Beaulieu Park Station Construction

[socgmac]

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.

The second car park will managed by Greater Anglia.

 

[Canary73]

No details of what bus services will call at the station or their operating times and frequencies. Have contacted Travel Essex to see when information will be made avaialble

 

[Horizon22]

No details of what bus services will call at the station or their operating times and frequencies. Have contacted Travel Essex to see when information will be made avaialble

First run services in the area - and indeed most of Essex - so might be good speaking directly to them too.

 

[Canary73]

I asked Essex CC what services will call at the station and their response is attached. I have gone back them to query this as the Maldon and Colchester buses (71,X71,73,371,372) that currently go right by it aren't down to call there which seems an oversight.

 

[TAS]

Fürther to the last post querying which bus services would serve the station, Essex County Council are now running a consultation on diverting service 73 (Chelmsford - Maldon) to serve it. This is proposed to take effect from Monday 27 October.

More details here.

Service 73/73A/73B Chelmsford - Maldon operated by First Essex Buses.

Proposed change to Timetable and Route

Expected Start Date: Monday 27 October 2025

Consultation Period: Wednesday 20 August – Tuesday 02 September 2025

Proposal:

Due to low passenger usage on services 73/73B to and from Fambridge Road, we are proposing a route change to no longer serve Fambridge Road, Washington Road and Acacia Drive. Instead to serve Spital Road to continue to St Giles Crescent.

This consultation also includes a Route change to the services 73/73A/73B to serve Beaulieu Park Train Station.

Revised timetable to service 73/73A/73B on all journeys Monday – Saturday.

If you prefer to keep the timetable and route as it was prior to the temporary diversion, please send in your comments to passenger.transport@essex.gov.uk

Current Route

Current Timetable

Proposed Route

Proposed Timetable

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Looks like the Beaulieu Park calls have been converted to public on RTT from 26/10

 

[saismee]

I think it's safe to assume it will open in the last week of October.

 

[Horizon22]

I think it's safe to assume it will open in the last week of October.

Late October has been the date the city council have also been advertising.

Opening on 26th, would correspond with the first train being at 0720 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y09896/2025-10-26/detailed

 

[JCO1406]

Late October has been the date the city council have also been advertising.

Opening on 26th, would correspond with the first train being at 0720 - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y09896/2025-10-26/detailed

First train at 0720, operated by a 720

 

[Class 170101]

First train at 0720, operated by a 720

Very good

 

[Canary73]

Fürther to the last post querying which bus services would serve the station, Essex County Council are now running a consultation on diverting service 73 (Chelmsford - Maldon) to serve it. This is proposed to take effect from Monday 27 October.

More details here.

Given that the 73 operates quite a limited service, it's odd that they don't have all services calling at the new station.

Also there isn't any confirmation that the 71/371s etc, which currently go past it on the way to and from Witham and Colchester, will also serve the station.

These are more frequent and direct than the C8/C11 and would help those that live closer to Beaulieu Park than Chelmsford where the purpose is to take pressure off the existing station.

It would be a shame if the opportunity to provide frequent and well connected bus services isn't taken up from the station.

 

[Kibbik]

Huh, could have sworn that Beaulieu Park was going to be to the north of Chelmsford.

 

[TAS]

Given that the 73 operates quite a limited service, it's odd that they don't have all services calling at the new station. Also don't have any confirmation that the 71/371s etc which currently go past it on the way to and from Witham and Colchester will also serve the station. These are more frequent and direct than the C8/C11 and would help those that live closer to Beaulieu Park than Chelmsford where the purpose is to take pressure off the existing station. Be a shame if the opportunity to provide frequent and well connected bus services isn't taken up from the station.

The latest edition of Essex County Council's Bus Passenger News contains further bus service changes from 26 October to serve the station, but these don't include the Chelmsford to Witham and Colchester services:

73-73A-73B Chelmsford – Maldon
First Essex
Revised route and timetable with most journeys serving Beaulieu Park Railway Station. Route altered in Maldon with buses to and from Cherry Gardens going via Spital Road, omitting Fambridge Road, Washington Road, and Acacia Drive.
26/10/25
C8 Chelmsford City Centre – Beaulieu Railway Station
First Essex
Revised route and timetable with most journeys extended to Beaulieu Park Railway Station.
26/10/25
C9 Chelmsford City Centre – Beaulieu Park Railway Station
First Essex
Revised route and timetable with most journeys extended to Beaulieu Park Railway Station.
26/10/25
C10 Channels – Chelmsford Bus Station
First Essex
Revised timetable on Monday to Friday and Sunday to co-ordinate with Service C9 through Beaulieu Estate following the extension of that service to Beaulieu Park Station.
26/10/25
C11 Chelmsford City Centre – Beaulieu Park Railway Station
First Essex
Revised route and timetable with most journeys extended to Beaulieu Park Railway Station.
26/10/25

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

View attachment 189498

Huh, could have sworn that Beaulieu Park was going to be to the north of Chelmsford.

It will be

 

[socgmac]

View attachment 189498

Huh, could have sworn that Beaulieu Park was going to be to the north of Chelmsford.

Where did you see that??

 

[pdeaves]

The official-looking diagram Kibbik included had Beaulieu Park south of Chelmsford. In error, hence Kibbik's somewhat sarcastic comment.

Where did you see that??

 

[Kibbik]

Where did you see that??

Caught the mistake on an engineering works sign found at Ingatestone.

 

[saismee]

Caught the mistake on an engineering works sign found at Ingatestone.

It's an everywhere thing! Someone messed up the posters and they've been printed and posted across the network.

 

[Canary73]

The latest edition of Essex County Council's Bus Passenger News contains further bus service changes from 26 October to serve the station, but these don't include the Chelmsford to Witham and Colchester services:

Seems really odd to me that the 71/X71/371/372 doesnt call there - its the most frequent service and has to go right by it anyway. If they want Chelmer Village residents to use Beaulieu rather than Chelmsford, this would be exactly the service to have calling at the station. I've asked the question of Travel Essex but not had a reply.

 

[Snow1964]

ORR has authorised Beaulieu Park to open

16 October 2025
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has authorised the new Beaulieu Park railway station, clearing the way for it to open to passengers on Sunday 26 October. The station will serve the growing Beaulieu and Channels neighbourhoods to the north-east of Chelmsford and is the first new station on the Great Eastern Main Line for over a century.

Beaulieu Park station has been developed by Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council and has been delivered by Network Rail, with funding from government and local partners. The station will be operated by Greater Anglia and provide travel to London Liverpool Street in 40 minutes.
The new station has three platforms, and a central loop so stopping services can call while fast trains pass through, helping to increase capacity and resilience on the route. The station will provide step-free access, ticketing facilities, a bus interchange, around 500 cycle spaces and parking for over 700 cars.

ORR’s authorisation is a key milestone in getting new, upgraded, or renewed infrastructure, such as Beaulieu Park, ready to open. It also confirms that standards on areas like health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection, and reliability and availability have been met.
ORR has worked closely with Essex County Council, Network Rail and the wider project team through the authorisation process, ensuring that important checks and surveys were carried out.

ORR authorises new Beaulieu Park station ahead of opening | Office of Rail and Road

www.orr.gov.uk

 

[Canary73]

Seems really odd to me that the 71/X71/371/372 doesnt call there - its the most frequent service and has to go right by it anyway. If they want Chelmer Village residents to use Beaulieu rather than Chelmsford, this would be exactly the service to have calling at the station. I've asked the question of Travel Essex but not had a reply.

and the update from First seems to confirm it. Seems odd that if the idea was to get residents from Chelmer Village, Springfield alongside Beaulieu Park to migrate to the new station and take the pressure off Chelmsford not having services that pass the station to actually call at it and run at a frequency that would help seems a lost opportunity. The map that First provide doesn’t even recognise that the 71/371 etc go right by it. This will mean people continue to use the main station https://www.firstbus.co.uk/essex/news-and-service-updates/news/service-changes-26th-october-2025

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Well after 11 pages of posts we're just hours away from the first train. Be interesting to see once it settles down how popular it is, I think it might be a slow burner as housing is built around it and slowly the Chelmsford passenger change their habits

 

[THC]

The 0720 from Beaulieu Park to London Liverpool Street - the first train from our brand new station. It will rarely be as busy again at seven a.m. on a Sunday.

THC

 

[Magdalia]

BBC News has an item here:

Beaulieu Park railway station in Essex welcomes first passengers

Beaulieu Park in north Chelmsford is the first to open on the Great Eastern Main Line in 100 years.

www.bbc.co.uk

A county's newest railway station has opened to passengers as train services get under way.

The first scheduled departure from Beaulieu Park in north Chelmsford was the 07:20 GMT to London.

The station, which features three platforms and 700 parking spaces, is the first to open on the Great Eastern Main Line in 100 years.

 

[Class15]

The 0720 from Beaulieu Park to London Liverpool Street - the first train from our brand new station. It will rarely be as busy again at seven a.m. on a Sunday.

THC

Brilliant shots there @THC !

 

[fat_boy_pete]

As well as numerous 'railfan' videos about the opening of the station now on YouTube, Greater Anglia has issued this official opening day video

 

[Kite159]

For a station which has only been open a couple of days the car park certainly is busy

 

[AlterEgo]

The station looks quite pleasant. Hope it proves popular!

 

[dk1]

For a station which has only been open a couple of days the car park certainly is busy

Very promising indeed.

 

[Horizon22]

For a station which has only been open a couple of days the car park certainly is busy

The city centre station is probably slightly less busy as a result.

I personally think the 2tph off-peak will quickly be seen as inadequate.