Witham railway station
Encyclopedia
Witham railway station is a railway station serving the town of Witham
in Essex
. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line
and is also the junction of the Witham-Braintree line
. The branch junction faces west (towards London), thus permitting through running between London and Braintree.
The station is located approximately half a mile to the north of the town centre.
The station is served by National Express East Anglia. All off-peak services are operated by Class 321
, Class 360
and occasionally Class 315
electrical multiple units for Braintree, Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich services.
.) Platform 2 is for services to London. Platform 3 is for services to Colchester and beyond. Platform 4 is the Braintree platform, where services start from or terminate or run to and from London.
The station car park is situated next to the station. To access the car park from the station passengers used to have to exit onto the street and take a substantial walk to the road bridge across the tracks situated just past the western end of the station, over the bridge and then down a residential road the other side of the tracks. Station users have been campaigning for a remedy to this issue for many years. In November 2001 funding was announced to build a direct footbridge from the station to the car park, but this was subsequently withdrawn indefinitely in financial cutbacks following the collapse of Railtrack
. Reports of a new funding package for a footbridge emerged in 2008.
Work took place between January and August 2011 which includes a new entrance at the station to provide access to and from the adjacent car park. This work is now completed and the footbridge opened on 31st August 2011. The improvements also see new disabled parking facilities, a new push button customer help and information point and new sheltered cycle storage. The station has also recently undergone fence refurbishment, with CCTV extending from the entrance as far as the bus stop. For crime reporting purposes, bicycles attached to the fence should be reported to Essex police, whereas bicycles stolen from the sheltered cycle storage should be reported to the BTP.
(ECR) between and was opened on 29 March 1843, and Witham station opened the same day. The station became a junction five years later with the opening of the Maldon, Witham and Braintree Railway (MW&B) to goods trains on 15 August 1848; passenger services began on 2 October 1848. The MW&B was absorbed by the ECR, which itself amalgamated with other companies in 1862 to form the Great Eastern Railway
.
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line
Great Eastern Main Line
The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
and is also the junction of the Witham-Braintree line
Braintree Branch Line
The Braintree Branch Line is a branch line from Witham to Braintree in Essex, England.The line diverges from the Great Eastern Main Line at Witham. Passenger services are currently operated by National Express East Anglia...
. The branch junction faces west (towards London), thus permitting through running between London and Braintree.
The station is located approximately half a mile to the north of the town centre.
The station is served by National Express East Anglia. All off-peak services are operated by Class 321
British Rail Class 321
The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively...
, Class 360
British Rail Class 360
The British Rail Class 360 electric multiple units were built by Siemens in two sub-types from 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These units are part of the Siemens Desiro family.The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 380, 444 and 450....
and occasionally Class 315
British Rail Class 315
British Rail Class 315 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL at York works from 1980 to 1981. They were the fifth and final variety of British Rail's then-standard 1972 design for suburban EMUs, which eventually encompassed 755 vehicles and five Classes...
electrical multiple units for Braintree, Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich services.
Station layout
Platform 1 is rarely used except for peak hour services starting from or terminating at the station. (This platform used to be used by trains serving the now dismantled branch line to MaldonWitham-Maldon branch line
The Witham-Maldon branch line is a long closed railway line between Witham and Maldon in Essex, England which operated from 1848 until closure in 1966.-Infrastructure:...
.) Platform 2 is for services to London. Platform 3 is for services to Colchester and beyond. Platform 4 is the Braintree platform, where services start from or terminate or run to and from London.
The station car park is situated next to the station. To access the car park from the station passengers used to have to exit onto the street and take a substantial walk to the road bridge across the tracks situated just past the western end of the station, over the bridge and then down a residential road the other side of the tracks. Station users have been campaigning for a remedy to this issue for many years. In November 2001 funding was announced to build a direct footbridge from the station to the car park, but this was subsequently withdrawn indefinitely in financial cutbacks following the collapse of Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
. Reports of a new funding package for a footbridge emerged in 2008.
Work took place between January and August 2011 which includes a new entrance at the station to provide access to and from the adjacent car park. This work is now completed and the footbridge opened on 31st August 2011. The improvements also see new disabled parking facilities, a new push button customer help and information point and new sheltered cycle storage. The station has also recently undergone fence refurbishment, with CCTV extending from the entrance as far as the bus stop. For crime reporting purposes, bicycles attached to the fence should be reported to Essex police, whereas bicycles stolen from the sheltered cycle storage should be reported to the BTP.
Train Services
The following services currently call at Witham:| Operator | Route | Material | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NXEA | London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England... - Stratford - Shenfield Shenfield railway station Shenfield is a major station located in Shenfield in the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England. It lies on the Great Eastern Main Line and links Liverpool Street station in the City of London to places in the East of England. It was first opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 29 March 1843 on... - Chelmsford Chelmsford railway station Chelmsford railway station is a railway station serving the town of Chelmsford in Essex. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line.The station is served by National Express East Anglia... - Hatfield Peverel Hatfield Peverel railway station Hatfield Peverel serves the villages of Hatfield Peverel and Nounsley in Essex, England. This station and all trains serving it are operated by National Express East Anglia.-Train Services:The following services currently call at Hatfield Peverel:... - Witham - Kelvedon Kelvedon railway station Kelvedon is a railway station serving the villages of Kelvedon and Feering in Essex. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line. It is also the closest station to the large settlements of Coggeshall and Tiptree... - Marks Tey Marks Tey railway station Marks Tey is a railway station serving the village of Marks Tey in Essex, England. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line and is also a junction for the Sudbury Branch Line.The station is served by National Express East Anglia... - Colchester Colchester railway station Colchester or Colchester North is the main railway station for Colchester in Essex, England. It is on the former Great Eastern Railway main line from London Liverpool Street to Norwich and is a junction for the line to Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton-on-Sea, which diverges southwards from the main... - Manningtree Manningtree railway station Manningtree is a railway station which serves the town of Manningtree in Essex, England. Services are provided by National Express East Anglia. The station is on the Great Eastern Main Line between London and Norwich and is the only station on the main line between Colchester and Ipswich.... - Ipswich Ipswich railway station Ipswich railway station is a railway station serving the town of Ipswich in Suffolk, England. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line 68¾ miles east of London Liverpool Street towards Norwich... |
Class 321 British Rail Class 321 The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively... , Class 360 British Rail Class 360 The British Rail Class 360 electric multiple units were built by Siemens in two sub-types from 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These units are part of the Siemens Desiro family.The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 380, 444 and 450.... |
1x per hour | |
| NXEA | London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England... - Stratford - Romford Romford railway station Romford station is located in Romford, London Borough of Havering. It is situated between Chadwell Heath and Gidea Park. It is the western terminus of the Upminster branch line from Upminster.... - Shenfield Shenfield railway station Shenfield is a major station located in Shenfield in the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England. It lies on the Great Eastern Main Line and links Liverpool Street station in the City of London to places in the East of England. It was first opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 29 March 1843 on... - Ingatestone Ingatestone railway station Ingatestone railway station is a railway station serving the village of Ingatestone in Essex, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by National Express East Anglia.-History:... - Chelmsford Chelmsford railway station Chelmsford railway station is a railway station serving the town of Chelmsford in Essex. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line.The station is served by National Express East Anglia... - Witham - Kelvedon Kelvedon railway station Kelvedon is a railway station serving the villages of Kelvedon and Feering in Essex. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line. It is also the closest station to the large settlements of Coggeshall and Tiptree... - Marks Tey Marks Tey railway station Marks Tey is a railway station serving the village of Marks Tey in Essex, England. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line and is also a junction for the Sudbury Branch Line.The station is served by National Express East Anglia... - Colchester Colchester railway station Colchester or Colchester North is the main railway station for Colchester in Essex, England. It is on the former Great Eastern Railway main line from London Liverpool Street to Norwich and is a junction for the line to Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton-on-Sea, which diverges southwards from the main... - Colchester Town Colchester Town railway station Colchester Town railway station serves the town centre of Colchester in Essex, England. It is located on the Colchester to Clacton line and is one of only a small number of drive in/reverse out stations on the British network. It was formerly known as St Botolph's... |
Class 321 British Rail Class 321 The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively... , Class 360 British Rail Class 360 The British Rail Class 360 electric multiple units were built by Siemens in two sub-types from 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These units are part of the Siemens Desiro family.The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 380, 444 and 450.... |
1x per hour | Not Sundays |
| NXEA | London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England... - Stratford - Shenfield Shenfield railway station Shenfield is a major station located in Shenfield in the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England. It lies on the Great Eastern Main Line and links Liverpool Street station in the City of London to places in the East of England. It was first opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 29 March 1843 on... - Chelmsford Chelmsford railway station Chelmsford railway station is a railway station serving the town of Chelmsford in Essex. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line.The station is served by National Express East Anglia... - Witham - Colchester Colchester railway station Colchester or Colchester North is the main railway station for Colchester in Essex, England. It is on the former Great Eastern Railway main line from London Liverpool Street to Norwich and is a junction for the line to Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton-on-Sea, which diverges southwards from the main... - Wivenhoe Wivenhoe railway station Wivenhoe railway station is on the Tendring Hundred Railway and serves the small town of Wivenhoe in Essex, England. It is operated by National Express East Anglia. The station has two platforms and a footbridge, and a manned ticket office and waiting room... - Thorpe-le-Soken Thorpe-le-Soken railway station Thorpe-le-Soken railway station serves the village of Thorpe-le-Soken in Essex, England. The station is 1 mile from the village centre.- History :... - Clacton-on-Sea |
Class 321 British Rail Class 321 The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively... , Class 360 British Rail Class 360 The British Rail Class 360 electric multiple units were built by Siemens in two sub-types from 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. These units are part of the Siemens Desiro family.The Siemens "Desiro UK" family also includes units of Classes 185, 350, 380, 444 and 450.... |
1x per hour | Also calls at Marks Tey, Alresford and Great Bentley on Sundays |
| NXEA | London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England... - Stratford - Shenfield Shenfield railway station Shenfield is a major station located in Shenfield in the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England. It lies on the Great Eastern Main Line and links Liverpool Street station in the City of London to places in the East of England. It was first opened by the Eastern Counties Railway on 29 March 1843 on... - Ingatestone Ingatestone railway station Ingatestone railway station is a railway station serving the village of Ingatestone in Essex, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by National Express East Anglia.-History:... - Chelmsford Chelmsford railway station Chelmsford railway station is a railway station serving the town of Chelmsford in Essex. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line.The station is served by National Express East Anglia... - Witham - White Notley White Notley railway station White Notley railway station serves the village of White Notley, in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia. It is situated on the Braintree Branch Line.-Service Patterns:... - Cressing Cressing railway station Cressing railway station serves the villages of Cressing and Black Notley in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia. It is situated on the Braintree Branch Line.-Service Patterns:... - Braintree Freeport Braintree Freeport railway station Braintree Freeport railway station serves the large Freeport out-of-town outlet shopping centre on the southern outskirts of Braintree, Essex. The unstaffed single platform station is located on the Witham/Braintree Branch Line north east of London Liverpool Street railway station and has a... - Braintree Braintree railway station Braintree railway station is owned by Network Rail and managed by train operating company National Express East Anglia. Most trains run direct to London Liverpool Street, joining the Great Eastern Main Line at Witham... |
Class 321 British Rail Class 321 The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively... |
1x per hour | Not between London and Witham on Sundays |
History
The section of the Eastern Counties RailwayEastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
(ECR) between and was opened on 29 March 1843, and Witham station opened the same day. The station became a junction five years later with the opening of the Maldon, Witham and Braintree Railway (MW&B) to goods trains on 15 August 1848; passenger services began on 2 October 1848. The MW&B was absorbed by the ECR, which itself amalgamated with other companies in 1862 to form the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
.