Mayflower Line

Mayflower line
A Class 321 train passes the River Stour near Wrabness
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Essex
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	15 August 1854
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Greater Anglia
Rolling stock	Class 321, Class 360
Technical
Line length	11 miles 15 chains (18.0 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV AC OHLE
Operating speed	60 miles per hour (97 km/h)

The Mayflower line is a railway branch line in the east of England that links Manningtree, on the Great Eastern Main Line, to Harwich Town. During peak times, many services connect to or from the main line and its London terminus at Liverpool Street. The Mayflower line has six stations, including the two termini, and is situated within the county of Essex.

The route is 11 miles 15 chains (18.0 km) in length from where it branches off the main line west of the town of Manningtree to its eastern terminus in Harwich. It is part of Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.07, and is classified as a London and South East commuter line.

As of December 2016 passenger services on the Mayflower line are operated by Greater Anglia, which also manages all of the stations. The typical service frequency is one train per hour in each direction. The timetabled journey time between Manningtree and Harwich Town is 22 minutes.

The Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) had originally proposed plans to extend what is now the Great Eastern Main Line from Colchester to Harwich, although this was a cause for concern to the town of Ipswich, which was a rival port.

In 1846 a railway line from Manningtree to Harwich proposed by the Eastern Union Railway (EUR) was approved by the Railway Commissioners. In 1853 an agreement was reached between the companies, with the ECR taking over the working of the EUR from 1 January 1854. The single-line branch opened on 15 August 1854.

In 1862 the ECR and the EUR merged to form the Great Eastern Railway (GER).