You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 3.236.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪ST47‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a web host's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and they should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 06:21, 30 September 2026.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪Jon Kolbert‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: See the help page if you are affected .
- Start of block: 05:35, 21 February 2024
- Expiry of block: 05:35, 21 February 2029
Your current IP address is 3.236.201.96. The blocked range is 3.236.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((Short description|Railway station in Essex, England))((Use dmy dates|date=June 2015))
((Use British English|date=June 2015))
((more citations needed|date=August 2011))
((Infobox station
| name                = Colchester
| symbol_location     = gb
| symbol              = rail
| image               = 2013 at Colchester - up side buildings.jpg
| caption             = The old station building, which is now the rear entrance
| borough             = [[Colchester]], [[City of Colchester]]
| country             = England
| coordinates         = ((coord|51|54|02.23|N|0|53|34.27|E|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title))
| grid_name           = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
| grid_position       = ((gbmapscaled|TL990263|25|TL990263))
| manager             = [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]]
| platforms           = 6
| code                = COL
| classification      = [[United Kingdom railway station categories|DfT category]] B
| original            = [[Eastern Counties Railway]]
| pregroup            = [[Great Eastern Railway]]
| postgroup           = [[London and North Eastern Railway]]
| years               = ((start date|1843|03|29|df=y))
| events              = Opened
| mpassengers =
((Rail pass box |pass_year=2018/19 |passengers=((increase)) 4.453 million |interchange=((pad|1em))((increase)) 0.602 million))
((Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers=((decrease)) 4.249 million |interchange=((pad|1em))((decrease)) 0.591 million))
((Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers=((decrease)) 1.029 million |interchange=((pad|1em))((decrease)) 0.129 million))
((Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers=((increase)) 2.913 million |interchange=((pad|1em))((increase)) 0.391 million))
((Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers=((increase)) 3.393 million |interchange=((pad|1em))((increase)) 0.451 million))
| footnotes           = Passenger statistics from the [[Office of Rail and Road]]
))
'''Colchester railway station''' (also known as '''Colchester North''') is on the [[Great Eastern Main Line]] (GEML) in the [[East of England]], and is the primary station serving the city of [[Colchester]], Essex. Its three-letter station code is COL. It is ((convert|51|mi|52|chain|km)) down the line from [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] and on the GEML is situated between ((rws|Marks Tey)) to the west and ((rws|Manningtree)) to the east. Colchester is also the location of a major junction where the GEML links to the [[Sunshine Coast Line]], which runs south to ((rws|Clacton-on-Sea)) and, via a short branch, to ((rws|Walton-on-the-Naze)); services to and from ((rws|Colchester Town)) also join the GEML at the Colchester junction. The junction is grade-separated so trains branching to and from Colchester Town or the Sunshine Coast Line do not cross the main line.

Colchester station was opened in 1843 by the [[Eastern Counties Railway]]. It is currently managed by [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]], which also operates all trains serving the station.

==History==
[[File:ECR(1851) p62b - Colchester railway station and Essex Hall asylum.jpg|thumb|left|Colchester railway station in 1851, before its rebuilding in 1865]]
[[File:Colchester geograph-2173421-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|thumb|left|A train from ((rws|Cambridge)) at Colchester in 1951]]
The station was opened on 29 March 1843 by the [[Eastern Counties Railway]] (ECR) and was named simply as Colchester.<ref>((cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |id=R508 |page=65 ))</ref> Locally, however, it is also known as Colchester North to distinguish it from [[Colchester Town railway station|Colchester Town station]]. Buses also use this unofficial name. Colchester station is not particularly conveniently sited for the city, but buses connect to the city centre. Colchester Town station is closer to the city centre (hence its name).

The ECR had planned to build a line from London to ((rws|Norwich)) using a very similar route to that on which the [[Great Eastern Main Line]] operates today,<ref>((cite book |last=Allen |first=Cecil J. |year=1955 |title=The Great Eastern Railway |location=Shepperton |publisher=Ian Allan Ltd |page=4 ))</ref> but funding became a problem and apart from surveying a section onwards to ((rws|Ardleigh)), they were forced to abandon any further line construction.<ref>((harvnb|Allen|1955|p=24))</ref>

It was three years later when the onward link to ((rws|Ipswich)) was eventually opened by the [[Eastern Union Railway]] following intervention by business interests in Ipswich, the city having felt isolated by development of the railway to Norwich via ((rws|Cambridge)) by the ECR.<ref>((harvnb|Allen|1955|p=26))</ref>

As passenger numbers passing through the station increased, particularly with growth on the [[Sunshine Coast Line]], the layout of the station became inadequate. This problem was heightened on summer weekends when large numbers of holiday trains destined for ((rws|Clacton-on-Sea)) were added to the schedules. The station had also been built on a relatively sharp curve.

Prior to electrification of the lines, Colchester was modernised in 1962, with a new station building on the north side of the tracks. Following the reconstruction, the station has two main platforms. The "up" (London-bound) side comprises two platforms, numbers 3 and 4, which have an unusual layout: 3 is on the up main line and is served by intercity trains from Norwich, while 4 is on the up branch line which merges with the up main line where the two platforms join end-to-end.<ref>Colchester station plan: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations-and-destinations/stations-made-easy/colchester-station-plan</ref> However, with the unusual layout of platforms, Colchester station gains the longest physical platform in the UK as the entire length (from platform 3 to 4) measures at ((convert|620|m)); [[Gloucester railway station|Gloucester station]] has the longest unbroken platform at ((convert|1977|ft)). The junction is protected by a trap leading to friction [[buffer stop]]s. There are also [[bay platform]]s at both ends of the up main platform. The London-end bay (platform 6) is used for peak trains to and from London. Previously this platform was used for frequent services for the [[Gainsborough Line|Sudbury Branch Line]]. However, most of these services were truncated to terminate at ((rws|Marks Tey)) from the mid-1990s. The other bay platform (platform 5) is used for services to Colchester Town and Walton-on-the-Naze. The "down" side platform is an [[island platform]] with two faces, one on the down main, and one on the down branch line. Platform 1 is mainly used for Clacton-on-Sea trains and occasionally for Norwich trains.

The main ticket office is a modern glass-fronted design, sited on the north side of the station, and access to the platforms is via a subway. The previous station building is on the south side and provides access to the up platform for those with tickets or wanting to buy tickets from a machine. 
To the side of the main ticket office, there is a taxi rank, as well as multiple bus stops. Both entrances to the station have automatic ticket gates.

Former train operating company [[Anglia Railways]] operated services known as [[London Crosslink]] from Norwich to ((rws|Basingstoke)) via ((stnlink|Stratford)). This service started in 2000 and ended in 2002.

==Accidents==
*On 12 July 1913, at approximately 3 pm, an express passenger train travelling at high speed collided with a light engine at Colchester due to a signalman's error.<ref name="Webb2013">((cite book|author=Simon Webb|title=The Colchester Book of Days|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uIk7AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT203|date=31 January 2013|publisher=Perseus Books Group|isbn=978-0-7524-8908-7|pages=203–))</ref> Part of the passenger train was derailed. The train's driver, guard and fireman were killed and 14 passengers were injured.<ref name=Trevena2>((cite book |last=Trevena |first=Arthur |title=Trains in Trouble: Vol. 2. |year=1981 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=Redruth |isbn=0-906899-03-6 |page=25 ))</ref> The locomotive of the express – no. 1506 of [[GER Class S69|Class S69]] – was so badly damaged that it was scrapped.<ref>((harvnb|Allen|1955|p=144))</ref>
*On 20 December 1990, [[British Rail Class 312|Class 312]] [[electric multiple unit]] 312 714 was derailed whilst working a ((rws|Clacton-on-Sea)) to ((rws|London Liverpool Street)) service.<ref name=NSES90>((cite web |url=https://www.nsers.org/jan-dec-90.html |title=January 1990 to December 1990 |publisher=Network South East Railway Society |first=John P |last=McCrickard |date=6 October 2016 |access-date=26 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626222308/https://www.nsers.org/jan-dec-90.html |archive-date=26 June 2018 |url-status=dead ))</ref>

==Services==
[[File:Colchester - Greater Anglia 90006 and 360111.JPG|thumb|Two trains at Colchester station in February 2013]]
Trains are operated by [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]]. The typical off-peak service comprises:<ref>((NRtimes|May 2019|11))</ref>
* 5 tph to ((stnlnk|London Liverpool Street))
* 1 train per hour (tph) to ((stnlnk|Clacton-on-Sea))
* 3 tph to ((stnlnk|Colchester Town)), of which one continues to ((stnlnk|Walton-on-the-Naze))
* 3 tph to ((stnlnk|Ipswich)), of which two continue to ((stnlnk|Norwich))

==References==
((reflist))

==External links==
((Commons category|Colchester railway station))
((rail start))
((s-rail-national|toc=Greater Anglia|route=[[Great Eastern Main Line]]|next=Manningtree|previous=Marks Tey))
((s-rail-national|toc=Greater Anglia|route=[[Sunshine Coast Line]]|previous=|next=Colchester Town|rows1=2|rowsmid=2))
((s-rail-national|toc=Greater Anglia|route=[[Sunshine Coast Line]]|previous=|next=Hythe |county2=Essex  |hide1=2 |hidemid=2))
((s-rail-next|title=Historical))
((s-rail-national |toc=AR |route=[[London Crosslink]] |next=Ipswich |previous=Witham |status=Historical ))
((s-end))

((Railway stations served by Abellio Greater Anglia))

[[Category:Railway stations in Essex]]
[[Category:Former Great Eastern Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1843]]
[[Category:Greater Anglia franchise railway stations]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Colchester (town)]]
[[Category:Transport in Colchester]]
[[Category:1843 establishments in England]]
[[Category:William Neville Ashbee railway stations]]
[[Category:DfT Category B stations]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Colchester railway station (edit)
Template:Ambox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Anglia colour (edit)
Template:Br separated entries (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Commons category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Convert (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Coord (view source) (protected)
Template:DMCA (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Decrease (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:FULLROOTPAGENAME (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Gbmapscaled (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Greater Anglia colour (edit)
Template:Harvard citation no brackets (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Harvnb (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:ISO 3166 code (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:If empty (view source) (protected)
Template:Increase (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox station (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox station/doc (edit)
Template:Infobox station/services (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox station/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:MONTHNAME (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:MONTHNUMBER (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:More citations needed (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:NRtimes (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail Disused color (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail Disused lines (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail Disused lines/branches (edit)
Template:National Rail Historical color (edit)
Template:National Rail Historical lines (edit)
Template:National Rail Historical lines/branches (edit)
Template:National Rail Historical stations (edit)
Template:National Rail Historical style (edit)
Template:National Rail color (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail colour (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail lines (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail lines/branches (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail stations (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:National Rail style (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Template:Pad (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Template:Plainlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Rail-interchange (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Rail pass box (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Rail start (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Railway stations served by Abellio Greater Anglia (edit)
Template:Railway stations served by Greater Anglia (edit)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Replace (view source) (protected)
Template:Rws (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:S-end (view source) (protected)
Template:S-line (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:S-line/side cell (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:S-rail-national (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:S-rail-next (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:S-rail/lines (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description/lowercasecheck (view source) (protected)
Template:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Sister project (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Start date (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Stnlink (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Stnlnk (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Template other (view source) (protected)
Template:Use British English (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Use dmy dates (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Yesno (view source) (protected)
Template:Yesno-yes (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Adjacent stations (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Adjacent stations/i18n (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for deprecated parameters (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Convert (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Convert/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Convert/text (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Coordinates (view source) (protected)
Module:Coordinates/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:Find sources (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/links (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/templates/Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Footnotes (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Footnotes/anchor id list (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Footnotes/anchor id list/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Footnotes/whitelist (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:ISO 3166 (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:ISO 3166/data/GB (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:ISO 3166/data/National (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:If empty (view source) (protected)
Module:If preview (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:If preview/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:If preview/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:InfoboxImage (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox mapframe (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Mapframe (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Math (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/ambox.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Module:Ordnance Survey coordinates (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:Parameter validation (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Parameter validation/default config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Rail-interchange multi (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:Separated entries (view source) (protected)
Module:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Side box/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:TableTools (view source) (protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:WikidataIB (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/nolinks (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/titleformats (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Colchester railway station.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colchester_railway_station"