Shenfield-Southend Line

[R848]

Interested to know what the original plans were for the Shenfield-Southend Line, as find it curious the terminus at Southend Victoria ended up not being far from the LTSR stop at Southend Central.

Were there any proposals to directly link the Shenfield-South Line to the LTSR, possibly via a curve at Southend East towards Shoeburyness or even a different Shenfield-Southend route altogether?

 

[30907]

The GER route was a direct competitor to the LTSR so a connection between the two lines would have been highly unlikely. I doubt Shoeburyness would have been a goal for the GER, who were more concerned with opening up rural Essex.

Victoria station was, I imagine, built as near to the then town centre as practicable/affordable.

 

[R848]

The GER route was a direct competitor to the LTSR so a connection between the two lines would have been highly unlikely. I doubt Shoeburyness would have been a goal for the GER, who were more concerned with opening up rural Essex.

Victoria station was, I imagine, built as near to the then town centre as practicable/affordable.

Understand, thanks for clarifying things. Can see from the following map published in 1898 how such a link was out of the question.

 

[John Webb]

The LTSR was an extension of the London and Blackwall Railway - the line was open to Southend by 1856. Curiously it was built together with the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) and was leased in 1854 to the contractors Peto, Brassey and Pitts, but when the lease ended in 1875 the ECR, now part of the GER, showed no interest in taking it on. So it went its own way and was eventually vested in the Midland Railway.
I've no information about the GE line to Southend - the above information comes from the "Encyclopedia of British Railway Companies" by Christopher Awdrey (published in 1990).

 

[306024]

When you look at a real map rather than just a diagrammatic map it is surprising to see what a big diversion the line takes to serve Hockley and Rochford. Had it gone in a straight line from Rayleigh to Southend end to end journey times would have been less.

 

[essexjohn]

The book "The Shenfield to Southend Line* (Oakwood Press) mentions several proposals of lines from the Great Eastern to South East Essex. Also a London, Tilbury and Southend proposal for a line from Pitsea to Southend via Benfleet, Rayleigh and Rochford (probably an attempt to block the Great Eastern).

 

[Peter Fox]

A lot of promoting of railways was done by contractors. Peto for example is referenced above. Their object was to be paid to dig and lay rails and their profit was in the bag. What happened to the finances of a railway after that was irrelevant to them. To say there were financial shenanigans going on is an understatement. Individual landowners might well be convinced that a rural line serving their neck of the wood would be advantageous and be a little blinded by the prospectuses touting a massive increase in freight. One such proposal was late 1840s Basildon - Wickford - Maldon - Colchester. A more rural route is difficult to imagine. (Maldon was already on the rail network.) Details are in Essex Record Office. It's fascinating to think how different the world would be if that line had been built. Maldon would now have a main road along the river and through the park. If rail transport was available on the flat lands North of the river Blackwater somebody might have built a WW1 aerodrome which might now be a large commercial airport. What if?

 

[R848]

When you look at a real map rather than just a diagrammatic map it is surprising to see what a big diversion the line takes to serve Hockley and Rochford. Had it gone in a straight line from Rayleigh to Southend end to end journey times would have been less.

Would have to agree, also wonder whether there would have been an opportunity later on to link up to the LTSR at Southend East / Thorpe Bay if not also lay the groundwork for an eventual terminus at Shoeburyness.

The book "The Shenfield to Southend Line* (Oakwood Press) mentions several proposals of lines from the Great Eastern to South East Essex. Also a London, Tilbury and Southend proposal for a line from Pitsea to Southend via Benfleet, Rayleigh and Rochford (probably an attempt to block the Great Eastern).

Did any of the Great Eastern proposals to South East Essex include a route to Shoeburyness? Additionally was anything more intended for what became the Couch Valley line such as a link to Maldon?

A lot of promoting of railways was done by contractors. Peto for example is referenced above. Their object was to be paid to dig and lay rails and their profit was in the bag. What happened to the finances of a railway after that was irrelevant to them. To say there were financial shenanigans going on is an understatement. Individual landowners might well be convinced that a rural line serving their neck of the wood would be advantageous and be a little blinded by the prospectuses touting a massive increase in freight. One such proposal was late 1840s Basildon - Wickford - Maldon - Colchester. A more rural route is difficult to imagine. (Maldon was already on the rail network.) Details are in Essex Record Office. It's fascinating to think how different the world would be if that line had been built. Maldon would now have a main road along the river and through the park. If rail transport was available on the flat lands North of the river Blackwater somebody might have built a WW1 aerodrome which might now be a large commercial airport. What if?

Were there any additional proposals including an earlier precursor to current talk on a possible route from Pitsea to Ingatestone via Wickford and Billericay?

 

[30907]

When you look at a real map rather than just a diagrammatic map it is surprising to see what a big diversion the line takes to serve Hockley and Rochford. Had it gone in a straight line from Rayleigh to Southend end to end journey times would have been less.

Looking at the contours it seems the GER took the easier route as well as serving more communities.

Would have to agree, also wonder whether there would have been an opportunity later on to link up to the LTSR at Southend East / Thorpe Bay if not also lay the groundwork for an eventual terminus at Shoeburyness.

I can't see what purpose that would have served - a GER Shoeburyness line was always going to be uncompetitive with the LTSR.

 

[MP33]

When you look at a real map rather than just a diagrammatic map it is surprising to see what a big diversion the line takes to serve Hockley and Rochford. Had it gone in a straight line from Rayleigh to Southend end to end journey times would have been less.

The reason for the diversion is to avoid high ground, a direct route would have involved a rather long tunnel. By Billericay station there is a very deep cutting, when the railway was being planned it was a toss up whether it would be a cutting or a tunnel. Also apart from footpaths and private crossings there are now no level crossings on the route. A crossing at Wickford was removed and the road became a dead end with a footbridge. This may have been done to stop following development the other side of the railway, the road being used as a short cut.

 

[306024]

Many of the railways in East Anglia were built ‘on the cheap’ laying the track where the land was rather than have expensive earthworks and other structures. Some relatively steep gradients, if only for short distances can be found.

 

[essexjohn]

I have not come across any plans to extend a line from the Great Eastern to Shoebryness. A Southend to Colchester service is mentioned above. This actually happened. Soon after opening the Shenfield to Southend line, and Southminster branch, curves were built making triangular junctions at Wickford, Maldon and Witham and through trains were run. This service lasted only a few years, the curves were lifted 1895.

 

[R848]

I have not come across any plans to extend a line from the Great Eastern to Shoebryness. A Southend to Colchester service is mentioned above. This actually happened. Soon after opening the Shenfield to Southend line, and Southminster branch, curves were built making triangular junctions at Wickford, Maldon and Witham and through trains were run. This service lasted only a few years, the curves were lifted 1895.

Rail Map online appears to display the triangular junctions at Wickford, Maldon and Witham.

 

[racyrich]

Additionally was anything more intended for what became the Couch Valley line such as a link to Maldon?

There was a branch from Woodham Ferrers to Maldon, meeting the Witham-Maldon line at a triangular junction wet of Maldon.
That succumbed to lack of traffic very early - pre WW2 I think, and ended up a long siding for old stock. The stretch from Maldon West to the triangle is now the road bypass.

 

[racyrich]

Rail Map online appears to display the triangular junctions at Wickford, Maldon and Witham.

Yes, there used to be a direct train from Southend Vic to Colchester via all those triangles. It was slower than changing at Shenfield so only lasted a few years.