Beaulieu Park Station Construction

[fat_boy_pete]

Network Rail have released an update video

Beaulieu Park station July 2023 Update

network-rail.wistia.com

 

[fat_boy_pete]

A local story about the delayed opening of the access bridge has some aerial photos of the new Station site

The opening of a huge £14million curved bridge that will connect a new housing estate to the A12 has been delayed. The brand new Generals Lane Bridge will connect Boreham Interchange with the Beaulieu Estate in Chelmsford after opening, which was due to be at the start of September.

Essex Live Beaulieu Park bridge story

 

[ScotGG]

God I hate the awful live sites like Kentlive and Essexlive. How many ads and rubbish can they clutter them up with?

 

[dk1]

God I hate the awful live sites like Kentlive and Essexlive. How many ads and rubbish can they clutter them up with?

Makes you so appreciate the BBC News pages.

 

[Bald Rick]

God I hate the awful live sites like Kentlive and Essexlive. How many ads and rubbish can they clutter them up with?

OT but that’s Reach plc websites for you (owners of Mirror, Express, etc.) No idea why they think people will ever read their sites.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Not from a Reach website!

Network Rail has awarded the second of two contracts to build the new railway station for Chelmsford’s Beaulieu development to J Murphy & Sons Ltd. This contract award was possible following a recent agreement between Network Rail and Essex County Council to complete the construction of the new station.

Story from RailUK website

 

[vinnym70]

I'm quite surprised the station is finally a reality. We went to look at the first parts of the housing development around 2000. The plans at that stage clearly showed a station in the overall master-plan but no-one had a date to offer. Who knew it would be 25 years in the making?

The new station and other local developments offer up some interesting journey alternatives. For those, like me, in Braintree, the new station and the Chelmsford North East Bypass should offer a sensible alternative to using the hourly service from Braintree but without getting into Witham or Chelmsford central traffic. I suspect there will be a reasonable migration for anyone on the Braintree branch and also Hatfield Peverel to use the new station in preference, assuming a good number of trains stop there and parking costs aren't stratospheric.

I'm sure the original plan was for a much larger car-park along with a park-and-ride element for Chelmsford but I guess covid put paid to that somewhat?

 

[Alfie1014]

Passing the site this morning the first tracks have been laid for the new down line and centre reversing line between the new platform faces. Lots of new OLE masts too. Progress since I last passed about 10 days ago quite noticeable.

 

[66701GBRF]

Question: Given that regulating points are almost non existent for freight between Shenfield and Colchester, will there be enough space to hold a freight in either platform 1 or 3 and allow passenger trains to pass via platform 2?

 

[dk1]

Question: Given that regulating points are almost non existent for freight between Shenfield and Colchester, will there be enough space to hold a freight in either platform 1 or 3 and allow passenger trains to pass via platform 2?

From what I gather no. Last I heard they are not going to be 775m.

 

[Farigiraf]

Without the risk of going speculative here, have we gotten any official information about what services will call? I don't think they can afford all the Norwiches to stop at what's basically another parkway, but would stopping only the 1tph Clactons actually be viable (+ the occasional all stops to Ipswich) ?

We might end up with another Worcestershire Parkway here where it'll get a decent patronage from the local residents but DfT/National Rail/GA will never actually stop the long distances (and in this instance there's no handy interchange)

 

[66701GBRF]

From what I gather no. Last I heard they are not going to be 775m.

Thanks, seems a missed opportunity.

 

[Purple Train]

Without the risk of going speculative here, have we gotten any official information about what services will call? I don't think they can afford all the Norwiches to stop at what's basically another parkway, but would stopping only the 1tph Clactons actually be viable (+ the occasional all stops to Ipswich) ?

We might end up with another Worcestershire Parkway here where it'll get a decent patronage from the local residents but DfT/National Rail/GA will never actually stop the long distances (and in this instance there's no handy interchange)

I would have thought that at the very least the Colchester Town and Ipswich services will call, which would give 2tph. I'd be surprised if they didn't stop the Braintree services as well. I don't think there's any danger of it ending up like Worcestershire Parkway: GA is a radically different operation to CrossCountry and, apart from the Norwich services and possibly the Clacton services, there isn't really anything for which one could make a case for the train to not stop, assuming it wouldn't throw the freights into disarray. It's not as if it's a tiny settlement.

 

[Farigiraf]

I would have thought that at least the Colchester Town and Ipswich services will call, which would give 2tph. I'd be surprised if they didn't stop the Braintree services as well.

Oh ok, I didn't realise there was a Colchester Town service (I thought all trains there were just Waltons and Clactons) and I had in my head that this was north of the Braintree branch but 3tph is good enough to not put one off from travelling from the station.
It seems it'll get the same services as Hatfield Peverel then

I don't think there's any danger of it ending up like Worcestershire Parkway: GA is a radically different operation to CrossCountry

Fair enough, when they announced 755s for all lines I knew they were the real deal

 

[Purple Train]

Oh ok, I didn't realise there was a Colchester Town service (I thought all trains there were just Waltons and Clactons) and I had in my head that this was north of the Braintree branch but 3tph is good enough to not put one off from travelling from the station.
It seems it'll get the same services as Hatfield Peverel then

Hatfield Peverel is 1tph as far as I recall, only the Ipswich services. (Edit to say: Off-peak, that is.)

 

[Farigiraf]

Hatfield Peverel is 1tph as far as I recall, only the Ipswich services.

On RTT it gets all Colchester Town (City)-s, some Clactons and most Braintrees

 

[Purple Train]

On RTT it gets Clactons and most Braintrees

Looking at RTT that looks like the case in the peak - sorry, I should have clarified my other post before clicking send, rather than after! It's still 1tph off-peak though, as far as I can tell.

 

[Farigiraf]

Looking at RTT that looks like the case in the peak - sorry, I should have clarified my other post before clicking send, rather than after! It's still 1tph off-peak though, as far as I can tell.

Apologies, so should I, this is turning into a bit of an edit war

 

[AM9]

Network Rail have released an update video

Beaulieu Park station July 2023 Update

network-rail.wistia.com

Completely off-topic, but I was amused by the sight of the OLE tensioning weights bobbing up and down each day during the timelapse part, (approx. 1:49 - 2:01).

 

[Class 170101]

Question: Given that regulating points are almost non existent for freight between Shenfield and Colchester, will there be enough space to hold a freight in either platform 1 or 3 and allow passenger trains to pass via platform 2?

Only something like an aggregates train or a RHTT in the centre road.

From what I gather no. Last I heard they are not going to be 775m.

No unfortunately

Thanks, seems a missed opportunity.

Very much so and very short-sighted, might as well just built the station as a standard two platform station on most two track railways like Long Buckby or Chelmsford and save the number of weekend closures.

 

[Alfie1014]

video of the works taken today from a passing train.

Only something like an aggregates train or a RHTT in the centre road.

No unfortunately

Very much so and very short-sighted, might as well just built the station as a standard two platform station on most two track railways like Long Buckby or Chelmsford and save the number of weekend closures.

Loops long enough to accommodate 775m freights plus connections and signal overlaps would probably exceed the land available, with the location hemmed in by White Hart Lane over bridge plus the access road to New Hall school in the south and an underbridge and neutral section at the north end.

I think the plan train service wise is to accommodate the peak Chelmsford and Witham starters reversing in the centre road, which removes their current conflicts with other services at these locations.

 

[Class 170101]

Loops long enough to accommodate 775m freights plus connections and signal overlaps would probably exceed the land available, with the location hemmed in by White Hart Lane over bridge plus the access road to New Hall school in the south and an underbridge and neutral section at the north end.

Frankly even more reason to have built it as a two track station

I think the plan train service wise is to accommodate the peak Chelmsford and Witham starters reversing in the centre road, which removes their current conflicts with other services at these locations.

Conflicts maybe but doesn't help getting close to the train in front in the case of Chelmsford. Starting at Chelmsford on the downside means you can pull out immediately behind ther previous up train having already collected your passengers and being ready to go and it also spreads people out at Chelmsford. Starting at Beaulieu means pulling out behind the previous train from there and then calling at the Up Platform at Chelmsford so now two loads of people on one platform at Chelmsford and a train that will already have people on it compared to the the Chelmsford starter.

 

[fat_boy_pete]

Thanks, seems a missed opportunity.

Apparently 539m for the loop is sufficient. See post #57 in this thread and the replies immediately afterwards.

 

[greaterangrier]

The first draft timetable planning rules for 2025 were released recently.

Here's a few excerpts:
Loops:

Location	Direction	SLU	Metres
Beaulieu Park Platform 1	Up	115	738
Beaulieu Park Platform 1	Down	75	481
Beaulieu Park Platform 2	Up	90	579
Beaulieu Park Platform 2	Down	88	564
Beaulieu Park Platform 3	Up	90	579
Beaulieu Park Platform 3	Down	85	544

Platform lengths themselves are all recorded as 252m.

Junction margins are similar to Witham: 2-3 minutes.
{1} minute is added for moves to the inner platform - this is applied differently to Leigh-on-Sea and Laindon where it is {½} for both moves to and from the middle platforms. There doesn't seem to be slow speed crossover departure allowance at Beaulieu Park as a result.

Headway has increased for non-stop trains to 3½ at Beaulieu Park when following Class 6 or Class 4’s timed at 1400t or greater.

I have not been able to find any SRTs for Beaulieu Park yet, though they must have resulted in significant recalculation of allowances, given that there is now the anomaly that trains going to Platforms 1/4 at Witham from Beaulieu Park are now timed equal to or slower than the old Class 321 timings

Interesting all around

 

[fat_boy_pete]

The first draft timetable planning rules for 2025 were released recently.

Headway has increased for non-stop trains to 3½ at Beaulieu Park when following Class 6 or Class 4’s timed at 1400t or greater.

I have not been able to find any SRTs for Beaulieu Park yet, though they must have resulted in significant recalculation of allowances, given that there is now the anomaly that trains going to Platforms 1/4 at Witham from Beaulieu Park are now timed equal to or slower than the old Class 321 timings

Interesting all around

Does this imply that the additional headway is due to an assumption ( or contingency) that the down freight is looped at Beaulieu Park?

 

[Canary73]

On RTT it gets all Colchester Town (City)-s, some Clactons and most Braintrees

That’s been my issue with the new station having seen the network change and draft service pattern. I live equidistant to both Beaulieu and Chelmsford but the latter will still have a better service provision northbound. As a regular user of the service to Norwich before the relentless weekend closures it is still better to use the main station than Beaulieu as it gets faster and more frequent services. It seems to be built primarily for London traffic and not for services northwards. The other issue is that the GEML is pretty much closed every weekend until the station is open which signals that weekend travellers are not of primary interest. Mind that’s been going on for decades and it’s always OLE or track repairs and never settles down.

 

[Class 170101]

That’s been my issue with the new station having seen the network change and draft service pattern. I live equidistant to both Beaulieu and Chelmsford but the latter will still have a better service provision northbound. As a regular user of the service to Norwich before the relentless weekend closures it is still better to use the main station than Beaulieu as it gets faster and more frequent services. It seems to be built primarily for London traffic and not for services northwards.

The station certainly wouldn't warrant as many services as the main station as to whether it gets as many as people are expecting we will have to wait and see.

The other issue is that the GEML is pretty much closed every weekend until the station is open which signals that weekend travellers are not of primary interest. Mind that’s been going on for decades and it’s always OLE or track repairs and never settles down.

Not the operators fault, thats down to NR and their contractors and frankly at times they need a kick up the backside for the amount of access taken. Additionally the station, it seems, has a date by which it must be open as these forthcoming five or six weeks of disruption seem particularly late notice for passengers.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

The station certainly wouldn't warrant as many services as the main station as to whether it gets as many as people are expecting we will have to wait and see.


Not the operators fault, thats down to NR and their contractors and frankly at times they need a kick up the backside for the amount of access taken. Additionally the station, it seems, has a date by which it must be open as these forthcoming five or six weeks of disruption seem particularly late notice for passengers.

We have to remember that the GEML is a 2 track railway taking passenger and freight, and is at capacity so will require more maintenance than the other 4 tracks where heavy freight/slower passenger are on the slow lines and the fast lines are reserved for fast passenger.

 

[Alfie1014]

Latest video of work on site, prior to the holiday blockade over Christmas. Lots of activity on site. Video taken on 12/12/23.

 

[Geml246]

From this Network Rail picture , going to have a better roof than Chelmsford & Stratford !