Beaulieu Park Station Construction

[Bald Rick]

An interesting incident at this evening, owing to an earlier issue with 1F53 (16:35 Colchester Town - Liverpool Street) at Kelvedon, 1F55 (16:52 Colchester - Liverpool Street), was regulated for 1P51 (16:00 Norwich - Liverpool Street) in platform 2 at Beaulieu Park. Unfortunately, 1F55 was unable to gain power and was eventually declared a failure. Passengers were detrained onto a rescue unit that was formed off the cancelled 1F69 (19:15 Witham - Liverpool Street) which ran into platform 1. It was deemed safe for customers to use a certain part of the platform, being accompanied by Network Rail staff and the site manager

Ooo I bet there’s a few railway ’influencers’ cross about that !!

 

[Horizon22]

Greater Anglia are now hiring station staff.

 

[Bringback309s]

Any further updates? Works looking very advanced now...

 

[Canary73]

No Plans so far that I can see on the proposed bus service provision at the station. If they want to take pressure off the main station this needs to have multiple routes and with frequent services from the first to last services

 

[Bringback309s]

Any news? Looks seriously close now - car park having a few details finished, signs up everywhere, poster housings on platforms, most PPE cleared

 

[alistairlees]

It opens on 26th October

 

[Horizon22]

Reportedly drivers have been stopping at the platform - not opening doors of course - for past few months to get used to the stopping patterns and it has started going on GA diagrams.

 

[jonb]

Reportedly drivers have been stopping at the platform - not opening doors of course - for past few months to get used to the stopping patterns and it has started going on GA diagrams.

There’s also been at least two failed units, which have been de-trained utilising the “loop” line that I’m aware of. Certainly on my travels between Essex and Romford, services do sometimes slow down through Beaulieu Park, as allowances are in the WTT already.

 

[dk1]

Reportedly drivers have been stopping at the platform - not opening doors of course - for past few months to get used to the stopping patterns and it has started going on GA diagrams.

Must be a Great Eastern thing as us Anglia Railways drivers haven’t been instructed to do so. We will have no booked stops here but noted yesterday a 3-8 car stop board amongst others as I crawled up to a red at the end of the UM platform.

 

[wagnaga]

Must be a Great Eastern thing as us Anglia Railways drivers haven’t been instructed to do so. We will have no booked stops here but noted yesterday a 3-8 car stop board amongst others as I crawled up to a red at the end of the UM platform.

Would an 8 car be two 4 car 755's?

 

[dk1]

Would an 8 car be two 4 car 755's?

Yes it would.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Yes it would.

And 11/12 car trains presumably just use the Stop marker at the end.

 

[dk1]

And 11/12 car trains presumably just use the Stop marker at the end.

Yes we stop at the normal 12-car or 745 stop boards with the triple traction. Only difference is platform 9/10 at Liverpool Street when we can go closer to the buffers and ignore the slightly shorter 745 markers.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Yes we stop at the normal 12-car or 745 stop boards with the triple traction. Only difference is platform 9/10 at Liverpool Street when we can go closer to the buffers and ignore the slightly shorter 745 markers.

Thanks for that. I presume that they put the shorter markers on those platforms because they are the longest. Was that for signal sighting reasons at the country end?

 

[dk1]

Thanks for that. I presume that they put the shorter markers on those platforms because they are the longest. Was that for signal sighting reasons at the country end?

No it’s because it was found 745s could sit over the TPWS loops at the country end preventing the driver setting up that cab. I did forget a couple of times in the early transition days but luckily got away with it. I went straight to the back cab after arrival just incase.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

No it’s because it was found 745s could sit over the TPWS loops at the country end preventing the driver setting up that cab. I did forget a couple of times in the early transition days but luckily got away with it. I went straight to the back cab after arrival just incase.

Thanks for the explanation. I suppose that giving drivers instructions to ignore the markers is cheaper than moving the markers!

 

[dk1]

Thanks for the explanation. I suppose that giving drivers instructions to ignore the markers is cheaper than moving the markers!

You’re welcome. We would ignore them anyway at this location as driving class 755s. It wouldn’t be possible to move the TPWS as this relates to the two additional signals on 9/10 that protect the scissor crossover within those platforms.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Must be a Great Eastern thing as us Anglia Railways drivers haven’t been instructed to do so. We will have no booked stops here but noted yesterday a 3-8 car stop board amongst others as I crawled up to a red at the end of the UM platform.

I presume Anglia drivers are unlikely to stop there anyway as I can't imagine the intercity trains will and only likely to be 720s from Ipswich and South will stop

 

[fat_boy_pete]

I presume Anglia drivers are unlikely to stop there anyway as I can't imagine the intercity trains will and only likely to be 720s from Ipswich and South will stop

Well I would have thought that if Chelmsford-Shenfield is closed for engineering work, it would make a better rail replacement transfer point than Witham. Much more parking space for buses and easier access to the A12. In which case both 745 and 755 will need stop markers as well as the normal 720's.

 

[dk1]

I presume Anglia drivers are unlikely to stop there anyway as I can't imagine the intercity trains will and only likely to be 720s from Ipswich and South will stop

Yes no plans for us to stop but just like Hatfield Peveral, Marks Tey and the others we can and will stop if necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2025 ==

Well I would have thought that if Chelmsford-Shenfield is closed for engineering work, it would make a better rail replacement transfer point than Witham. Much more parking space for buses and easier access to the A12. In which case both 745 and 755 will need stop markers as well as the normal 720's.

That is the plan from what I’ve been told. May replace Ingatestone for Intercity transfers even if the line is open as far as there.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Yes no plans for us to stop but just like Hatfield Peveral, Marks Tey and the others we can and will stop if necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jul 2025 ==


That is the plan from what I’ve been told. May replace Ingatestone for Intercity transfers even if the line is open as far as there.

It makes logistic sense for the Norwich services. Although well organised, I don't think rail replacement buses from Ingatestone would be popular with the locals given the cramped nature of the access to the A12

 

[Class 170101]

It makes logistic sense for the Norwich services. Although well organised, I don't think rail replacement buses from Ingatestone would be popular with the locals given the cramped nature of the access to the A12

not would be popular, they aren't popular with the locals full stop.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

not would be popular, they aren't popular with the locals full stop.

I think moving the transition point to BPA is a done deal then. GA management can spin it as 'listening to our customers' and I doubt that the additional journey time penalty will be significant.

 

[dk1]

It makes logistic sense for the Norwich services. Although well organised, I don't think rail replacement buses from Ingatestone would be popular with the locals given the cramped nature of the access to the A12

They've put up with them for the last 30 plus years

 

[Canary73]

Realtime Trains | Departures from Beaulieu Park between 0200 and 0159 on 21/05/2025

Train information at Beaulieu Park between 0200 and 0159 on 21/05/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Two trains per hour off peak at Beaulieu Park. All day service calls shown in the link above.

The calling patterns are a little later than expected but in some cases changing at Chelmsford gives you options to more destinations such as Norwich. How buses connect with the services is going to be interesting.

 

[jonb]

I was on a service from Liverpool Street to Ipswich earlier today, we nearly came to a stop at Beaulieu Park on the Down on clear signals. Tallies with other reports that drivers are preparing stopping points for services later this year. Contractors for CIS also on site, so progress still continuing at pace it seems

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Another PR led story, presumably spinning the planned October opening as early.

Beaulieu Park train station could open ahead of schedule

Beaulieu Park station is being built in Essex at a cost of £175m.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Class 170101]

Another PR led story, presumably spinning the planned October opening as early.

Beaulieu Park train station could open ahead of schedule

Beaulieu Park station is being built in Essex at a cost of £175m.

www.bbc.co.uk

9 months late more like.

 

[Canary73]

No news from the council on what bus services will serve the station, their frequencies and operating times.

 

[vinnym70]

There also seems to be a lack of info on car parking. I can see it's split into two separate spaces, one run by the local council with charges of £10.50 a day and labelled the 'premium' car park.
The other, larger car park seems not to have any management or pricing info published as yet.