Elsenham railway station

Elsenham railway station is on the West Anglia Main Line serving the village of Elsenham in Essex, England. It is 35 miles 45 chains (57.2 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Stansted Mountfitchet and Newport stations. Its three-letter station code is ESM.

Elsenham
The waiting room on the London-bound platform
Location
PlaceElsenham
Local authorityDistrict of Uttlesford
Coordinates51.921°N 0.228°E / 51.921; 0.228
Grid referenceTL533270
Operations
Station codeESM
Managed byGreater Anglia
Number of platforms2
DfT categoryE
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 0.195 million
2015/16 0.200 million
2016/17 0.220 million
2017/18 0.246 million
2018/19 0.253 million
History
Key datesOpened 1845 (1845)
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Elsenham from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

The station and all trains serving it are operated by Greater Anglia.

The ticket office (on the London-bound platform) is staffed part-time, there are self-service ticket machines on each of the platforms (which are staggered, the country-bound being north of a level crossing and the London-bound being south of it) and a permit to travel machine is also available. Electronic real-time departure boards are available on both platforms.[1]

Facilities

There is a cafe (in 2019) adjoining the Cambridge-bound platform: Jeff & Eddie's Railside Cafe which opens early morning and closes at 15.30.

There is a footbridge and a level crossing connecting the platforms.

History

Elsenham station was opened in 1845 and retains its original layout with staggered platforms on either side of a level crossing.

From 1913 to 1952 it was the junction for the Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway.

Crossing accident
The pedestrian level crossing with the footbridge added in 2007

On 3 December 2005, Class 158 Express Sprinter unit 158856 struck and killed two teenage girls on the station pedestrian crossing, next to the manually-operated level crossing, between the staggered platforms. Although flashing red lights and a klaxon indicated that a train was approaching, it is likely that they thought these applied to the train they wanted to catch to Cambridge, which was just arriving at the opposite platform. The curvature of the line gives only three seconds visibility of an approaching non-stopping train. A fatality in the same circumstances had occurred in 1989.[2]

Previous risk assessments carried out by Network Rail in 2002 had identified potential dangers with the crossing and recommended the installation of gates that would lock automatically as trains approached, but this was not acted upon. In 2012 Network Rail was prosecuted for breaching health and safety laws and fined £1 million for the accident.[3]

Since the accident, Network Rail responded to requests from the girls' families and erected a footbridge and installed locking gates at the foot crossing in 2007. The accident led to a complete review by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch of all pedestrian level crossings at stations.[2]

Services

There is an hourly service every day in each direction between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street. At peak times, the service frequency increases in both directions.

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References
  1. "National Rail Enquiries - Station facilities for Elsenham (Essex)". www.nationalrail.co.uk.
  2. Department for Transport Rail Accident Investigation Branch (December 2006). "Rail Accident Report: Investigation into station pedestrian crossings...; with reference to the fatal accident at Elsenham station on 3 December 2005" (PDF).
  3. "Network Rail fined £1m over girls' level crossing deaths". BBC News. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Stansted Mountfitchet   Greater Anglia
West Anglia Main Line		   Newport
Disused railways
Terminus   Great Eastern Railway
Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway		   Mill Road Halt
Line and station closed
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