Newport (Essex) railway station

For other uses, see Newport station (disambiguation).

Newport
Location
Place	Newport
Local authority	Uttlesford
Operations
Station code	NWE
Managed by	National Express East Anglia
Owned by	Network Rail
Number of platforms	2
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	0.229 million
2005/06 *	0.216 million
2006/07 *	0.207 million
2007/08 *	0.215 million
2008/09 *	0.213 million
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Newport from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Newport railway station serves the village of Newport in Essex, England. To the North of the Victorian station is the little known Audley End Viaduct. At 60 ft high at its centre this is actually the highest viaduct in Essex

The station is 64 km (40 mi) north of London Liverpool Street on the West Anglia Main Line towards Cambridge.

History

The main station building was built in 1845 with the canopies added in 1884/1885. The station was built following the passing of a bill in Parliament in 1836 for a railway from London to Cambridge on a revised route passing through Newport. The Northern and Eastern Railway Company was incorporated in 1836 to build from London to Cambridge, but by 1843 they had only reached Bishop's Stortford and they were taken over by the Eastern Counties Railway Company. A contemporary newspaper, the Chelmsford Chronicle, recorded the applause and welcome the villagers gave to the first train passing through on 29 July 1845; "The music of the military band mingled at Stansted and Newport with the cheers of the mustered throngs, while the line of flags upon the carriages which danced as they rapidly cut the air, gave to the progress of the train not merely the character of gaiety, but an air of grandeur."^[1]

The station design is similar to others on the same line- particularly Great Chesterford and March with only slight variants in construction and detailing. The waiting rooms still retain two distinctive painted Victorian Arts & Crafts cast iron fire surrounds designed by Thomas Jeckyll (1827–1881) and produced by Barnard, Bishop and Barnard in Norwich for the Great Eastern Railway. Thomas Jeckyll was a trained architect and started working at the foundry in 1859 and is best known for his metal work design in particular fireplace and fireplace grates.

In March 1970 the old shed over a siding at Newport station was demolished. The demolition went underway without consultation with the local community. A week later it had completely disappeared.

Siding demolition March 1970

Adoption

In November 2010 the Station was "adopted" on behalf of the community by the Newport Business Association (NBA). At the heart of Newport the railway station serves over 200,000 passengers every year. With commuters bound for London and Cambridge and children attending the Newport Free Grammar School it is people’s first sight of Newport - their introduction to the village. The station is 165 years old and was last decorated 10 years ago. It has been left gradually to fall into disrepair and neglect with graffiti and litter and a dilapidated cross-over bridge lacking non-slip surfacing to the stairs.

In conjunction with National Express East Anglia, Network Rail, British Transport Police and local businesses NBA is renovating the Station, making the gateway into Newport welcoming, attractive and secure for businesses, residents and visitors alike.^[2] The station is having the front entrance renovated, bridge refurbished, station buildings repainted and decorated and replanted and landscaped wild flower areas. One in three mouthfuls of the food we eat is dependent on pollination and honey bees are dying out across the world. The overgrown woods and gardens will therefore be planted up with flowers and shrubs that encourage birds, bees and butterflies. Working closely with regional ramblers and walkers 10 new walks are being created starting from the station and going out into the beautiful countryside.^[3]

Gallery

• 

  Newport station platform in 1970 showing gas lamp, photographed by John Gordon

• 

  Victorian fire surround, photographed by Silas Currie

Renovation and clearance process - 2010

• 

  Essex Probation Service and Newport Business Association clear the overgrown embankment, Chalk Farm Lane side.

• 

  Cutting down overhanging trees and removing overgrown brambles from the embankment.

• 

  Train Gang - some of the Essex Probation volunteers who cleared the embankment and planted bulbs on the car park embankment.

• 

  Some of the litter removed from station surroundings- all 6 black bin bags contained environmentally damaging material.

• 

  Newport Business Association signs up Newport Station.

• 

  Newport Station renovation being helped by voluntary work from Groundworks and TKE Landscaping.

• 

  NBA Newport Station notice board made by Ridgeons.

• 

  Tarquin Ellington from TKE and daughter.

Service

There is an hourly service each day and in each direction from Newport to London Liverpool Street southbound and Cambridge northbound, with a half hourly service in the weekday rush hours.

References

1. ^ The history of Newport, Essex by Bernard Nurse, Joy Pugh and Imogen Mollet, edited by Angela Archer. Published in 1995 by Newport News, ISBN no 0 9514601 1 0. 
2. ^ Newport Business Association (November 2010). "Newport Station adopted by local Businesses". http://www.newportbusinessassociation.co.uk/Newport_Business_Association/See_4_yourself/Pages/NBA_-_Press_coverage.html. 
3. ^ Saffron Walden Reporter (November 2010). "Newport Station adopted by local Businesses". http://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk:80/home/business_association_adopt_newport_railway_station_from_national_express_east_anglia_1_737219. 

External links

• Train times and station information for Newport (Essex) railway station from National Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Elsenham		National Express East Anglia West Anglia Main Line		Audley End

Coordinates: 51°58′48″N 0°12′54″E / 51.980°N 0.215°E / 51.980; 0.215