Bishop's Stortford-Braintree Branch Line

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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.[1]

There have been several proposals to reopen the line but none has come close to being realised.[2]

Bishop's Stortford-Braintree Branch Line
exCPICla CPICra
Braintree
exHST STR
Rayne
exSTR STRlf HLUECKE
Great Eastern Main Line
exHST
Banister Green
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Felsted
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Dunmow
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Easton Lodge
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Takely
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Stane Street
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Hockerill
exSTR LUECKE
exCPICl CPICr
Bishops Stortford
exENDEe LUECKE
West Anglia Main Line

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