station, and the halt was much nearer the village, but could be reached only by an often muddy footpath across fields.

[19][20] This the largest intermediate station on the Devon and Somerset line was situated about two miles south of the town it served, to which it was connected by bus for many years.

The first signal box was at the west end of the south-side sidings; it was replaced in 1908 by one on the eastbound platform next to the goods shed.

[21] The station at East Anstey in Devon was built with just a single platform on the south side of the line.

[26] A single platform was provided on the south side of the line two miles south-west of the village of Molland in Devon.

The loop was again extended in 1937, this time eastwards, and a larger signal box was built at the east end of the platform.

Being close to the town centre it was much more convenient than South Molton Road which had opened on the North Devon Railway in 1854 but was 8 miles (13 km) away.

The railway route west of this point now forms the majority part of the North Devon Link Road.

[1] This station was opened as "Castle Hill", being named after a local mansion owned by Earl Fortescue.

[29] It remained a single-platform station through 1876 and 1902 capacity improvements along the line, but on 20 June 1937 was given a passing loop and second platform, although no shelter was provided for this.

After closure to passengers the station building was used as a house until it was demolished when the North Devon Link Road was built through the site.

All passenger services were diverted to Barnstaple Junction from 13 June 1960, but Victoria Road remained open for freight traffic until 1970.

The station buildings have now been demolished and the site is part of an industrial estate, however, the goods shed survives and is used as a church.

[33] Five passenger and two goods trains were scheduled to operate daily in the October 1880 timetable, as they still were immediately before World War I.