The new station at Beaulieu Park in Chelmsford has attracted twice as many passengers as expected in its first year.

Over 800,000 passengers have been recorded since the station opened on 26 October 2025, although the initial first-year projections were between 290,000 and 390,000.

Beaulieu Park was built to support 10,000 new homes at Chelmsford Garden Community. The statiom has eight ticket machines, step-free access throughout and is served by Greater Anglia trains. They use three platforms with a bi-directional through line which allows stopping services to call while fast trains pass non-stop.

It also offers 500 free covered bike spaces, additional paid secure bike storage, and two car parks with parking for over 700 vehicles, as well as having solar panels on its roof.

GBR Anglia’s chief customer and commercial officer Rob Mullen said: ‘When Beaulieu Park opened a year ago, our aim was to provide a station which would be convenient , accessible and popular with the growing local community – and it’s clear with these numbers that Beaulieu Park has been positively embraced by those living here.

‘We’re proud to be operating a thriving station, supporting the growth of the local area and making rail travel a handy option for travellers in a wide catchment area, in and around Chelmsford. It also shows the value of investing in better rail services and facilities as the Beaulieu Park development expands.’

The project received £141 million from the Government’s Housing and Infrastructure Fund as a result of a bid led by Essex County Council, and an additional £34 million from local partners.

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