New Essex Station To Feature Step-Free Access

A new station in Essex is being built with lifts to ensure it provides access to all passengers when it opens. 

Essex County Council recently revealed a contract has been signed with Network Rail for a station located in the Beaulieu Park area of Chelmsford.

Construction is due to start at the beginning of 2023 and the local authority hopes it will be open to the public by the end of 2025.

Martin Leech, managing director of strategic land and major projects at developer Countryside Zest, said the new project will “not only significantly improve the transport connections for the residents at Beaulieu, but also the wider Chelmsford Garden Village community”. 

Everyone has been considered when it comes to the design of the facility, as developers are planning to build step-free access to all the platforms by installing two lifts. 

There will also be accessible toilets and baby change facilities, while five per cent of its 700-car parking bay will be designated for Blue Badge holders. 

Consequently, Adam Simpson, director of project management and development at L&Q, said the partnership between Network Rail and the council “will enable us to improve not only local transport connections, but also the lifestyle of thousands of residents”.

This comes after Bond Street station on the Elizabeth line finally opened to the public in October, providing step-free access with elevators. 

Transport for London said the station, which has the capacity for 140,000 people a day, will “relieve congestion at Oxford Circus and make the area more accessible”, reported the BBC.  

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