Crouch Valley line

Crouch Valley line
Wickford is the western terminus of the line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Essex East of England
Termini	Wickford Southminster
Stations	7
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	Greater Anglia
Rolling stock	Class 321 Class 720
History
Opened	1889
Technical
Line length	16 miles 40 chains (26.6 km)
Number of tracks	1
Character	Rural
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE
Operating speed	60 mph maximum
Route map (Click to expand)

v t Crouch Valley line
Legend
miles-chains from London Liverpool Street Shenfield–Southend line 29-02 Wickford Wickford junction 31-40 Battlesbridge 34-00 South Woodham Ferrers to Maldon West Hogwell sidings 37-27 North Fambridge 40-27 Althorne Creeksea sidings 43-24 Burnham-on-Crouch 45-42 Southminster
This diagram: view talk

The Crouch Valley line (sometimes referred to as the Southminster branch line)^[1] is a branch line off the Shenfield–Southend line in Essex, in the east of England. It links Wickford in the west to Southminster in the east. During peak hours, trains connect to or from the Great Eastern Main Line at Shenfield, and its London terminus at Liverpool Street.

The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.05, and is classified as a London and South East commuter line.^[2] The stations and passenger services on the line are currently operated by Greater Anglia.

History[]

The route, which is 16 miles 40 chains (26.6 km) in length, was opened to goods traffic on 1 June 1889 and to passengers on 1 July 1889, by the Great Eastern Railway (GER).^[3] It was electrified at 25 kV AC overhead in 1986.

The number of trains on the Crouch Valley line is restricted to two trains per hour (one in each direction) at weekends and two every 40 minutes on weekdays, with some additional services during peak times.

Nuclear freight[]

Southminster nuclear flask transhipment facility, 2002

A nuclear flask handling facility operated to the south of Southminster station from 1962 during the operation and decommissioning of Bradwell nuclear power station, this facility was last used on 31 August 2006.^[4][5] Waste and fuel rods were transported to Sellafield. The timetable in the 1990s allowed for this traffic by the absence of a down and up passenger train on the branch late on Wednesday mornings.

Infrastructure[]

The line diverges from the Shenfield–Southend line at Wickford. It is single track throughout, except for one passing loop at North Fambridge (the midpoint of the line) to allow trains travelling in opposite directions to pass one another.

Only Wickford and South Woodham Ferrers have platforms long enough to accommodate 12-coach trains, while each of the other stations on the line can accommodate eight coaches, though services on the line are typically only formed of four carriages due to the short terminus platform at Wickford being able to accommodate one four-car train.

The line is electrified at 25 kV AC, has a loading gauge of W6, and a maximum line speed of 50 mph, except for between Battlesbridge and North Fambridge, where the limit is 60 mph.

Stations[]

The following table summarises the line's seven stations, their distance measured from London Liverpool Street, and estimated number of passenger entries/exits in 2018/19:

Services[]

Trains are mostly formed by Class 321 units however some services are starting to be formed by Class 720 units, which are due to replace Class 321 units. All services are currently operated by Greater Anglia. There are limited ticket facilities along the route so a conductor is often provided on the train to assist passengers.

References[]

External links[]

• The Crouch Valley Line today
• The History of the Crouch Valley Line