the 19th century, the GWR's principal route from London Paddington station to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance was an indirect one via Bristol Temple Meads (the so-called Great Way Round). However, in 1895 the GWR directors announced that new lines were to be constructed to enable trains to reach Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance in a shorter time. This involved improvements to the Berks and Hants Extension Railway and the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Line, together with the construction of the Castle Cary Cut-Off, which was opened from Castle Cary to the existing Bristol to Exeter line at Cogload Junction in 1906. This transformed Frome from a station on a secondary north to south line, to one on a main east to west route. The route resulting from these improvements and extensions forms the current London to Penzance line. In 1933 a by-pass route was constructed, enabling through traffic to avoid Frome station and the junction with the Radstock branch, and leaving the station on a looped branch as at present. In 1925, there were nine or ten trains per day between Radstock and Frome with just two on Sundays. In 1956, this had reduced to only three, with none on a Sunday. The line to Radstock was formally closed in July 1988 by the removal of two rail lengths at Hapsford. The first part of the branch remains open to carry aggregate freight trains from Whatley Quarry. Colliery traffic from Radstock closed in 1973. This section of line is mainly used by Mendip Rail; Freightliner Group will take over the line in November 2019. After the branch near Great Elm to the quarry, the rest of the route to Radstock is now the route of National Cycle Route 24, otherwise known as the Colliers Way. In February 2014, the station was refurbished. In December 2014 a plaque was installed at the station commemorating a journey made from Frome to London in 1912 by Leonard Woolf to propose marriage to writer Virginia Stephen. The journey to make the proposal, which was initially refused until a change of heart, was the start of one of the greatest literary partnerships of the twentieth century. Stationmasters William Hewitt Lindsey 1856 - 1865 (formerly station master at Solihull (1852) and Banbury (1854)) William Matthew Mitcham 1865 - 1895 (formerly station master at Bruton, afterwards station master at Bridport) George Peach 1895 - 1920 John William Vatcher