New £160million train station to be first of its kind in the UK in 100 years
THE Essex city of Chelmsford is getting a new multi-million pound train station
As part of a huge regeneration project, the new railway station will become part of the Great Eastern Main Line – which will be the first addition in over 100 years.
Essex County Council secured funding of £252million in total, to develop the Beaulieu Park estate in Chelmsford.
Along with 14,000 homes and new roads, there will also be a brand new train station costing around £160million.
At the moment, Chelmsford only has one station in the centre of the city.
The station at Beaulieu Park will provide regular connections to London Liverpool Street – which will only take 40 minutes.
Managed by Greater Anglia, its fleet of trains will also go to other towns and cities in the east of England with both stopping and direct services.
The station will have three platforms with a central loop line.
New tracks will mean trains can stop at the station, while fast trains can continue through without any interruptions.
There will be step free access onto the platform as well as ticketing facilities.
Pedestrian and cycle routes will form part of the design and there will be storage spaces on-site for 500 bikes.
Plans also show a new bus interchange near the station, and there will be pick up and drop off bays for taxis.
A car park with spaces for 700 cars will also be built, five per cent of which to be designated Blue Badge bays, and motorcycle spaces.
Targeted to open by the end of 2025, the new station will ease pressure on the existing Chelmsford train station.
The city has a huge commuter rail service that sees over 15,000 passengers every day and 5.7 million annual users.
The development of Beaulieu Park has also been put in place to try and relieve congestion in the city centre.
The new north-eastern bypass will make access to the new station from surrounding towns such as Braintree much easier.
The project has been years in the making with original planning permission granted in 2013.
Work on the new Beaulieu Park started in 2023 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
Plus, a town in Essex that is said to be the smallest in the country with amazing pubs and a beach.
And the English town named the best place to live in the UK.
There's A New Train Operator In Town
They hope to challenge Eurostar with trips across the Channel...
A brand-new train operator is hoping to launch services between the UK and Europe, offering ‘competitive fares’ for passengers.
Currently, Eurostar is the only rail operator that connects the UK to destinations across Europe, including cities in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
This could all change as a new train operating company, Gemini,has announced its plans to launch services between the UK and Europe.
The new train operator, which is currently being established, hopes to begin its rail journey by launching services from London to Paris and Brussels.
Once services between London and Paris/Brussels have launched, Gemini hopes to further its list of European destinations.
The new rail operator plans to introduce ‘new cutting-edge trains and a fresh approach to sales and ticketing’ on services between the UK and Europe.