Bishop's Stortford–Braintree branch line
The Bishop's Stortford–Braintree branch line was an railway line connecting Bishop's Stortford, Dunmow and Braintree. The Engineer's Line Reference for the line is BSB. History. The line was one of several schemes promoted in the 19th century that included north-south lines connecting Great Dunmow with Epping, Halstead and/or Saffron Walden. The line was proposed by the Bury St Edmunds Railway, as it connected to the Northern & Eastern Railway's trunk route at . However, the Eastern Counties Railway opposed it, as they wanted to extend the Epping Railway from towards  Great Dunmow. This line was never built; instead local businessmen persuaded the ECR to build the line from Bishop's Stortford to Dunmow and , which received Parliamentary approval in 1861. Construction was delayed until 1864 because of problems with land purchases, by which time the Great Eastern Railway had taken over ownership. The line opened on 22 February 1869 serving Takeley, Felstead and Rayne. opened in 1895, in 1910, and Stane Street and in 1922. The line was single track with passing loops at Bishop's Stortford, , , and . Goods sidings were provided at , Takeley, to supply US Air Force bases  at Stansted and Easton Lodge), , for general and use by the sugar beet factory, and Rayne. A viaduct crossed the River Chelmer to the south of Great Dunmow; it was demolished in the 1970s to make way for the A1256 Great Dunmow bypass. Passenger numbers were reasonable at first, as were goods services that transported wheat, barley, milk, coal and livestock towards London. During World War II, the line was at peak capacity for transporting military personnel and goods for nearby US air bases. Like many minor branch lines, it was marked for closure following the war. The last passenger  services ran on 3 March 1952, though it was still practical for goods services. These were gradually reduced because of competition with road transport, and the line closed to freight on 17 February 1972. A special train for rail enthusiasts ran that July, after which the line was closed. Braintree remained connected to the rail network via the branch to . Flitch Way. The tracks have been removed, but most of the line formation remains as the Flitch Way country park, a walking and cycling route. Future developments. Several proposals to reopen the line have been made but none have come  close to being realised. In January 2018, Bishop's Stortford Council called for restoration of the line as part of a consultation on new communities. The line has been identified as being of significant value and feasible for restoration with work required mainly at Braintree, Dunmow and a diversion to join the National Rail network near Stansted Airport. In January 2019, the Campaign for Better Transport's report identified the line between Braintree and Stansted Airport as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments). References . Bibliography http://www.stortfordhistory.co.uk/guide11/braintree-branchline/ Bishop’s Stortford, Dunmow and Braintree Branch Line. Downloaded 25 May 2018.