New Chelmsford railway station on track to receive passengers from autumn

Councillors and project partners met on Friday 18 July to tour the Beaulieu Park station construction site, now entering its final stages. Previously expected to open in 2026, the good progress made in construction by Network Rail and its contractor Murphy means the opening is now expected earlier than planned when works began in March 2023.

Beaulieu Park Station will be operated by Greater Anglia and provide travel to London Liverpool Street in 40 minutes. It will include three platforms, parking across two car parks, a public transport interchange, taxi rank, drop-off areas, cycling facilities and new track for passing trains.

The new station will transform travel in the north of Chelmsford as it eases pressure on the existing train station and reduces car journeys into the city centre.

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“Chelmsford residents have been looking forward to this moment for years and it’s fantastic to see Beaulieu Park Station almost finished. It’s vital to have infrastructure to go with the new homes we need, and the new station is likely to be the biggest and most transformative piece of infrastructure Chelmsford will see this century.

"We are proud to have been part of this project: we made land available for the station, guided it through the planning process and will be managing the public spaces including the taxi rank and bus stand when it opens. This has been a labour of love for many and the product of long and successful partnerships; we’re grateful to everyone who has given their time and talent to create Beaulieu Park Station.”

Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader, Chelmsford City Council

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“We are really looking forward to the opening of Beaulieu Park station, the first new station on the Great Eastern Main Line in over 100 years.

“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 new fleet of class 720 trains, which have helped us deliver annual punctuality of over 96% on the Great Eastern Main Line in Essex over the last three years.

“The new station will be staffed from the first 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, we expect the new station to be a very attractive and popular option for travellers from that part of Essex.”

Martin Beable, Managing Director, Greater Anglia

The new Beaulieu Parkway relief road, which opened in 2023, will also help bring passengers to the new train station from the nearby A12. In time, the Chelmsford North-East bypass will bring those travelling from Braintree and nearby villages to the station.

The first section of the bypass is currently being delivered by Essex County Council, which is planned to link into the Northern Radial Distributor Road which will be constructed by developers. A planning application for the link road is due to be determined this summer, with construction expected to start next year.

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"Essex is pioneering the type of infrastructure-supported growth that's on the national agenda, being bold and ambitious in our commitment to future-proofing the county and putting investment where it's most needed.

"The new Beaulieu Park station is testament to this, and the role it will play in transforming travel in this part of Chelmsford and surrounding areas will have a positive impact for years to come.

"The progress being made to build the station is remarkable and I want to thank everyone involved for their hard work to get the project to this stage. I'm very much looking forward to the station opening later this year."

Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader, Essex County Council

Project partners were given an update on how works are progressing at the site. Photos: Murphy Group / Mullholland Media

Beaulieu Park Station is being funded by around £175 million. This includes £141 million from the Government’s Housing and Infrastructure Fund, £12 million from the South-East Local Enterprise Partnership and £22 million from the developers of Beaulieu, Countryside (now part of the Vistry Group) and L&Q.

The station is a significant addition to the Beaulieu and Channels neighbourhoods in the north of the city, which form the first phases of the new Chelmsford Garden Community.

4,350 homes already have planning permission as part of the Garden Community. This includes 1,989 new homes which have already been built, along with the Beaulieu Square Neighbourhood Centre providing local shops, community and health services.

This is in addition to the Beaulieu Park School - the first all-through primary and secondary school in Essex.

Another 6,250 homes, a second all-through school campus, up to three primary schools with early years and childcare provision, up to four standalone early-years facilities, more than nine hectares of employment space and walking and cycling routes will also be delivered as part of the Garden Community in the coming years.

Ticket machines are being installed, along with outside seating areas and cycle storage