Marks Tey railway station

Marks Tey National Rail
Marks Tey railway station in 2017, looking south towards London
Location
Place Marks Tey
Local authority Borough of Colchester
Grid reference TL916239
Operations
Station code MKT
Managed by Greater Anglia
Number of platforms 3
DfT category D
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2012/13 Increase 0.473 million
2013/14 Increase 0.495 million
– Interchange  0.376 million
2014/15 Increase 0.504 million
– Interchange  Decrease 0.375 million
2015/16 Increase 0.523 million
– Interchange  Decrease 0.363 million
2016/17 Increase 0.557 million
– Interchange  Decrease 0.358 million
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Marks Tey from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal
Cambridge train departing Marks Tey in 1951

Marks Tey railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) in the East of England, serving the village of Marks Tey, Essex. It is 46 miles 49 chains (75.02 km) down-line from London Liverpool Street and on the GEML is situated between Kelvedon to the west and Colchester and to the east. Marks Tey is also the southern terminus of the Gainsborough Line to Sudbury. Its three-letter station code is MKT. The up (London bound) Platform 1 has an operational length for nine-coach trains, the down (Colchester bound) Platform 2 can accommodate eleven-coach trains and Platform 3 (Sudbury branch) has an operational length for two-coach trains.[1]

The station was opened in 1843 by the Eastern Counties Railway. It is currently operated by Greater Anglia, who also operate all trains serving it, as part of the East Anglia franchise.

History

The station opened in 1843 for services on the Great Eastern Main Line, and the Sudbury branch line followed in 1849. From that date until 1889 the station was known as Marks Tey Junction. The branch line is only accessible to trains travelling from Colchester "up" towards London.[2]

The opening of the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway off the Sudbury branch in 1860 and the extension of the branch beyond Sudbury via the Stour Valley Railway in 1865 to Cambridge added importance to Marks Tey as a junction, allowing through-trains from Colchester.

These passenger services were gradually cut back and the closure of the Sudbury to Cambridge link in March 1967 saw the end of through running.

An 1897 survey shows sidings on the "up" side at the Colchester end of the main line platform but the main concentration of sidings including a goods shed and a turntable are on the "down" side at the Colchester end primarily servicing the branch line.[2]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 29 December 1906, 34 people sustained minor injuries in a collision between two portions of a split passenger train at Marks Tey. As the main portion of the 5:30 pm service from London Liverpool Street to Ipswich came to an unscheduled stop at the station, the rear portion had been erroneously detached from the front section and crashed into the rear of it at low speed.[3]
  • On 12 June 2008, a freight train was partially derailed at Marks Tey due to a track defect, causing minor injury to its two crew members. As it passed through the station at 2:05 pm two wheelsets on one of the wagons were derailed, also causing damage to the rolling stock and to infrastructure.[4]

Services

The typical off-peak service along the Great Eastern Main Line is two trains per hour to London Liverpool Street, one to Ipswich and one to Colchester Town. There is an hourly service along the branch line to Sudbury.[5]

During peak times service frequencies may be increased and calling patterns varied. All services are operated by Greater Anglia.

References

  1. ↑ Brailsford, Martyn (2016). Railway Track Diagrams Volume 2 Eastern. Frome: Trackmaps. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-9549866-8-1.
  2. 1 2 Mitchell, Victor E. (April 2011). Eastern Main Lines - Shenfield to Ipswich. Midhurst: Middleton Press. Plan VIII. ISBN 978 1 906008 96 3.
  3. ↑ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_MarksTey1906.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/RAIB_MarksTey2008.pdf
  5. ↑ Table 10 & 11 National Rail timetable, May 2016
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Greater Anglia
TerminusGreater Anglia

Coordinates: 51°52′50.71″N 0°46′57.92″E / 51.8807528°N 0.7827556°E / 51.8807528; 0.7827556


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