Place Witham DfT category C2 2012/13 2.245 million Address Witham, United Kingdom Number of platforms 4 Station code WTM | Grid reference TL820152 2011/12 2.252 million 2013/14 2.350 million Original company Eastern Counties Railway Managed by Abellio Greater Anglia | |
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Similar Chelmsford railway station, Kelvedon railway station, Hythe (Essex) railway st, Colchester Town railway st, Braintree Freeport railway st | ||
Witham railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) in the East of England, serving the town of Witham, Essex. It is approximately half a mile to the north of the town centre, and 38 miles 47 chains (62.1 km) down-line from London Liverpool Street. Witham is situated between Hatfield Peverel to the west and Kelvedon and to the east. It is also the southern terminus of the Braintree Branch Line, where the branch joins the GEML. Its three-letter station code is WTM.
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The station was opened in 1843 by the Eastern Counties Railway. It is currently operated by Abellio Greater Anglia, which also runs all trains serving the station.
Witham railway station halstead essex
History
The section of the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) between Brentwood and Colchester entered operation on 29 March 1843, and Witham station opened on the same day. The station became a junction five years later with the opening of the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway (MW&B) for goods trains on 15 August 1848; passenger services on the line began on 2 October 1848. The MW&B was later absorbed by the ECR, which itself amalgamated with other companies in 1862 to form the Great Eastern Railway.
Accidents
Layout
Platform 1 is rarely used except for peak-hour services to and from London Liverpool Street starting or terminating at Witham; a limited number of through-trains towards London use this platform as well. Platform 1 was formerly used by trains on the now disused Witham-Maldon branch line. Platform 2 is typically used by services towards London and platform 3 is for country-bound trains. Platform 4 is for Braintree branch services; this platform may also used by through eastbound services stopping during peak times to allow fast express trains to pass through unhindered. Some evening peak services terminating at Witham also use platform 4. A new passing loop is planned to the north of Witham to further enable express services to overtake stopping services in either direction.
The station's car park is situated next to the station. To access the car park from the station passengers once had to exit onto the street and take a substantial walk to the road bridge across the tracks situated just past the western end of the station, over the bridge and then down a residential road the other side of the tracks. Passengers campaigned for a remedy to this issue for many years. In 2001 funding was announced to build a footbridge direct from the station to the car park, but this was subsequently withdrawn indefinitely due to financial cutbacks following the collapse of Railtrack. Reports of a new funding package for a footbridge emerged in 2008. Work took place between in 2011 which included a new entrance at the station to provide access to and from the adjacent car park. The footbridge opened in August 2011. The improvements also saw new disabled parking facilities, a customer help point and information point and new sheltered cycle storage.
An 1897 survey of the station shows a small system of sidings on the down-side at the London end and also a siding with a turntable at the country end off the Braintree branch. On the up-side there were sidings serving an auction mart and cattle pens at the London end; and the Maltings and a coal yard at the country end accessed from both the main line and the Maldon branch. The Maldon branch had at an earlier date been served by a triangular junction which facilitated direct running from Colchester but it is shown as disconnected in 1897.
Services
The typical off-peak service pattern is four trains per hour to London Liverpool Street, one to Ipswich, one to Colchester Town, one to Clacton-on-Sea and one along the branch line to Braintree. The services are operated by Abellio Greater Anglia. During peak times, service frequencies are increased and calling patterns may vary.