by, and contracts were let for the completion of the line, which was opened onward from Bridgwater in stages: Bridgwater to Taunton on 1 July 1842 Taunton to Beam Bridge (on the Exeter Turnpike) on 1 May 1843; Beam Bridge was a temporary terminus, closed when the onward section to Exeter opened Beam Bridge to Exeter on 1 May 1844. The Exeter station was at the site now known as Exeter St Davids station. The opening to Exeter completed the B&ER main line, and with the GWR formed a combined broad gauge line from London to Exeter with a mileage of 194 miles, far longer than any other line at the time. The Directors were able to report that the whole construction had been carried out for the £2 million originally authorised, "a most unusual experience in those days". On 4 July 1844 the South Devon Railway obtained its authorising Act of Parliament: the broad gauge would soon be continuous from London to Plymouth. Gauge war: a duplicate route to Exeter The rival London and South Western Railway (LSWR) had its main line from London to Southampton, and was planning to extend to Exeter. The GWR wished to prevent this by promoting its own lines in the region. At this period Parliament considered that only one line was appropriate to serve any particular area, and naturally each company wished their own allies' lines to be authorised. The LSWR was a narrow gauge railway (later referred to as standard gauge) and the GWR and B&ER were broad gauge lines; the intense rivalry to secure territory was referred to as the gauge wars. In 1845 the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (WS&WR) was promoted by the GWR. The GWR now saw it as the beginning of a line to Exeter to exclude the LSWR proposal, and as this would harm the position of the B&ER the GWR offered to purchase the B&ER company, which it was leasing. This was put to a B&ER shareholders' meeting and rejected by a considerable majority. Feeling that it had acted in good faith, the GWR now promoted a modified version of the Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth scheme, and a line that became called the Exeter Great Western, from Yeovil to Exeter via Crewkerne and Axminster. The B&ER felt alienated from the GWR. Brunel saw that his position as Engineer to both companies was compromised, and resigned