New railway station work hits 'critical milestone'

The new station aims to take pressure off Chelmsford city centre's station, which is one of the busiest in the UK

Work to build the first train station along the Great Eastern Railway in 100 years hit a "critical milestone", an MP said.

Beaulieu Park station is being built in north Chelmsford, Essex, at a cost of £160m.

Parts of the site's roof have been completed and a signal power supply point in central Chelmsford is built, the city's Conservative MP Vicky Ford said.

The new station is expected to open by the end of 2025.

Network Rail says the station will have step-free access to all platforms

Mrs Ford said contractors have been working to get as much of the structure installed as possible before Christmas.

She said: "We are at a critical milestone in delivery of Beaulieu Park Station. The engineering and construction teams are hard at work putting the new station building structure together.

"Work to complete the signal power supply point in central Chelmsford has been completed, elements of the laminated roof structure have been installed. The teams are getting as much of the structure installed as possible before Christmas."

She said that over the festive period, two ends of the new passing loop in to the mainline would be connected.

"This period has been planned to the last detail to complete all the essential work on the tracks and then work would continue on the station building itself in the New Year," she added.

The new station is part of a wider regeneration of the Beaulieu Park estate, with new road infrastructure and up to 14,000 homes.

Work on the £160m project in north Chelmsford, Essex, started in March

Network Rail says it will relieve pressure on Chelmsford's existing city centre station, which serves eight million passengers per year.

The station will include:

• Three platforms

• Step-free access to all platforms via two lifts

• Parking for 700 cars

• A bus interchange

• About 500 spaces for cycle parking and storage