The newest station in East Anglia, Beaulieu Park, is now open. The first new station on the Great Eastern Main Line in over a century. The state-of-the-art facility, operated by Greater Anglia, marks a major transport milestone for Chelmsford and the wider East of England.
Opening ahead of schedule, within the 200th year of the modern railway, the £175 million station will be served by a regular and reliable Greater Anglia train service. It offers passengers up to four trains per hour during peak times and two trains per hour during the off-peak, as well as a direct route to London Liverpool Street in 40 minutes and Colchester in 25 minutes.
The brand-new station on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) welcomed its first service on Sunday 26 October 2025, with the 07:20 Greater Anglia departure for London Liverpool Street. The station was officially opened the following day, 27 October, by the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy and the Rt. Hon Sir James Cleverly MP, local MP for Braintree, who unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the occasion.
During the opening event, they toured the station alongside Cllr Louise McKinlay of Essex County Council, Cllr Stephen Robinson of Chelmsford City Council, Martin Beable of Greater Anglia, Katie Frost of Network Rail, and Martin Leach of Countryside (part of Vistry Group) and L&Q.
The station features 8 ticket machines, step-free access throughout, and 3 platforms with a bi-directional central loop line, allowing stopping services to call while fast trains pass unimpeded.
Beaulieu Park offers 500 free covered bike spaces, additional paid secure bike storage, and 2 car parks with parking for over 700 vehicles. Local residents can access the station via a new bus interchange, as well as upgraded cycling and walking routes to/from surrounding areas.
Conveniently located adjacent to the A12, the station is expected to serve residents of nearby housing developments and other local communities, helping to reduce congestion on city roads and at the existing Chelmsford rail station.
A dedicated team of 20 Greater Anglia colleagues will provide customer service, assistance, and travel advice, to passengers across the station, from the first train to the last each day.
The project received £141 million from the Government’s Housing and Infrastructure Fund and an additional £34 million from local partners, including Homes England, Essex County Council, Chelmsford City Council, the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, and housing developers Countryside (part of Vistry Group) and L&Q. Construction, led by Network Rail’s principal contractor Murphy, began in March 2023. Opening ahead of schedule, the new station will support up to 2,500 new jobs, enable the delivery of 10,000 new homes, and provide faster train services for thousands of passengers across the region.
“With over £140 million of Government investment, the opening of Beaulieu Park Station marks a major milestone for the East of England – delivering faster, more reliable journeys, strengthening local communities, and supporting thousands of jobs.
“Under the trusted services of publicly-owned Greater Anglia, we’re delivering on our Plan for Change by building a simpler, more modern rail network that Britain needs and deserves.”
“This piece of infrastructure is about unlocking the potential of our wonderful county and in particular this bit of Essex.
“It is not just about moving people around the map – it is about making sure this area has its full potential unlocked.
“Louise has been personally heavily involved in this project with wider partners. Thank you for everything you all have done to help make this project a reality.”
“It is fantastic to see Beaulieu Park Station open. This key piece of infrastructure will improve journey times and connectivity around the county and into the capital. It is a great example of how planning should be done – new developments built with the infrastructure that works for residents, visitors and businesses.
“We are being bold and ambitious to future-proof the county and put investment where it’s most needed. I want to thank everyone involved for their hard work in helping delivering Beaulieu Park Station ahead of schedule.”
“Beaulieu Park station will benefit from a regular and reliable service of up to four trains per hour during peak times and two trains per hour during off peak periods, making rail travel simple and convenient for passengers. Services will be operated by our fleet of new, comfortable, air-conditioned class 720 trains, which also offer plug/USB points and free Wi-Fi – and which have helped us deliver annual punctuality of over 95% on the Great Eastern Main Line in Essex over the last three years.
“The new station will be staffed from the first train to the last train, seven days a week. Staff will be on hand at all times to answer questions, help passengers buy tickets, and support customers requiring assistance. Located right next to the Beaulieu housing development and the A12, and offering easy bus interchange options, extensive cycle parking, and over 700 car parking spaces, we expect the new station to be a very attractive and popular option for travellers from that part of Essex.”
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27.10.2025
