Great Eastern Main Line | |
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Overview | |
Type | Intercity, commuter rail |
System | National Rail |
Status | Operational |
Locale |
Greater London East of England |
Termini |
London Liverpool Street 51°31′08″N 0°04′53″W / 51.5188°N 0.0815°W Norwich 52°37′36″N 1°18′24″E / 52.6267°N 1.3067°E |
Stations | 27 |
Operation | |
Opened | 1862 |
Owner | Network Rail |
Operator(s) |
Greater Anglia TfL Rail c2c (limited services) |
Depot(s) | Norwich Crown Point Clacton-on-Sea Ilford Colchester |
Rolling stock | |
Technical | |
Line length | 114 miles 40 chains (184.3 km) |
Number of tracks | 2–6 |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Old gauge | 5 ft (1,524 mm) until 1844 |
Electrification | Mk1 and GEFF 25kV 50hz AC OHLE |
Operating speed | 100 mph (160 km/h) |
The Great Eastern Main Line (GEML, sometimes referred to as the East Anglia Main Line) is a 114.5-mile (184.3 km) major railway line on the British railway system which connects Liverpool Street station in central London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Shenfield, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, and Norwich. Its numerous branches also connect the main line to Southminster, Braintree, Sudbury, Harwich, and a number of coastal towns including Southend-on-Sea, Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and Lowestoft.
Its main users are commuters travelling to and from London, particularly the City of London which is served by Liverpool Street, and areas in east London including the Docklands financial district via the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway connections at Stratford. The line is also heavily used by leisure travellers, as it and its branches serve a number of seaside resorts, shopping areas and countryside destinations. The route also provides the main artery for substantial freight traffic to and from Felixstowe and Harwich via their respective branch lines. Trains from Southend Airport also run into London via the GEML.