Chelmsford City Council has launched a four-week public consultation on proposals for the new Beaulieu Park station.
The City Council is running a consultation until 20 April 2022 to allow the public to comment on:
- Treatment of the public realm
- Station operational buildings
- Passenger facilities and concourse
- Size and distribution of commercial space
- Arboriculture Impact Assessment
- Ecological Management Plan
- Archaeological evaluation
The proposed three-platform station at Beaulieu Park, which would be the first new station built on the Great Eastern main line for over 100 years, is part of a wider £252 million regeneration programme to transform road and rail infrastructure and support 14,000 new homes in the Chelmsford to Braintree corridor.
The new station will improve connectivity to Essex and the South East while supporting sustainable transport in the area and by reducing car journeys into the city. It will also provide regular connections to the capital and other destinations in the east of England and will help ease congestion at Chelmsford and Witham stations.
Station Design
Network Rail’s framework contractor J Murphy & Sons Ltd is completing the design of the new station which includes:
- Three platforms with a central loop line and new tracks to enable stopping services to call at the station while allowing fast trains to pass through unimpeded.
- Step free access to all platforms via 2 no lifts
- Ticketing facilities, with ticket vending machines and a gate line
- Accessible toilets, baby change facilities, waiting area and space for retail/catering
- Parking for over 700 cars, 5% of which to be designated Blue Badge bays, and motorcycle spaces, as well as dedicated parking for station staff, emergency services, and a dedicated space for service access.
- Pick up and drop off area with dedicated taxi bays
- A bus interchange including bus stands for local services
- 500 spaces for cycle parking and storage
- Pedestrian and cycle access routes to the station
Subject to obtaining a positive determination, construction of the new station could begin later this year and the new station could be open to passenger services in 2026.
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “As this will be the first station to be constructed on the Great Eastern Main line for over 100 years, this application is seeking to put the final pieces of the jigsaw into place so construction of the new station can begin as soon as possible.”
For more information about the station, please visit: www.networkrail.co.uk/beaulieu
The public consultation is being run through the Chelmsford City Council website: www.chelmsford.gov.uk
