Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway was a 5.5 miles (9 km) long light railway
in Essex
, England. The line was sanctioned in 1906, although did not finally open to traffic until 1 April 1913. It was the last rail line building in Essex until the construction of Stansted Airport railway station
.
The railway left the West Anglia Main Line
at Elsenham. There were two stations (Sibleys and Thaxted
) and three halts on the Railway; all except Mill Road Halt (opened in 1922) were opened with the line. The line was never a commercial success, since all the stations were located at some distance from the settlements they served; Thaxted station was 0.75 miles (1.2 km) distant from the town
, since to construct a crossing of the River Chelmer
would have been too costly.
As a light railway it was limited to 25 miles per hour (11 m/s) giving a journey time of 22–28 minutes. There were five down and four up trains per day on opening.
Passenger services were withdrawn from 15 September 1952 and the railway finally closed on 1 June 1953.
Light railway
Light railway refers to a railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail". This usually means the railway uses lighter weight track, and is more steeply graded and tightly curved to avoid civil engineering costs...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. The line was sanctioned in 1906, although did not finally open to traffic until 1 April 1913. It was the last rail line building in Essex until the construction of Stansted Airport railway station
Stansted Airport railway station
Stansted Airport railway station serves London Stansted Airport in Essex, England.It is situated at the end of a short branch from the West Anglia Main Line. The branch was constructed at a cost of £44 million and opened in 1991, to coincide with the completion of the airport's new terminal building...
.
The railway left the West Anglia Main Line
West Anglia Main Line
The West Anglia Main Line is one of the two main lines which run from London Liverpool Street, the other being the Great Eastern Main Line. It runs generally north from London, through the towns of Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow, Bishop's Stortford and Audley End station before reaching Cambridge,...
at Elsenham. There were two stations (Sibleys and Thaxted
Thaxted
Thaxted is a town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, with about 2,500 inhabitants.-History:Thaxted appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Tachesteda, Old English for "place where thatch was got." Once a centre of cutlery manufacture, Thaxted went into decline with the rise of Sheffield...
) and three halts on the Railway; all except Mill Road Halt (opened in 1922) were opened with the line. The line was never a commercial success, since all the stations were located at some distance from the settlements they served; Thaxted station was 0.75 miles (1.2 km) distant from the town
Thaxted
Thaxted is a town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, with about 2,500 inhabitants.-History:Thaxted appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Tachesteda, Old English for "place where thatch was got." Once a centre of cutlery manufacture, Thaxted went into decline with the rise of Sheffield...
, since to construct a crossing of the River Chelmer
River Chelmer
The River Chelmer is a river that flows entirely through the county of Essex, England.The source of the river is near Debden Green, a village near Thaxted. The source of the River Can is also nearby. The River Chelmer flows past Thaxted, south through the district of Uttlesford around the...
would have been too costly.
As a light railway it was limited to 25 miles per hour (11 m/s) giving a journey time of 22–28 minutes. There were five down and four up trains per day on opening.
Passenger services were withdrawn from 15 September 1952 and the railway finally closed on 1 June 1953.