Over 800,000 passenger journeys have been made at Beaulieu Park station since it opened one year ago today – more than double the original forecasts.
The patronage figures for the first new station on the Great Eastern Main Line in over 100 years have significantly exceeded the initial first-year projections of between 290,000 and 390,000.
Since the station opened, rail operations in the region have come together, with GBR Anglia bringing c2c, Greater Anglia, and Network Rail Anglia together under one unified leadership team. The closer alignment of track and train in a more joined-up railway will support greater collaboration across the industry, helping create the conditions for third-party investment and enabling opportunities to be developed and delivered more effectively.
Beaulieu Park was built to transform travel in the north of Chelmsford, ease pressure on the city’s central station, and support 10,000 new homes being delivered at Chelmsford Garden Community. Supported by major government investment, the state-of-the-art station features eight ticket machines, step-free access throughout, and is served via regular Greater Anglia trains, using three platforms with a bi-directional central loop line, allowing stopping services to call while fast trains pass unimpeded.
It also offers 500 free covered bike spaces, additional paid secure bike storage, and two car parks with parking for over 700 vehicles, as well as having solar panels on its roof to help power station services and utilities.
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 serves residents of nearby housing developments and other local communities, helping to reduce congestion on city roads and at the existing Chelmsford rail station. The station also benefits from volunteer station adopters who make the station even more attractive to passengers with their attractive flower displays.
Rob Mullen, chief customer and commercial officer of GBR Anglia, said: “When Beaulieu Park opened a year ago, our aim was to provide a station which would be convenient , accessible and popular with the growing local community – and it’s clear with these numbers that Beaulieu Park has been positively embraced by those living here.
“We’re proud to be operating a thriving station, supporting the growth of the local area and making rail travel a handy option for travellers in a wide catchment area, in and around Chelmsford. It also shows the value of investing in better rail services and facilities as the Beaulieu Park development expands.”
The station has also seen further improvements since opening, with additional work recently completed to improve public safety and overall security on the site.
Councillor Russell Quirk, deputy lleader of Essex County Council said: “What better way to mark Essex Day than by celebrating the first anniversary of a station that is already making such a difference. Essex Day is about being proud of our county, but it should also be about looking ahead to the future we want to build.
“Beaulieu Park shows exactly why an infrastructure-first approach is so important. If we are going to build the new homes Essex needs, we must have the right roads, rail and other infrastructure in place to support them.
“With more than 800,000 journeys in its first year, the station is already proving its value. It gives us the infrastructure to support further planned growth underway at Chelmsford Garden Community – a well-connected new community where people want to live and work.”
The successful station project is the result of £141 million from the Government’s Housing and Infrastructure Fund as a result of a bid led by Essex County Council, and an additional £34 million from local partners. This includes £12 million from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and £22 milion from Countryside (part of Vistry Group) and L&Q through a developer contribution agreement secured by Chelmsford City Council.
Image credit: GBR Anglia
