had amalgamated with the Bristol and Exeter company on 1 January 1876). New bay platforms were added to handle the trains from the branch lines. In the 1930s the lines through Taunton from Cogload Junction to Norton Fitzwarren were widened from two to four tracks; those east of Taunton were brought into use on 13 December 1931 and those to the west on 14 February 1932. This work forced another rebuilding of the station. The train shed was dismantled and new buildings constructed on the up (north) side along with a new island platform in the middle of the station. This gave a platform face for each of the four through lines, which were brought into use on 7 February 1932. Work included a new subway that replaced the old footbridge, and a new booking office at road level on the north side of the station. The old goods shed was replaced by a two-storey goods warehouse next to the avoiding line, east of the station on 20 February 1932. The platforms were numbered: The down relief platform, principally used by expresses from Bristol A bay at the east end, used for arrivals from Chard, Yeovil, Castle Cary The inner bay at the west end, double sided around the single track, principally used for Barnstaple departures The outer bay at the west end, principally used for Minehead departures The down main platform, mainly used by expresses from London The up main platform, mainly used by expresses to London The up relief platform, mainly used by expresses to Bristol A bay at the west end, occasionally used for Minehead/Barnstaple arrivals A bay at the east end, used for stopping train departures to Bristol and Yeovil Although some no longer have tracks, all the platform structures remain. Until 1970 the four tracks to the east of Taunton were not used as normal main and relief lines, but with the inner main lines for trains to London and the outer lines for trains to Bristol, to align with the way the tracks diverged at Cogload Junction, some miles to the east of the station. In 1970 under the Western Region of British Rail the central island platform was closed off and all trains stopping at Taunton used the outer platforms, except in an emergency when the central platform was pressed into use. London trains stopping at Taunton (which was most of them) now