Bishop's Stortford-Braintree Branch Line

The Bishop's Stortford-Braintree Branch Line was a 40 mile long line connecting the towns of Bishop's Stortford, Dunmow and Braintree. It opened on the 7th November 1910. It was originally planned for the Branch Line to be connected to the West Anglia Main Line at Bishop's Stortford and the Great Eastern Main Line at Braintree. However due to lack of funding this never happened. The line was almost entirely single track apart from at Bishop's Stortford, Dunmow and Braintree where there were passing loops. Passenger numbers were at decent levels when the line first opened, but increasing competition from bus and road transport meant trains were running almost empty near the end of its serving life; it closed to passengers on 3 March 1952. The line remained open for freight for a couple for years before closing completely. Most of the line formation remains though the tracks have been taken up. [ [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/e/easton_lodge/index.shtml Subterranea Britannica: SB-Sites: Easton Lodge Halt ] ]

There have been several proposals to reopen the line but none has come close to being realised. [ [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/d/dunmow/index.shtml Subterranea Britannica: SB-Sites:Dunmow Station ] ]

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