Braintree Branch Line

Braintree Branch Line
Legend
Miles and chains from Liverpool Street to Bishop's Stortford 44mi 79ch Braintree 44mi 16ch Braintree Freeport A120 road 42 mi 70 ch Cressing 41mi 60 ch White Notley Great Eastern Main Line to Norwich 38 mi 55 ch Witham Junction to Maldon 38 mi 47 ch Witham Great Eastern Main Line to London

The Braintree Branch Line is a railway line that diverges from the Great Eastern Main Line, in the East of England, at Witham and runs north-west to Braintree. The route is 6 miles 30 chains (10.3 km) in length and there are five stations, including the two termini. The line is part of Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.06, and is classified as a London and South-East commuter line.^[1]

The stations and all services are currently operated by Abellio Greater Anglia.

History

Originally constructed from Maldon to Braintree via Witham, only the line from Braintree to Witham remains open. The line was proposed by the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway (MWBR) and given royal assent in June 1846. The MWBR was subsequently purchased by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR), and the line opened in 1848.^[2]

The section from Maldon to Witham was constructed as double-track, however one track was lifted during the period of the Crimean War (1854-56) and sold to the War Office.^[2]

The Bishop's Stortford-Braintree Branch Line, built by the Great Eastern Railway (GER), was opened in 1869. This created a route from Maldon through to the West Anglia Main Line.

The line was extended from Maldon to Woodham Ferrers in 1889.^[2]

In 1923, both lines became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).^[2]

During the Second World War passenger services on the section between Maldon East and Heybridge and Woodham Ferrers were withdrawn and never reinstated.^[2]

The Bishop's Stortford-Braintree branch closed to passenger traffic in 1952 and then to freight in 1971. The section from Maldon East and Heybridge to Witham was closed to passengers following the Beeching cuts to the railways in 1964, although goods services on that section continued until 1966.^[2]

The franchise for the line is currently held by Abellio Greater Anglia.

Infrastructure

The line is single-track throughout and the route is electrified at 25 kV AC. It has a loading gauge of W6 and a maximum line speed of 50 mph.^[1]

Services are usually formed of Class 321 units, or occasionally Class 360.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Braintree Branch Line.

• Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway Co - 1845–50: promoters', shareholders' and directors' minutes, misc accounts, contracts, plans, letters and papers

Railway lines in the East of England Primary North–South East Coast Main Line Hertford North Stevenage Peterborough Midland Main Line Luton Airport Parkway Luton Bedford West Coast Main Line Watford Junction London–Norwich Great Eastern Main Line Shenfield Chelmsford Witham Marks Tey Colchester Manningtree Ipswich Norwich Secondary Hertford Loop Line Lea Valley Lines London, Tilbury and Southend Line Thameslink Watford DC Line West Anglia Main Line Cambridge Others Abbey Line Birmingham to Peterborough Line Bittern Line Braintree Branch Line Breckland Line Crouch Valley Line East Suffolk Line Ely to Peterborough Line Felixstowe Branch Line Fen Line Gainsborough Line Hertford East Branch Line Hitchin–Cambridge Line Ipswich to Ely Line Marston Vale Line Mayflower Line Peterborough to Lincoln Line Shenfield to Southend Line Sunshine Coast Line Wherry Lines Heritage Colne Valley Railway Epping Ongar Railway Lincolnshire Wolds Railway Mid-Norfolk Railway North Norfolk Railway Mangapps Farm Railway Mid-Suffolk Light Railway