Today, Monday, 27th October, the Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, and representatives from Essex County Council will attend the official opening of the new railway station at Beaulieu Park on the Great Eastern Mainline.

Opening ahead of schedule, it is the first new station on the Great Eastern Mainline for over 100 years, and will contribute 250m to the region’s economy.

Beaulieu Park station will be served by a regular service operated by Greater Anglia’s new comfortable air-conditioned Class 720 trains that have plug/USB points and free Wi-Fi.

The new station will have staff on duty throughout the day, from the first to the last train, seven days a week, and will be available to answer passengers’ queries, assist them with ticket purchases, and support customers who require assistance.

It is conveniently situated, next to the Beaulieu housing development and the A12 road, from London to Ipswich and Lowestoft.

During peak times, Beaulieu Park station will be served by up to four trains per hour and two trains per hour off-peak periods. Travel times to London Liverpool Street will be 40 minutes and 25 minutes to Colchester.

Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader at Essex County Council, commented that Beaulieu Park Station will both unlock economic development in the surrounding areas and transform travel in and around Chelmsford.

As well as the council’s own investment, it worked with partners to secure the additional funding needed to make the project a reality.

“With over 140 million of government investment, the opening of Beaulieu Park Station marks a major milestone for economic growth in the East of England, unlocking thousands of new houses, creating over 2000 jobs, and driving prosperity across the region. 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 supports communities and powers the UK’s economy.”

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy