Braintree Railway Station, Braintree, Essex
A railway connecting Maldon to Braintree via Witham was proposed by the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway (MWBR) and given royal assent in June 1846. The MWBR was later acquired by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) and the railway opened in 1848. In 1869, the Great Eastern Railway (GER) built another railway from Bishops Stortford to Braintree. The Station building and Station Masters House for this line, shown here, are still used today (2023). In 1923, both lines became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The Bishops Stortford-Braintree line closed to passengers in 1952 and closed as a through line in 1966, with the two sections continuing as goods lines. Goods traffic ceased west of Braintree in 1970, and east of Bishops Stortford in 1972. Following the Beeching report, the section from Maldon to Witham closed to passengers in 1964 and to goods in 1966. However, the Witham-Braintree section became a thriving commuter railway and was electrified on 31 October 1977. Currently, the franchise is held by Greater Anglia (2023).
