THE London and South Western Railway main line from Waterloo reached Exeter in stages from Salisbury, opening first to Yeovil Junction on June 18, 1859. The last section to Exeter Queen Street (Central from 1933) was finally carrying passengers from June 18, 1860 –a great relief to the LSWR as it allowed it to link up with its long-held acquisition the Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway of 1847.
From the start, the route was in direct competition with the Great Western Railway from Paddington, in those days still running via Bristol but with the advantage of broad gauge and its suitability for higher speeds.