Brentwood railway station

Brentwood station was opened on 1 July 1840 as a temporary terminus by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) on what was to become the Great Eastern Main Line, until 1843, when the line was extended towards Colchester. From opening, a small railway turntable was provided and by 1845 as the size of locomotives grew a larger turntable was provided. As it is located at the bottom of a steep incline locomotives were allocated at Brentwood to assist trains get up the bank and by 1868 the turntable was enlarged. A three-track engine shed located at the London-end of the station behind the then London-bound platform of the two-platform station.[3]

Initially provided with temporary wooden buildings, substantial brick buildings were provided on the London side in 1842. These included a tower and a bell sounded when trains departed.[4]

A north-facing siding behind the London-bound platform was provided for traffic to the nearby Warley Barracks.[5]

By the 1860s the railways in East Anglia were in financial trouble, and most were leased to the ECR; they wished to amalgamate formally, but could not obtain government agreement for this until 1862, when the Great Eastern Railway was formed by amalgamation.[6]

The Great Eastern Railway (GER) took over operation in 1862 and renamed the station "Brentwood & Warley for Billericay" in 1882, shortened to "Brentwood & Warley" in 1889.

By the 1870s the goods yard which was located on the country side of the line south of the station contained a number of loops and sidings. As well as serving a goods shed, spurs served a local gas works and Robsons Maltings. By the 1890s a coal siding operated by East Anglian coal merchant Thomas Moy was in operation.[7]

The engine shed was rebuilt in 1893.[8]

After the grouping of 1923 operation of the station passed to the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The LNER doubled the number of tracks passing through to four, from 1934. Two new platforms were opened on the south side of the station, with a new booking office.

The bell tower was demolished during the 1920s.[9]

Plans to electrify the line through Brentwood to Shenfield were announced during the 1930s but put on hold after World War II broke out. The station was bombed during World War II and the new booking office was damaged.[10]

World War II saw an increase of engines allocated to Brentwood engine shed, possibly re-sited away from the larger and more obvious target at Stratford.[11]

After nationalisation on 1 January 1948 Brentwood became part of the Eastern Region of British Railways.

The engine shed was closed in 1949 although the goods yard had a small petrol shunter that was maintained locally, being withdrawn in September 1956.[12]

The electric service to Shenfield was inaugurated on 26 September 1949 but services were run to steam timings with a number of steam trains still operating. The full electric service officially commenced on 7 November 1949 (although a full dummy run had taken place the previous day).[13]

View of Brentwood & Warley station in 1961

In 1969 the station's name was changed back to "Brentwood".

The station is sited at the bottom of a bank which ascends to the east towards Shenfield. This presented a significant climb to down-steam trains. Until 2001, embankment ladders were present to allow workmen to access the tracks but these were replaced with a walkway along the tracks.

In 2010, National Express East Anglia, then the operating company for the line, commenced an improvement programme at the station, including the expansion of the entrance and ticket hall, refurbishment of waiting rooms and provision for the installation of customer lifts to the platforms.[14]