Brand new £195m Beaulieu Park Station development could open a year earlier than planned

The development of a £195m brand new railway station in central Essex could open a year earlier than initially thought. Work is ongoing to construct the Beaulieu Park Station, in Chelmsford, close to the A12.

Plans for a second station in Chelmsford have been long in the making and construction work is quickly progressing at the site. The station is the first one to be built on the Great Eastern Mainline, running between Norwich and London Liverpool Street, for more than a century.

Network Rail's involvement officially began in 2015 when they signed an agreement to design and build the new station. It had been discussed for many years beforehand, however.

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Documents released by Network Rail state the estimated completion date when the project began was the end of 2026. Now, however, they are working towards an estimated completion date that is 12 months sooner.

It's hoped it will ease pressure on the city's existing station on Duke Street where more than 5.7m passengers travel each year. Trains now use the new track that has been laid down, whilst motorists can see the site's construction when travelling over the Beaulieu Parkway Bridge or along the A12 near to Boreham Interchange.

Recent photos have shown the platforms beginning to take shape and the main terminal building structure rising from the ground. The station - funded by the Government, the South-East Local Enterprise Partnership, and local developers - is expected to open at the end of next year with the larger regeneration of the Beaulieu Park estate including new road infrastructure and up to 14,000 homes.

The station, which will serve the line on which trains travel to the likes of London Liverpool Street, Ipswich and Norwich, will include three platforms, parking for 700 cars, a bus interchange, and 500 spaces for cycle parking and storage. An overlapping line will allow fast trains to pass through unimpeded.

Network Rail was approached for a comment.

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