It was originally envisaged for 4 platforms, but I think they would have had to skew the tracks too far to the North, due to the adjacent road to the South - hence the final decision -
Preferred option:
The preferred option is a new 3-platform station at Beaulieu, with a turnback / central loop and car park, as detailed in Network Rail’s GRIP 2 report. As noted previously, various workshops were conducted with key stakeholders in order to reach a suitable solution for all parties.
Figure 3.1: GRIP 2 Preferred Operational Layout
Following the Value Management Workshop in 2016, stakeholders including Network Rail, Countryside Properties, Mayer Brown, AGA, ECC and CCC agreed that car parking should consist of 1,400 spaces, including 300 premium spaces and 1,100 in a multi-storey car park. The station should also have an adequate drop-off space, in addition to 2-4 bus stops within a reasonable distance of the main station building. Cycle parking should allow for up to 500 bikes.
This scheme helps support the ambition for growth in Chelmsford and Beaulieu, as it allows residents to easily to commute to jobs in other locations along the GEML. Furthermore, the creation of a new station offers an attractive sustainable travel option, as residents in Beaulieu would not have to rely on cars or buses in order to get to other stations if they desire to use the train. The inclusion of cycle parking and at least 2 high-quality bus stops also increases the attractiveness of sustainable travel options for residents, potentially helping to reduce the impacts of air pollution.
The station would also help maximise usage of the transport network through the usage of the turn back, which can be used to increase capacity on the line. This turn back will allow for services to terminate and return to London, potentially increasing the frequency of services from Chelmsford to London, also helping to both reduce overcrowding at Chelmsford station, and improve accessibility between North Chelmsford, Chelmsford City Centre, and London.
For the purposes of the business case, various timetable options have been analysed to understand the optimum performance in terms of new rail demand and impact on existing users. The business case presents sensitivity tests on the better performing options in Section 3.5, but for the purposes of a core preferred case the Medium B timetable option has been selected. This involves 5 trains per hour calling at Beaulieu in the peak period and 2 trains per hour in the off-peak period. This involves the move of existing Chelmsford starters to Beaulieu and additional station calls on existing services with consequent journey time impacts. Frequencies at all other stations remain as now.
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