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Roland Perry · August 8th 14, 12:52 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In message , at 07:33:57
on Fri, 8 Aug 2014, remarked:
Chelmsford station is on a viaduct and has just two platforms and a
turnback siding. It just doesn't have the capacity to reverse many
trains, and there was a good enough main line service for those
heading for London. To get to intermediate stations it was always
"change at Shenfield", which has five platforms.

Back in the 70's, which was before Chelmsford's expansion to become a
dormitory town, many of the trains terminated at Gidea Park, which
was regarded as about as far out as commuters would normally live.

But Chelmsford is more like Bishop's Stortford, the West Anglia limit of the
1960s electrification. The fact that Chelmsford would require infrastructure
investment wasn't a block then.

There's no obvious way to increase the size of the station, and the
demand wasn't there from the passengers anyway - most were travelling on
fast trains to London (the Frinton and Clacton electrics especially) and
wouldn't have used a stopping service instead.
--
Roland Perry