Wootton Bassett railway station opened on 30 July 1841, when the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington was extended from Chippenham via the Box Tunnel through to Bristol Temple Meads.

Following this accident, the Great Western Railway provided trap points and scotch blocks at all sidings that exited onto running lines.

A footbridge was provided from 1880 to allow passengers to cross the tracks, but a road bridge was also available at the east end of the station.

It was to commence from a junction a little west of Wootton Bassett station and run to Patchway north of Bristol, from where trains could continue through the Severn Tunnel.

[1] By the 1930s, Wootton Bassett had become a railhead for goods traffic to the surrounding district, with the GWR basing a country lorry service here, and a new warehouse was provided to support this.

[6] The approach road on the south side gives access to a Foster Yeoman stone distribution depot.

[6] In 2011, Wiltshire Council and Wessex Chamber of Commerce jointly commissioned Network Rail to evaluate construction of a new station at Wootton Bassett to serve the Interface Business Park.