Colchester railway station

Colchester
The old station building, now the rear entrance
Location
Place Colchester
Local authority Borough of Colchester, Essex
Operations
Station code COL
Managed by National Express East Anglia
Number of platforms 6
Live arrivals/departures and station information
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 * 4.305 million
2005/06 * 4.288 million
2006/07 * 4.338 million
2007/08 * 4.526 million
2008/09 * 4.575 million
2009/10 * 4.219 million
History
Original company Eastern Counties Railway
Pre-grouping Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping London and North Eastern Railway
29 March 1843 (1843-03-29) Station opened
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Colchester from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

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 line to the east of the station. The junction is grade-separated so trains passing to and from the Clacton line do not cross the main line. Train services are provided by National Express East Anglia.

Colchester is a junction station for the important Sunshine Coast Line to Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze.

The station was opened on 29 March 1843 by the Eastern Counties Railway, and was always named simply Colchester.[1] Locally, the station is known as Colchester North, to distinguish it from Colchester Town. Buses use this unofficial name. The station is not conveniently sited for the town, but buses connect to the town centre. Colchester Town is closer to the town centre.

The station has two main platforms. The up (London bound) comprises two platforms, numbers 3 and 4, which have an unusual layout: 3 is on the up main line and is served by Norwich expresses, while 4 is on the up Sunshine Coast line, which merges with the up main where the two platforms join end-to-end. The junction is protected by a trap leading to friction buffer stops. This combined platform is the longest in the UK at 620 m (2034 ft). There are also bay platforms at both ends of the up main platform. The London-end bay (Platform 6) is used for a small number of trains to London, or those that terminate at Colchester from London: these are normally morning or evening peak services. Previously this platform was used for services to/from Sudbury. However, these were shortened to terminate at Marks Tey in the mid-90s. The other bay platform (Platform 5) is used for services to Colchester Town and the all-station service to Walton-on-the-Naze. The down side platform is an island with two faces, one on the down main, and one on the down Sunshine Coast line. Platform 1 is mainly used for trains to Clacton-on-Sea but occasionally used for trains to Norwich.

The main ticket office is a modern glass fronted design, sited on the north side of the station, and access to the platforms is by a subway. The original station building is on the south side, and provides access to the up platform for those with tickets or wanting to buy tickets from a machine. Both entrances to the station are protected by automatic ticket gates.

Former train operating company Anglia Railways ran services known as London Crosslink from Norwich to Basingstoke via Stratford. This service started in 2000 and ended in 2002.

Contents

Platforms

The station has six platforms.

Train services

The following services currently call at Colchester:

Operator Route Material Frequency Notes
NXEA London Liverpool Street - Colchester - Manningtree - Ipswich - Diss - Norwich Class 90 + Mark 3 Coaching Stock 1x per hour Not Sundays
NXEA London Liverpool Street - Stratford - Chelmsford - Colchester - Manningtree - Ipswich - Stowmarket - Diss - Norwich Class 90 + Mark 3 Coaching Stock 1x per hour
NXEA London Liverpool Street - Stratford - Shenfield - Chelmsford - Hatfield Peverel - Witham - Kelvedon - Marks Tey - Colchester - Manningtree - Ipswich Class 321, Class 360 1x per hour
NXEA London Liverpool Street - Stratford - Shenfield - Chelmsford - Witham - Colchester - Wivenhoe - Thorpe-le-Soken - Clacton-on-Sea Class 321, Class 360 1x per hour Also calls at Marks Tey, Alresford and Great Bentley on Sundays
NXEA London Liverpool Street - Stratford - Romford - Shenfield - Ingatestone - Chelmsford - Witham - Kelvedon - Marks Tey - Colchester - Colchester Town Class 321, Class 360 1x per hour Not Sundays
NXEA Colchester - Colchester Town - Hythe - Wivenhoe - Alresford - Great Bentley - Weeley - Thorpe-le-Soken - Kirby Cross - Frinton-on-Sea - Walton-on-the-Naze Class 321 1x per hour Does not operate between Colchester and Thorpe-le-Soken on Sundays, use Clacton train
NXEA Colchester - Colchester Town Class 321 1x per hour Not Sundays
Preceding station National Rail Following station
National Express East Anglia
National Express East Anglia
National Express East Anglia
Terminus National Express East Anglia
National Express East Anglia
Sundays
Dutchflyer
London-Amsterdam
Historical railways
Anglia Railways

References

  1. ^ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 65. ISBN 1 85260 508 1. R508. 

External links