From the December 1959 issue of The Railway Magazine, P. J. Norris looks at The Maldon Branch, including Maldon East & Heybridge, Wickham Bishops Station, Langford & Ulting Station and Maldon Station. The article records the branch’s passenger services, goods traffic, station buildings and operating details as they stood at the time.
ONE of the earliest branches built by the Eastern Counties Railway from its main line from London to Ipswich and beyond was that from Witham to Maldon. The line is single throughout, and was opened to all traffic on October 2, 1848, with two intermediate stations. The Maldon terminus is half-way between that town and its suburb of Heybridge, thus leaving passengers a steep climb up the hill to Maldon.
Maldon, a small historic seaport and growing resort on the Blackwater estuary, attracted a second railway some forty years later. In 1889, the Great Eastern, as the Eastern Counties had by then become, completed its Shenfield to Southend-on-Sea line and the Southminster branch. From Woodham Ferrers on this latter line, a branch was opened on October 1, 1889, to Maldon. The line served Maldon West Station, on the outskirts of the town, passed round its western edge, and crossed the Blackwater on a substantial brick viaduct to join the line from Witham a few hundred yards outside its terminus, which then became known as Maldon East & Heybridge. A short spur was put in at the junction of the two lines to enable trains to run from Woodham Ferrers through to Witham, but this has long since been removed.
From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.
After a life whose usefulness latterly was marred by competing bus services, the Woodham Ferrers-Maldon section was closed to passengers on September 10, 1939, and to all traffic on April 1, 1953. At the Maldon end, the track remains in place with the massive landmark of the viaduct across the Blackwater as a forlorn reminder of a service that was.
Witham Station consists of two island platforms, with the station offices on the road bridge above. Main-line trains use the inner platform faces, Braintree trains the northern side of the down, and Maldon trains the southern side of the up platform. Leaving in an easterly direction, the branch curves very sharply southwards through the industrial section of Witham, where there are numerous goods sidings. Passing under the main A12 trunk road, the line runs to the Blackwater River, which it follows for the rest of its length.
After crossing the river, the train enters Wickham Bishops Station, which has a single shelterless platform on the up side with a loop line behind it. The station buildings, of half-timber construction, are adjacent to the road bridge, the only access to the platform being across the loop line. Passing under the roadway, the branch turns south-east keeping parallel to the river amid attractive water meadows. It crosses twice under the Witham-Maldon road and adjacent to the second bridge enters Langford & Ulting Station. Langford village is adjacent, but Ulting consists of a very scattered rural area two or three miles away to the west, and it is curious that the name should appear in the station’s title. The station, which is unstaffed, consists of a single platform on the up side with a shelter.
Continuing south-east for another mile the disused Woodham Ferrers line converges from its long viaduct and the branch enters the extensive yard and station at Maldon East, some 5¾ miles from Witham. The station has one main platform and a bay, and is a solid structure built of the white bricks so much used by the Eastern Counties Railway and its successors. The station buildings have an imposing facade of pillars looking on to the approach road. The branch tracks continue through the station to the goods yard, where the extensive sidings are adjacent to wharves on the Blackwater. Here there is a large timber yard and saw mill which gives much trade to the line. This yard is usually the scene of shunting and commercial bustle surprising on so rural a branch line. Maldon still handles some coastwise cargo ships, and has a timber importing trade, mostly from Scandinavia. A brick goods shed and a small engine shed (included under the Colchester district) complete the arrangements.
Passenger traffic on the branch is fairly heavy, especially during the summer, when day trippers frequent the town. For many years, the line was worked by Holden’s 2-4-2 tanks of class “F5,” all of which have now been scrapped. These engines hauled a train of two old Great Eastern corridor coaches that had been relegated to branch lines, and were allowed about 15 min. for the 5¾-mile journey. In 1958, single-unit diesel trains were introduced. Diesel railbuses are now used, and these run to an accelerated schedule. There are 17 services in each direction on weekdays, and about eight trains are run on Sundays in the summer only. Freight traffic also is quite heavy, and is dealt with by various types of tank engine.
