Beaulieu Park Station Construction

[GraphitProjekt]

the bus provision could be improved as well which could help to ease the pressure on the carpark/resultant traffic

 

[Kite159]

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.

Agreed there, especially at weekends.

 

[Thornaby 37]

I think the fact that there is a bi-directional centre platform is a major plus, giving more flexibility in times of disruption and engineering works

 

[blueberry11]

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.

At least the station has wide platforms. It seems to be much wider than at Chelmsford.

 

[Horizon22]

I think the fact that there is a bi-directional centre platform is a major plus, giving more flexibility in times of disruption and engineering works

It certainly seemed to help today when there was sadly a fatality near Chelmsford.

 

[dk1]

It certainly seemed to help today when there was sadly a fatality near Chelmsford.

Yes, Beaulieu Park was even displaying on the screens at Norwich.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

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.

I walked today from Sainsbury's to the station via White Hart Lane. The Avenue (which was the original access road to New Hall School from White Hart Lane) is quite finished with two way road carriageway and pedestrian pavement plus just as after The Avenue turns to the school there is a short stretch of bus lane/cycleway signposted which accesses the bus station adjacent to Railway station entrance. Annoyingly it's still barriered off completely although quite finished, so walking from White Hart Lane means cutting across a playing field until you reach the pathway from the housing estate to the station.

When that is opened, it's a simple diversion both ways via the station for the bus services listed above, so I would be amazed if that wasn't planned. I wonder what the delay is? It would also significantly shorten pedestrian and cycle access from the Springfield direction.

 

[Geml246]

I walked today from Sainsbury's to the station via White Hart Lane. The Avenue (which was the original access road to New Hall School from White Hart Lane) is quite finished with two way road carriageway and pedestrian pavement plus just as after The Avenue turns to the school there is a short stretch of bus lane/cycleway signposted which accesses the bus station adjacent to Railway station entrance. Annoyingly it's still barriered off completely although quite finished, so walking from White Hart Lane means cutting across a playing field until you reach the pathway from the housing estate to the station.

When that is opened, it's a simple diversion both ways via the station for the bus services listed above, so I would be amazed if that wasn't planned. I wonder what the delay is? It would also significantly shorten pedestrian and cycle access from the Springfield direction.

There has apparently been a land ownership dispute which stopped the progress at the White Hart Lane entrance. It is believed that this has been resolved, but it will now required new permissions for the roadworks on White hart Lane.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

There has apparently been a land ownership dispute which stopped the progress at the White Hart Lane entrance. It is believed that this has been resolved, but it will now required new permissions for the roadworks on White hart Lane.

I wondered if there was some hitch. Presumably New Hall school wants Essex highways to adopt the new bit of roadway.

 

[Cambus731]

Anyone have any idea how well used the station is currently? I haven’t been there yet, despite living less than three miles away from it.

I have heard that the High parking fees, along with the fare to London being higher than it is from Chelmsford station is resulting in it not being very well used so far? And Ive also heard that there isn’t a safe walking/cycling route between Boreham and the new station.
if this is the case, I do hope these issues can be rectified to make the new station more attractive to use.
Obviously being a new station it willl take some time for usage to build up. And I understand that there is a lot of new housing planned for the area.

 

[Horizon22]

Anyone have any idea how well used the station is currently? I haven’t been there yet, despite living less than three miles away from it.

I have heard that the High parking fees, along with the fare to London being higher than it is from Chelmsford station is resulting in it not being very well used so far?

High parking fees do seem to be some issue from what I've heard, although it will take 9-12 months before commuting patterns can be ascertained. I saw a photo - maybe here? - that showed a moderate but reasonable amount of cars parked. As for costing more, well it's further from London so I'm not sure what people were expecting there...

 

[Cambus731]

High parking fees do seem to be some issue from what I've heard, although it will take 9-12 months before commuting patterns can be ascertained. I saw a photo - maybe here? - that showed a moderate but reasonable amount of cars parked. As for costing more, well it's further from London so I'm not sure what people were expecting there...

Well yes it is further from London, but only about three miles if that. But with respect I feel you are being a bit facetious there. one of the motives for constructing a new station was to relive pressure on Chelmsford station. And charging a higher fare is not going to encourage people to use it as an alternative to that.

 

[Horizon22]

Well yes it is further from London, but only about three miles if that. But with respect I feel you are being a bit facetious there. one of the motives for constructing a new station was to relive pressure on Chelmsford station. And charging a higher fare is not going to encourage people to use it as an alternative to that.

I don’t see how I’m being facetious? We run a railway based on distance-pricing (for the most part), it would be very odd and a complete anomaly if Beaulieu Park was cheaper for an Anytime ticket to London than Chelmsford.

Just if it costs a little more, then is still greater access to the station than Chelmsford. Now the parking cost is one element you’d reasonably want to consider, but not the rail fare.

 

[Cambus731]

Again I have to disagree with that. To have the fares to London as being greater for the sake of less than three miles further from London is a disincentive

 

[saismee]

We have Colchester/Colchester Town for one price, why not Chelmsford/Beaulieu Park? It also then eliminates the doughnutting between them (which I have already seen!!)

 

[Horizon22]

Again I have to disagree with that. To have the fares to London as being greater for the sake of less than three miles further from London is a disincentive

Where do you draw the line then? Ingatestone is only a few miles down the line too. Or should Hatfield Peverel be a similar cost?

We have Colchester/Colchester Town for one price, why not Chelmsford/Beaulieu Park? It also then eliminates the doughnutting between them (which I have already seen!!)

A more sensible way of doing it, or a smaller price differential.

 

[Southend Rider]

The season ticket fare to Liverpool St are the same from all stations Southend Vic to Rayleigh. Which I believe is due to C2C fares being cheaper to Fen St, However the car park charges get more expensive the nearer to Liv St you get. Will be interesting to see how busy Beaulieu Park gets.

 

[absolutelymilk]

We have Colchester/Colchester Town for one price, why not Chelmsford/Beaulieu Park? It also then eliminates the doughnutting between them (which I have already seen!!)

Is doughnutting where someone would go Chelmsford to Beaulieu Park and then to London, just to get a seat on the train to London?

 

[ScotGG]

If it's one urban conurbation it makes sense to have the same fare. Clearly not when a massive city and Chelmsford isn't a massive city. Given it appears the new station is on the edge and new housing so far is almost equidistant between Chelmsford and the new station, logic dictates setting fares the same from both. GA will make money from car parking to mitigate.

 

[Jaydubya]

GA will make money from car parking to mitigate.

Chelmsford City Council own one of the two car parks for the new station. NCP operate the other. All day prices are £1 more than the Council owned Fairfield Road and Townfield Street which are both next to the central station but require you to drive further.

 

[saismee]

Is doughnutting where someone would go Chelmsford to Beaulieu Park and then to London, just to get a seat on the train to London?

No, doughnutting is buying a cheap ticket to open the barriers on either end of your journey. CHM (Chelmsford) to BPA (Beaulieu Park) is 3.50, then people usually tap at Stratford. These are the journeys that digital fraud teams catch easily.

In my case, someone had a CHM to BPA ticket, combined with MNG (Manningtree) to IPS (Ipswich) ticket. Either they'll get away with it for a long time, or we'll see them on here pleading for help within the next week.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

i;ve heard the mechanism with that - is that if you're caught with "doughnut" tickets, the look back at the record to see every other single journey ticket you've purchased and are able to assume that they're all fraudulent and thus can vastly multiply how much compensation you owe them.

Or do you mean they actually try to have some live monitoring system whereby if someone buys a CHM-BPA ticket, send RPOs on the London bound train out of CHM cus they're probably on that

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with regard to this:

These are the journeys that digital fraud teams catch easily.

 

[saismee]

i;ve heard the mechanism with that - is that if you're caught with "doughnut" tickets, the look back at the record to see every other single journey ticket you've purchased and are able to assume that they're all fraudulent and thus can vastly multiply how much compensation you owe them.

Or do you mean they actually try to have some live monitoring system whereby if someone buys a CHM-BPA ticket, send RPOs on the London bound train out of CHM cus they're probably on that

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Nov 2025 ==

with regard to this:

They use algorithms to detect the fraudulent behaviour. I don't know exactly how it works, but I imagine buying tickets from A to B but only having a scan at A, then C to D but only having a scan at D, with a section of journey unaccounted for, raises some alarm bells in an office somewhere in Liverpool Street Station. I've certainly triggered it with unfraudulent behaviour before (though my case is an edge case).

Eventually they may send RPIs to catch them in the act, but more likely they just send a scary threatening email and the person decides to pay up (or come here).

 

[jonb]

A couple of thoughts, I pass through Beaulieu Park most days and have used the station due to family nearby:

- There is indeed no real walking route from the station to Boreham. I walked to the Lion Inn (at the edge of Boreham Village), which took a good 25 minutes as you have to go over the footbridge due to there being no exit on the A12/A138 side
- I’ve only ever seen 3/4 cars in the “GA/NCP” car park at the Country end of the station, seems customers aren’t favouring the long walk under the bridge to get to the station
- I have heard from local customers that bus provision is still poor, I looked to get to Maldon and there are only 4 departures a day!
- Customer numbers seem lower than expected, even on the 15:36 from Liverpool Street this afternoon - the majority alighted at Chelmsford and only a small handful at Beaulieu Park
- We also know some friends who live in Chelmsford, it turns out Beaulieu Park is closer to them but the more expensive parking and tickets means they are sticking with Chelmsford for now

Time will tell…

 

[Canary73]

A couple of thoughts, I pass through Beaulieu Park most days and have used the station due to family nearby:

- There is indeed no real walking route from the station to Boreham. I walked to the Lion Inn (at the edge of Boreham Village), which took a good 25 minutes as you have to go over the footbridge due to there being no exit on the A12/A138 side
- I’ve only ever seen 3/4 cars in the “GA/NCP” car park at the Country end of the station, seems customers aren’t favouring the long walk under the bridge to get to the station
- I have heard from local customers that bus provision is still poor, I looked to get to Maldon and there are only 4 departures a day!
- Customer numbers seem lower than expected, even on the 15:36 from Liverpool Street this afternoon - the majority alighted at Chelmsford and only a small handful at Beaulieu Park
- We also know some friends who live in Chelmsford, it turns out Beaulieu Park is closer to them but the more expensive parking and tickets means they are sticking with Chelmsford for now

Time will tell…

This is the problem. There is a lack of connecting bus services for local residents, I still don't understand why the frequent 71/371 that goes past it doesn't call at the station, this would give more frequent access to those in Chelmer Village. In addition there is insufficient safe, walking and cycle routes to and from the station. Taken together this means people will still use Chelmsford as its more accessible and cheaper to use with better connections.

 

[lachlan]

A couple of thoughts, I pass through Beaulieu Park most days and have used the station due to family nearby:

- There is indeed no real walking route from the station to Boreham. I walked to the Lion Inn (at the edge of Boreham Village), which took a good 25 minutes as you have to go over the footbridge due to there being no exit on the A12/A138 side
- I’ve only ever seen 3/4 cars in the “GA/NCP” car park at the Country end of the station, seems customers aren’t favouring the long walk under the bridge to get to the station
- I have heard from local customers that bus provision is still poor, I looked to get to Maldon and there are only 4 departures a day!
- Customer numbers seem lower than expected, even on the 15:36 from Liverpool Street this afternoon - the majority alighted at Chelmsford and only a small handful at Beaulieu Park
- We also know some friends who live in Chelmsford, it turns out Beaulieu Park is closer to them but the more expensive parking and tickets means they are sticking with Chelmsford for now

Time will tell…

Disappointing that walking and cycling is still an afterthought!

 

[dk1]

Disappointing that walking and cycling is still an afterthought!

Ironically Cambridge South will be a polar opposite.

 

[Canary73]

Disappointing that walking and cycling is still an afterthought!

I think they simply ran out of funds for it. The station is at a junction of the A12 and local roads back into Chelmsford, across to Stansted and locally to Boreham so safe walking and cycling routes are a must. I recall one of the taxi drivers saying the licencing arrangements for the station were prohibitive.

 

[Magdalia]

Ironically Cambridge South will be a polar opposite.

Cambridge South is the polar opposite of Cambridge North!

 

[jonb]

This is the problem. There is a lack of connecting bus services for local residents, I still don't understand why the frequent 71/371 that goes past it doesn't call at the station, this would give more frequent access to those in Chelmer Village. In addition there is insufficient safe, walking and cycle routes to and from the station. Taken together this means people will still use Chelmsford as its more accessible and cheaper to use with better connections.

I thought the same, particularly as it wouldn’t be a long diversion for the 71/371, but First Essex aren’t exactly proactive so I’m not surprised!

I think it’ll pickup in the new year at Beaulieu Park, once season ticket renewals come up and people realise the benefit of getting a seat.