View source for Great Eastern Main Line

{{Short description|Principal railway route in eastern England}}
{{redirect|GEML|the airport with this ICAO code|Melilla Airport}}
{{Multiple issues|{{More citations needed|date=April 2017}}
{{Update|date=November 2022}}}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Great Eastern Main Line
| color                           = 
| logo                            = 
| logo_width                      = 
| image                           = Greater Anglia 745010 Colchester.jpg
| image_width                     = 300px
| caption                         = [[British Rail Class 745|Class 745]] at [[Colchester railway station|Colchester]] in 2020
| type                            = [[Inter-city rail|Inter-city]], [[commuter rail]], [[regional rail]]
| system                          = [[National Rail]]
| status                          = Operational
| locale                          = [[Greater London]]<br />[[East of England]]
| start                           = [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]]<br />{{coord|51.5188|-0.0815|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=Great Eastern Main Line, London terminus}}
| end                             = {{rws|Norwich}}<br />{{coord|52.6267|1.3067|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=Great Eastern Main Line, Norwich terminus}}
| stations                        = 27
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 
| open                            = 1862
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Network Rail]]
| operator                        = [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]]<br />[[Elizabeth line]]<br />[[East Midlands Railway]]<br />[[c2c]] (limited services)
| character                       = 
| depot                           = Norwich Crown Point<br />Clacton-on-Sea<br />Ilford<br />Colchester
| stock                           = {{ubl|[[British Rail Class 345|Class 345 ''Aventra'']]|[[British Rail Class 357|Class 357 ''Electrostar'']]|[[British Rail Class 720|Class 720 ''Aventra'']]|[[British Rail Class 745|Class 745 ''FLIRT'']]|[[British Rail Class 150|Class 150 ]]|[[British Rail Class 170|Class 170]]|[[British Rail Class 755|Class 755]]|[[British Rail Class 90|Class 90 (Freightliner)]]|[[British Rail Class 66|Class 66]]}}
| linelength                      = {{convert|114|mi|40|chain|km}}
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 1–6
| gauge                           = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}
| old_gauge                       = {{Track gauge|5ft|lk=on}} until 1844
| electrification                 = Mk1 and GEFF [[25 kV AC railway electrification|25&nbsp;kV 50&nbsp;Hz AC]] [[Overhead line|OHLE]]
| speed                           = {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = [[File:Great Eastern Main Line.png|300px]]
| map_state                       = uncollapsed
}}
{{Great Eastern Main Line RDT}}

The '''Great Eastern Main Line''' ('''GEML''', sometimes referred to as the '''East Anglia Main Line''') is a {{convert|114.5|mi|adj=on}} major railway line on the [[Rail transport in Great Britain|British railway system]] which connects [[Liverpool Street station]] in [[central London]] with destinations in east London and the [[East of England]], including {{rws|Shenfield}}, {{rws|Chelmsford}}, {{rws|Colchester}}, {{rws|Ipswich}} and {{rws|Norwich}}. Its numerous branches also connect the main line to {{rws|Southminster}}, {{rws|Braintree|England}}, {{rws|Sudbury}}, [[Harwich Town railway station|Harwich]] and a number of coastal towns including [[Southend Victoria railway station|Southend-on-Sea]], {{rws|Clacton-on-Sea}}, {{rws|Walton-on-the-Naze}} and {{rws|Lowestoft}}.<ref name=national>National Rail, ''Rail Services Around London & the South East'', (2006)</ref>

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 [[London Docklands|Docklands]] financial district via the [[London Underground]] and [[Docklands Light Railway]] connections at [[Stratford station|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 {{rws|Felixstowe}} and [[Harwich International railway station|Harwich]], via their respective branch lines. Trains from {{rws|Southend Airport}} also run into London via the GEML.<ref name=network_rail>[http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/3106_Route%207%20Great%20Eastern.pdf Network Rail] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215162726/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/3106_Route%207%20Great%20Eastern.pdf |date=15 December 2006 }} - Route 7 - Great Eastern (PDF)</ref>

The Elizabeth line, which fully opened in November 2022, operates services from [[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]] to [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]] via [[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]], connecting Essex with [[Central London]] and [[West London]]. Additionally, it provides a direct rail link between the GEML and the [[Great Western Main Line]].

== History ==
{{See also|History of rail transport in Great Britain}}

===Eastern Counties and Eastern Union Railways (1839–1862)===
The first section of the line, built by the [[Eastern Counties Railway]] (ECR), opened in June 1839 between a short-lived temporary terminus at {{rws|Devonshire Street}} in the [[East End of London]] and {{rws|Romford}}, then in the [[Havering Liberty]] in Essex. The London terminus was moved in July 1840 to [[Bishopsgate railway station|Shoreditch]] (later renamed Bishopsgate), after 1900 in the [[Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green]], and at the eastern end the line was extended {{convert|6|mi}} out to {{rws|Brentwood}} in the same year. A further {{convert|34|mi}} of track was added out to {{rws|Colchester}} by 1843.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.curc.org.uk/eagle61railwayguide|title=Eagle 61 :: Railway Guide books of the Eastern Counties Railway|access-date=4 May 2009|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203150/http://www.curc.org.uk/eagle61railwayguide|url-status=dead}}</ref> The original gauge for the line was {{Track gauge|5ft|lk=on}}, but this was converted to {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}} in 1844.

The section of line between Colchester and {{rws|Ipswich}} was built by the [[Eastern Union Railway]] (EUR) to standard gauge and opened to passenger traffic in June 1846. Its sister company, the Ipswich and Bury Railway, built a line to {{rws|Bury St Edmunds}} and this was completed in November 1846. Both companies shared the same office, many directors and key staff, and started operating as a unified company with the EUR name from 1 January 1847. An extension from a new junction at {{rws|Haughley}} to {{rws|Norwich Victoria}} opened in December 1849, although the position of the latter station was poor and a spur to allow some trains to operate into {{rws|Norwich}} (Thorpe) station was opened to regular traffic in November 1851.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Moffat|first1=Hugh|title=East Anglia's first railways|date=1987|publisher=Terence Dalton Limited|location=Lavenham|isbn=0-86138-038-X|pages=62–69 and 85–90}}</ref>

In the late 19th century, the double-track main line was expanded with additional tracks being added to cope with more traffic. In 1854, a third track was added between Bow Junction and {{stn|Stratford}} to help accommodate [[London, Tilbury and Southend Railway]] services which at that time were operating via Stratford.

Until 1860, trains serving the town of Ipswich used a station called {{rws|Ipswich Stoke Hill}} which was located south of the Stoke tunnel. The town's current station is located to the north of the tunnel.

The ECR had leased the EUR from 1854 but 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]] (GER) was formed out of the consolidation.<ref>{{cite book|last=Vaughan|first=Adrian|title=Railwaymen, Politics and Money|year=1997|publisher=John Murray|location=London|isbn=0-7195-5150-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/railwaymenpoliti0000vaug/page/134 134, 135]|url=https://archive.org/details/railwaymenpoliti0000vaug/page/134}}</ref>

===Great Eastern Railway (1862–1922)===

From November 1872, {{rws|Bishopsgate (Low Level)}} became a temporary terminus to relieve the main high level Bishopsgate station while the GER was building its new permanent terminus at {{stn|Liverpool Street}}. The latter opened in stages from February 1874, beginning with the first four platforms, until it was fully open from November 1875. At that time the original 1840 Bishopsgate station closed to passengers and was converted into a goods yard.

By the 1870s, suburbia in the Forest Gate area was developing quickly and in 1872 suburban trains (this was the first distinctive suburban service on the main line as previously main-line trains had performed this duty) terminated at a [[bay platform]] at {{rws|Forest Gate}}. These were followed by trains from Fenchurch Street in 1877.<ref group=Note>Fenchurch Street was served by GER and LTSR services at this time and GER services were routed via Bow Road</ref> By 1882, these services had been extended and were terminating at Ilford, Romford or Brentwood.

In 1877, a fourth track was added between Bow Junction and Stratford and two goods-only tracks were added between Stratford and [[Maryland railway station|Maryland Point]]. The four-track Bow Junction to Stratford section was extended back to James Street Junction (near Globe Road station which opened the same year) in 1884, but Bethnal Green to James Street did not follow until 1891. It was also in this year that two extra tracks were added between Bethnal Green and Liverpool Street which were for the use of [[West Anglia Main Line]] services. These tracks were built through the basement warehousing associated with Bishopsgate station located above.

The line was quadrupled to Ilford in 1895, and in 1899 out to {{rws|Seven Kings}}.

In 1902, the quadruple track was extended from Seven Kings to Romford, but it wasn't until 1913 that four-tracking out to {{rws|Shenfield}} was suggested and the First World War caused delay to this plan.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kay|first1=Peter|title=Great Eastern in Town and Country Volume 3|date=1996|publisher=Irwell Press|location=Clophill, UK|isbn=1-871608-74-0|pages=2–3}}</ref> In 1903, the [[Fairlop Loop]] opened and a number of services that had previously terminated at Ilford were extended onto it. These services generally looped round and back to the GEML at Stratford (on the Cambridge line platforms).

===London and North Eastern Railway (1923–1947)===

The GER was [[List of railway companies involved in the 1923 grouping|grouped]] in 1923 into the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] (LNER). In 1931{{ndash}}32, the LNER quadrupled the tracks to Shenfield which became the terminus for inner-suburban operation.

In the 1930s, a flyover was constructed just west of {{rws|Ilford}} to switch the main and electric lines over, to enable main-line trains to utilise Liverpool Street's longer west side platforms without having to cross east side suburban traffic in the station throat. The new arrangement also facilitated [[cross-platform interchange]] with the [[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]] at {{stnlink|Stratford}}, with services commencing in 1946. Either side of the Ilford flyover there are single-track connections between each pair of lines, with the westbound track extending to {{rws|Manor Park}} and just beyond. The eastbound track extends as far as Ilford station. It was also envisaged that a flyover would be built at the country-end of the carriage sidings at {{rws|Gidea Park}} to allow trains bound for the [[Shenfield to Southend Line|Southend line]] to change from the main line to the electric line, instead of at the London-end of {{rws|Shenfield}} as they do now.

Plans were drawn up in the 1930s to electrify the suburban lines from Liverpool Street to Shenfield at 1,500{{nbsp}}V{{nbsp}}DC and work was started on implementing this. However, the outbreak of the Second World War brought the project to a temporary halt and it was not until 1949 that the scheme was completed with electrification being extended to {{rws|Chelmsford}} in 1956.<ref>{{Cite journal |last = Wilmoth |first = VJ |title = British Railways Electrification |journal = Civil Engineering and Public Works |volume = 51 |issue = 600 |pages = 660–661 |year = 1956 }}</ref>

During [[World War II]], the long-distance named trains were withdrawn, and these returned after the war with the reintroduction of the "Hook Continental" and "Scandinavian" boat trains to [[Harwich International railway station|Harwich Parkeston Quay]] in 1945. The East Anglian (Liverpool Street – Norwich) was restored in October 1946, and in 1947 the "Day Continental" which pre-war had operated as the "Flushing Continental", recommenced operation.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Butcher |first1=Ken |title=Trainspotting at Shenfield 1948-1955 |journal=Great Eastern Journal |date=July 2019 |volume=179 |page=25 }}</ref>

===British Railways (1948–1994)===

After nationalisation in 1948, the GEML formed part of the [[Eastern Region of British Railways]].

The Summer 1950 timetable saw the introduction of a regular interval service between Liverpool Street and Clacton, which left Liverpool Street on the half-hour and Clacton on the hour. Summer Saturdays in 1950 also saw the introduction of the ''Holiday Camps Express'' workings to Gorleston, near Lowestoft. The latter half of 1950 and early 1951 saw the testing of new [[British Rail Class 76|EM1]] electric locomotives for use over the [[Woodhead Line]] between [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester]] and [[Sheffield Victoria railway station|Sheffield]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Butcher |first1=Ken |title=Trainspotting at Shenfield 1948-1955 |journal=Great Eastern Journal |date=July 2019 |volume=179 |pages=28, 29 }}</ref>

January 1951 saw the introduction of the [[BR Standard Class 7|Britannia]] class 4-6-2 express locomotives and a speeding up of services on the GEML. However, not everyone was a fan; British Railways' chairman Sir Michael Barrington Ward exclaimed "What? Send the first British Railways standard engines to that tramline? No!"{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fiennes|first=Gerard|title=I tried to run a railway|publisher=Ian Allan|year=1967|location=UK|pages=55|language=English}}</ref>

Twenty-three Britannias were allocated to the GE section and, in summer 1951, the Liverpool Street–Norwich service went over to an hourly clockface interval service.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Butcher |first1=Ken |title=Trainspotting at Shenfield 1948-1955 |journal=Great Eastern Journal |date=July 2019 |volume=179 |page=29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dawes |first1=Derrick |title=TA Summer Saturday at Liverpool Street 1951 |journal=Great Eastern Journal |date=July 2019 |volume=179 |page=9 }}</ref>

The British Railways [[1955 Modernisation Plan]] called for overhead line systems in Great Britain to be standardised at 25{{nbsp}}kV{{nbsp}}AC. However, due to low clearances under bridges, the route was electrified at 6.25{{nbsp}}kV{{nbsp}}AC. The section between Liverpool Street and {{rws|Southend Victoria}} was completed in November 1960. Extensive testing showed that smaller electrical clearances could be tolerated for the 25{{nbsp}}kV system than originally thought necessary. As a result, it was now possible to increase the voltage without having to either raise bridges or lower the tracks along the route to obtain larger clearances. The route between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria was converted to 25{{nbsp}}kV AC between 1976 and 1980.<ref>Glover, John (2003). "Eastern Electric", Ian Allan, London. {{ISBN|0-7110-2934-2}}.</ref>

By the late 1970s, the costs of running the dated mechanical signalling systems north of Colchester was recognised and, in 1978, a scheme for track rationalisation and re-signalling was duly submitted to the Department of Transport. This was followed by a proposal, in 1980, to electrify the remainder of the Great Eastern Main Line.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowley |first1=Ian |title=Anglia East |date=1987 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot,UK |isbn=0-7153-8978-5 |page=14}}</ref>

The early 1980s saw track rationalisation and signalling work carried out in the Ipswich area and, on 9 April 1985, the first electric train consisting of two [[British Rail Class 305|Class 305]] [[electric multiple units]] (EMUs) worked into Ipswich station. The previous year, another member of the class had been dragged to Ipswich by a diesel locomotive and was used for crew training. The first passenger-carrying train was formed of [[British Rail Class 309|Class 309]] EMUs, which ran on 17 April 1985.

[[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]] electric-hauled trains commenced on the route on 1 May 1985. [[British Rail Class 86|Class 86]] locomotives initially only powered services between Liverpool Street and Ipswich; after a switchover, [[British Rail Class 47|Class 47]]s would complete the journey between Ipswich and Norwich. This last section was finally energised in May 1987, when through electric services commenced.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cowley |first1=Ian |title=Anglia East |date=1987 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot,UK |isbn=0-7153-8978-5 |pages=43–47}}</ref>

In 1986, the line as far as {{rws|Manningtree}} became part of [[Network SouthEast]], although some NSE services actually terminated at Ipswich, whilst longer-distance Norwich services were operated by InterCity. Local services operating from the Ipswich and Norwich areas were operated by [[Regional Railways]].

===The privatisation era (1994 onwards)===
{{unreferenced|section|date=December 2022}}
Between 1997 and 2004, services into [[Essex]] and some into [[Suffolk]] were operated by [[First Great Eastern]], whilst services into [[Norfolk]] and other [[Suffolk]] services were operated by [[Anglia Railways]]. Between 2004 and 2012, services out of Liverpool Street, except for a limited number of [[c2c]] trains, were all operated by [[National Express East Anglia]]. Since 2012, the franchise has been operated by [[Abellio Greater Anglia]]; in May 2015, the Shenfield "metro" stopping service transferred to [[TfL Rail]], as a precursor to [[Elizabeth line|Elizabeth Line]] services.

Liverpool Street IECC replaced [[signal box]]es at Bethnal Green (closed 1997), Bow (closed 1996), Stratford (GE panel closed 1997), Ilford (closed 1996), Romford (closed 1998), Gidea Park (closed 1998), Shenfield (closed 1992) and Chelmsford (closed 1994). The system uses BR Mark 3 solid state interlockings, predominantly four-aspect signals and a combination of Smiths clamp-lock and GEC-Alsthom HW2000 point machines.

The first signal box to be closed and transferred to Liverpool Street IECC was Shenfield in 1992, which had only opened 10 years earlier. The last boxes to be transferred were at Romford and Gidea Park in 1998; these were the oldest of those being transferred, having been opened under the GER/LNER 1924 resignalling scheme.

==Accidents and incidents==
A number of fatal accidents have occurred on the line throughout its history:

* 1840: {{rws|Brentwood}}; four killed<ref>Cecil J Allen; 'The Great Eastern Railway' 1955</ref>
* 1872: {{rws|Kelvedon}}; one killed and 16 injured in a [[derailment]]<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=3379 |title=Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at Kelvedon on 17th October 1872 |date=23 October 1872 |via=The Railways Archive |publisher=Board of Trade |access-date=6 February 2024 |first=H.W. |last=Tyler }}</ref>
* 1905: [[Witham rail crash|Witham]]; 11 killed and 71 injured in a derailment<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=72|title=Accident at Witham on 1st September 1905 |via=The Railways Archive |access-date=3 November 2018 |first=P.G. |last=von Donop |date=1 November 1905 |publisher=Board of Trade }}</ref>
* 1913: {{rws|Colchester}}; three killed and 14 injured in a collision and derailment<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><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>
* 1915: [[Ilford rail crash (1915)|Ilford]]; 10 killed and 500 injured in a collision between two trains<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Rolt
| first1       = L.T.C.
| author-link1 = L. T. C. Rolt
| last2        = Kichenside
| first2       = Geoffrey
| title        = Red for Danger
| edition      = 4th
| year         = 1982
| orig-year    = 1955
| publisher    = [[David & Charles]]
| location     = Newton Abbot
| isbn         = 0-7153-8362-0
| pages        = 240–241
}}</ref>
* 1941: Brentwood; seven killed in a collision between two trains<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1378 |title=Report on the Accident between Harold Wood and Brentwood on 10th February 1941 |date=28 June 1941 |via=The Railways Archive |publisher=Ministry of War Transport |access-date=5 February 2024 |first=G.R.S. |last=Wilson }}</ref>
* 1944: [[Ilford rail crash (1944)|Ilford]]; nine killed and 38 injured in a collision between two trains{{sfn|Mount|Wilson|1944|pp=1-5}}
* 1944: {{rws|Romford}}; one killed and three injured in a collision between two trains<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=1387 |title=Report on the Accident at Romford on 29th December 1944 |date=5 March 1945 |via=The Railways Archive |publisher=Ministry of War Transport |access-date=5 February 2024 |first=G.R.S. |last=Wilson }}</ref>

== Infrastructure ==
The line is owned and maintained by [[Network Rail]].<ref name=network_rail/> It is part of [[Network Rail Route 7 (Great Eastern)|Network Rail Strategic Route 7]], which is composed of SRSs 07.01, 07.02 and 07.03, and is classified as a primary line. The GEML has a [[Loading gauge#Great Britain|loading gauge]] of W10 between [[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]] and Haughley Junction (approximately 13 miles 63 chains north of Ipswich) and from there is W9 to [[Norwich railway station|Norwich]]. The maximum line speed is {{convert|100|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref name=NRR7>{{cite web
|url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2009/Route%207%20-%20Great%20Eastern.pdf
|title=Route 7 - Great Eastern
|publisher=[[Network Rail]]
|access-date=22 May 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607104601/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2009/Route%207%20-%20Great%20Eastern.pdf
|archive-date=7 June 2011
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

Between {{rws|Romford}} and {{rws|Chadwell Heath}}, there is a Network Rail maintenance depot adjacent to the Jutsums Lane overbridge. In addition, at the London-end of the depot, is Network Rail's Electrical Control Room that controls the supply and switching of the overhead line system for the whole of the former Anglia Region.

Signalling is controlled by two main signalling centres: Liverpool Street IECC (opened in 1992) and Colchester PSB (opened in December 1983). Liverpool Street IECC controls signalling up to {{rws|Marks Tey}}, where it fringes with Colchester PSB, which has control to {{rws|Norwich}}. There are also several small signal boxes that control local infrastructure, such as Ingatestone box, which has jurisdiction over several local level crossings.

Line-side train monitoring equipment includes hot axle box detectors (HABD) on the down main and down electric lines near Brentwood (17 miles 35 chains from Liverpool Street) and on the up main near Margaretting (25 miles 78 chains). Other equipment includes wheel impact load detectors (WILD) ‘Wheelchex’ on the down main and up main west of Church Lane level crossing (24 miles 75 chains).<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/misc/habdwild.shtm|title=Railway Codes: HABD and WILD devices}}</ref>

=== Track layout ===
On leaving Liverpool Street, the route comprises two pairs of tracks, known as the mains and the electrics, with a further pair of tracks, the suburbans, which carry the [[West Anglia Main Line]] alongside the GEML to {{rws|Bethnal Green}}.

From Bethnal Green, the GEML has four lines to Bow junction, where there is a complex set of switches and crossings. A line from the LTS (Fenchurch Street) route joins the "up" (London-bound) electric and there are a further two lines, the "up" and "down" Temple Mills, giving access to the [[North London Line]] and Temple Mills. The GEML has six tracks up to the London-end of {{stnlink|Stratford}} and the junction to Temple Mills; there are five lines through the station, dropping to four at the country end.

At {{rws|Shenfield}}, the line to {{rws|Southend Victoria}} diverges and the main-line route drops from four tracks to two; this arrangement continues for the vast majority of the way to Norwich. There are several locations where the route has more than two tracks, predominantly through stations such as Colchester and Ipswich, along with goods loops, such as at the London end of {{rws|Ingatestone}}. There is also a short stretch of single track on approach to Norwich, as the line passes over the [[River Wensum]] on the Trowse Bridge.

=== Tunnel and viaducts ===
Major civil engineering structures on the Great Eastern Main Line include the following:<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Railway Track Diagrams Book 2 Eastern|last=Brailsford|first=Martyn|publisher=Trackmaps|year=2016|isbn=978-0-9549866-8-1|location=Frome|pages=2, 5–7}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Tunnel and viaducts on the Great Eastern Main Line
!Railway Structure
!Length
!Distance from [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street Station]]
!Location
|-
|[[Trowse Bridge|Trowse Swing Bridge]] ([[River Wensum]])
|
|123 [[mile]]s 37 [[Chain (unit)|chains]] (via Cambridge)
|[[Norwich railway station|Norwich]]
|-
|Lakenham Viaduct (including [[River Yare]])
|8 chains (c. 160 metres)
|112 miles 33 chains – 112 miles 25 chains (via Ipswich)
| rowspan="2" |Between Norwich and [[Diss railway station|Diss stations]]
|-
|Thraston Viaduct (River Tas)
|
|105 miles 62 chains (via Ipswich)
|-
|[[River Waveney]] Viaduct
|
|94 miles 54 chains (via Ipswich)
|South of Diss station
|-
|Badley Viaduct ([[River Gipping]])
|2 chains (c. 40 metres)
|79 miles 09 chains – 79 miles 07 chains (via Ipswich)
|Between Stowmarket and Needham Market stations
|-
|Ipswich or Stoke Tunnel (see note below)
|361 yards (330 metres)
|68 miles 47 chains – 68 miles 31 chains
|South of [[Ipswich railway station|Ipswich station]]
|-
|Cattawade Viaduct
|4 chains (c. 80 metres)
|60 miles 10 chains – 60 miles 06 chains
| rowspan="2" |East of [[Manningtree railway station|Manningtree station]]
|-
|[[River Stour, Suffolk|River Stour]] Viaduct
|4 chains (c. 80 metres)
|59 miles 75 chains – 59 miles 71 chains
|-
|Lexden Viaduct ([[River Colne, Essex|River Colne]])
|6 chains (c. 120 metres)
|49 miles 69 chains – 49 miles 63 chains
|West of [[Colchester railway station|Colchester (North) station]]
|-
|[[River Ter]] Viaduct
|
|35 miles 22 chains
| rowspan="2" |Between [[Hatfield Peverel railway station|Hatfield Peverel]] and [[Chelmsford railway station|Chelmsford stations]]
|-
|Boreham Viaduct
|3 chains (c. 60 metres)
|32 miles 72 chains – 32 miles 69 chains
|-
|[[River Chelmer]] Viaduct
|
|30 miles 25 chains
|East of [[Chelmsford railway station|Chelmsford station]]
|-
|Chelmsford Viaduct
|24 chains (c. 480 metres)
|29 miles 64 chains – 29 miles 40 chains
| rowspan="2" |West of Chelmsford station
|-
|[[River Can]] Viaduct
|3 chains (c. 60 metres)
|29 miles 36 chains – 29 miles 26 chains
|-
|Ilford or Aldersbrook Flyover
|
|6 miles 78 chains
|West of [[Ilford railway station|Ilford station]]
|-
|Bethnal Green Viaduct
|1 mile 6 chains (c. 1730 metres)
|1 miles 58 chains – 0 mile 52 chains
|Bethnal Green
|}

====Stoke tunnel====
The only tunnel on the line is immediately south of {{rws|Ipswich}} station. The {{convert|361|yd|adj=on}} long tunnel was built by [[Peter Bruff]] as part of the [[Ipswich to Ely Line|Ipswich & Bury Railway]]. It was completed in 1846 and it is thought to be the earliest driven on a sharp continuous curve.<ref>{{cite book|author=Moffat, Hugh|title=East Anglia's First Railways|publisher=Terence Dalton|location=Lavenham|year=1987|isbn=0-86138-038-X}}</ref> During the excavation of the tunnel, many important fossils were discovered, including rhinoceros, lion and mammoth; the site was known as the "Stoke Bone Beds".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sevenwondersofipswich.co.uk/wonders/show.php?num=5|title=Mammoth on High Street|work=Seven Wondered of Ipswich|access-date=30 March 2010}}</ref> The finds are considered important in understanding [[Climate change (general concept)|climate change]] during the [[Last Glacial Period|Ice Age]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=694&pageNumber=7|title=Collections:Geology|publisher=Ipswich Borough Council|access-date=30 March 2010}}</ref> This tunnel had the trackbed lowered so the line could accommodate taller freight trains.

=== Electrification ===
The main line is [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|electrified]] at [[25 kV AC railway electrification|25 kV AC 50hz]] using [[Overhead line|overhead wires]] under the control of Romford Electrical Control Room. The branches to {{stnlink|Upminster}}, {{rws|Southend Victoria}}, {{rws|Southminster}}, {{rws|Braintree|England}}, {{rws|Clacton-on-Sea}}, {{rws|Walton-on-the-Naze}} and {{rws|Harwich Town}} are also electrified. The history of electrification on the GEML and adjoining routes is unusually complicated with parts of the line having been electrified with three different systems. Due to this, as well as traffic demands growing throughout the 21st century, the traction supply feeding arrangements are complex and somewhat unintuitive with several seemingly redundant features.

The earliest stretch of electrification was between [[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]] (only platforms 11–18) to [[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]] along with the branch from Fenchurch Street (platforms 1 and 2) down the [[Bow Curve]] in 1949. This was an overhead line system (OLE) at [[Railway electrification#Overhead lines|1.5kV DC]] and was extended to [[Chelmsford railway station|Chelmsford]] and [[Southend Victoria railway station|Southend Victoria]] in 1956.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Glover |first=John |title=Eastern Electric |publisher=Ian Allen |year=2003 |isbn=0-7110-2934-2 |location=Hersham, Surrey |pages=36}}</ref> Over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of November 1960, the system was converted to [[Railway electrification in Great Britain#6,250 V 50 Hz AC, overhead|6.25kV AC]] at mains frequency (50hz) between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Glover |first=John |title=Eastern Electric |publisher=Ian Allen |year=2003 |isbn=0-7110-2934-2 |location=Hersham, Surrey |pages=45}}</ref> with the wires from Shenfield to Chelmsford taken out of use to be converted to 25kV AC until re-energisation on the 20th March 1961.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Keenor |first=Garry |url=https://ocs4rail.com/ |title=Overhead Line Electrification for Railways |year=2021 |edition=6th |pages=Appendix A |type=online e-book |format=PDF}}</ref>(although passenger service with electric trains did not return until the next year). The low voltage AC utilised broadly the same substations, grid connections, OLE components and electrical clearances as the previous DC system.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Baker |first=John |date=April 1993 |title=GE Section Overhead Electrification 1935-1969, Part 5 |journal=Great Eastern Journal |volume=74 |pages=18}}</ref> At around the same time, the rest of the platforms and lines out of Liverpool Street (the [[Lea Valley lines]]) and [[London, Tilbury and Southend line|out of Fenchurch Street]] were electrified also at 6.25kV AC in November 1960 and November 1961 respectively.

After this point, electrification was extended up the Great Eastern Main Line and on several branches all at 25kV AC. The line from [[Sunshine Coast Line|Colchester to Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze]] was previously electrified in 1959 at 25kV AC and the gap was filled between Colchester and Chelmsford in 18th June 1962.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Glover |first=John |title=Eastern Electric |publisher=Ian Allen |year=2003 |isbn=0-7110-2934-2 |location=Hersham, Surrey |pages=78}}</ref> From 1975 until 1988, all the sections of 6.25kV AC around London and Southend across all lines in the Anglia region were converted to 25kV AC requiring new substations and significant modifications to the OLE components. In 2022, a small section between Bow Junction and Gidea Park was upgraded to a 2x25kV AC autotransformer system in order to support the [[Elizabeth line|Elizabeth Line]] service. The full timeline for the electrification on the GEML and branches is summarised below. 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Timeline of GEML Electrification<ref name=":1" />
|-
!Date
!Route
!Action
!Voltage
![[Railway electrification in Great Britain#25kV AC heavy rail network|OLE System]]
|-
|26 September 1949
|[[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] (plat. 11–18) to [[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]]
[[Fenchurch Street railway station|London Fenchurch Street]] (plat. 1–2) to Bow Junction{{efn|Over the [[Bow Curve]], line was and is rarely used}}
|new build
|[[Railway electrification#Overhead lines|1.5kV DC]]
|GE/MSW
|-
|11 June 1956
|Shenfield to [[Chelmsford railway station|Chelmsford]]
|new build
|1.5kV DC
|SCS
|-
|31 December 1956
|Shenfield to [[Southend Victoria railway station|Southend Victoria]]
|new build
|1.5kV DC
|SCS
|-
|16 March 1959
|[[Sunshine Coast Line|Colchester to Clacton-on-Sea/Walton-on-the-Naze]]{{efn|Along with the [[Styal line]] in Manchester, this line was a testbed for mains frequency AC electrification that has been standard ever since}}
|new build
|[[25 kV AC railway electrification|25kV AC 50hz]]
|Mark 1
|-
|4 November 1960
|Shenfield to Chelmsford
London Fenchurch Street to Bow Junction{{efn|Line was de-energised due to the impending electrification of all routes out of Fenchurch Street}}
|de-energisation
|(earthed)
| —
|-
|6 November 1960
|London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria
|conversion
|[[Railway electrification in Great Britain#6,250 V 50 Hz AC, overhead|6.25kV AC 50hz]]
| —
|-
|21 November 1960
|London Liverpool Street (plat. 1–10) to [[Chingford branch line|Chingford]]/[[Enfield Town branch line|Enfield Town]]/[[Southbury Loop|Cheshunt via Seven Sisters]]{{efn|This scheme also electrified the lines from Cheshunt to [[Bishop's Stortford railway station|Bishops Stortford]] and [[Hertford East branch line|Broxbourne to Hertford East]] but at 25kV AC with a voltage changeover at Cheshunt}}
|new build
|6.25kV AC 50hz
|Mark 1
|-
|6 November 1961
|[[London, Tilbury and Southend line|Fenchurch Street (all platforms) to Barking]]/Bow Junction 
[[Forest Gate railway station|Forest Gate]] Junction to Barking{{efn|This scheme also electrified both lines out of Barking but at 25kV AC with the voltage changeover near [[Upney tube station|Upney]] on the main routes and some distance before [[Ripple Lane TMD|Ripple Lane]] on the [[Tilbury loop line|Tilbury Loop]]. Both lines converge at [[Pitsea railway station|Pitsea]] and then change back to 6.25kV AC from [[Leigh-on-Sea railway station|Leigh-on-Sea]] to the terminus at [[Shoeburyness railway station|Shoeburyness]]}}
|new build/
re-energisation
|6.25kV AC 50hz
|Mark 1 (on new parts)
|-
|20 March 1961
|Shenfield to Chelmsford{{efn|Using a new 25kV feeder station at Shenfield which later fed back towards Gidea Park}}
|re-energisation
|25kV AC 50hz
| —
|-
|18 June 1962
|Chelmsford to Colchester
|new build
|25kV AC 50hz
|Mark 1
|-
|1 January 1976
|[[Gidea Park railway station|Gidea Park]] to Shenfield
|conversion
|25kV AC 50hz
| —
|-
|31 October 1977
|[[Braintree branch line|Witham to Braintree]]
|new build
|25kV AC 50hz
|Mark 3a
|-
|2 March 1980
|[[Manor Park railway station|Manor Park]] to Gidea Park{{efn|Using a new 25kV feeder station at Crowlands}}
| rowspan="3" |conversion
| rowspan="3" |25kV AC 50hz
| rowspan="3" | —
|-
|14 September 1980
|Bow Junction to Manor Park{{efn|Using one half of a new 25kV feeder station at Bow Junction}}
|-
|12 October 1980
|London Liverpool Street to Bow Junction
London Liverpool Street to Hackney Downs{{efn|Full commissioning of Bow Junction feeder station, the approach to Liverpool Street from Bow Junction, and the WAML from Bethnal Green to Hackney Downs are electrically common}}

Shenfield to Southend Victoria{{efn|Not currently known at what point between March and October 1980 that the Southend Line was converted}}
|-
|13 May 1985
|Colchester to Ipswich
| rowspan="6" |new build
| rowspan="6" |25kV AC 50hz
| rowspan="6" |Mark 3b
|-
|22 July 1985
|Ipswich to Stowmarket
|-
| rowspan="3" |12 May 1986
|[[Crouch Valley line|Wickford to Southminster]]
|-
|[[Mayflower line|Manningtree to Harwich]]
|-
|[[Romford–Upminster line|Romford to Upminster]]
|-
|11 May 1987
|Stowmarket to Norwich
|-
|~1988
|London Fenchurch Street to Barking/Bow Junction
Forest Gate Junction to Barking

[[Leigh-on-Sea railway station|Leigh-on-Sea]] to Shoeburyness
|conversion
|25kV AC 50hz
| —
|-
|~2022
|London Liverpool Street to Chelmsford
Shenfield to Southend Victoria
|re-equipping of OLE system{{efn|This scheme replaced all OLE components that originated from 1949 or 1956 and took 15 years to complete beginning in 2007. Voltage and feeding was unaffected. "GEFF" stands for "Great Eastern Furrer+Frey", who were the designer for the bespoke system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GEFF overhead contact line system for UK’s Great Eastern Route |url=https://www.furrerfrey.ch/en/reference/geff-overhead-contact-line-system-for-uks-great-eastern-route/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=Furrer+Frey baut Fahrleitungen - Furrer+Frey }}</ref>}}
| —
|GEFF
|-
|24 June 2022<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-07 |title=Elizabeth line upgrade for the Pudding Mill power supplies |url=https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/elizabeth-line-upgrade-for-the-pudding-mill-power-supplies-55819/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=ianVisits }}</ref>
|Bow Junction to Gidea Park
|conversion to AT feeding
|2x 25kV AC
(Autotransformer system)
| —
|}
{{notelist}}

====Historic 6.25kV/25kV voltage changeover====
Since trains would through-run between 6.25kV and 25kV sections in regular operation, all [[Electric multiple unit|EMUs]] built for the Anglia region between 1960 and 1980 were fitted for dual AC voltage with equipment to automatically switch between the two power systems while running.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Cowley |first=Ian |title=Anglia East |publisher=David & Charles |year=1987 |isbn=0-7153-8978-5 |location=Newton Abbot |pages=70-86}}</ref> The main [[transformer]] on the train had four identical primary windings which could be connected in series for 25 kV working, or in parallel for 6.25kV working, by means of a "supply changeover switch". It was vital that the changeover switch was in the correct position since, if the voltage was too low, the train could not operate, while if the voltage was too high, serious damage could occur. For this reason, the switchover had to be made automatically by way of voltage sensing equipment rather than rely on the driver operating controls.

At the points where the two systems met – such as on the main line just east of Shenfield – there was a short length of overhead line which was electrically neutral. Neutral sections were installed either at breaks between supply areas or where the two voltages met. Whether or not the voltage was different on the other side of the neutral section, the on-train equipment operated in exactly the same way. At each end of the neutral section there were track-mounted permeant magnets referred to as Automatic Power Control (APC) magnets.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Keenor |first=Garry |title=Overhead Line Electrification for Railways |year=2021 |edition=6th |pages=93}}</ref>

On board the train, the operation of the dual-voltage mechanism depended on the action of the main air-blast [[circuit breaker]] and voltage-sensing relays. When passing the first APC magnet, detection equipment fitted to the bogies would activate the circuit breaker cutting all power to the train. Once the train had passed the neutral section, the second set of APC magnets are detected by the bogie-mounted inducers which causes a lock to be released on the circuit breaker meaning its reclosing would be under the control of the voltage-detection equipment. This consisted of four voltage relays that would allow for a line voltage between 4.1 and 6.9kV for the low-voltage mode, and 16.5 to 27.5kV for the high-voltage mode. If the first relay was tripped, the changeover switch at the transformer was set to the low-voltage mode and the circuit breaker closed. All four relays were activated if the voltage was above 16.5kV. In that case, the current was sent to a magnetic switch that would set the changeover switch at the transformer to the 25kV position.

The other relays were installed to stop the changeover switch from being activated to low-voltage mode if the line voltage fell under 16.5kV but greater than 6.9kV. The changeover system was interlocked with the circuit breaker and the action of the APC magnets since any movement of the changeover switch while the circuit breaker was closed and connecting the system to any live current would cause destructive arcing for the internal components. Following testing and some in service incidents, modifications were made to the changeover equipment such that a switch to the low-voltage mode could only be made when the line voltage had dropped to below 3kV and then risen to 4.1kV, and that the re-closing of the circuit breaker is only made after a two-second wait following the detection of the second APC magnet to ensure a correct reading of the voltage.<ref>{{cite book |title=British Rail Locomotives and other motive power: Combined volume |year=1968 |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] |location=London |isbn=0-7110-0008-5 |page=11 }}</ref><ref name=":9">{{cite report |url=https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=732 |title=Failures of Multiple-unit Electric Trains on British Railways: Final Report |last=Langley |first=C.A. |date=17 March 1962 |via=The Railways Archive |access-date=23 February 2025 |at=paragraphs 24, 44, 65, 68, 142–144; figures 1 & 2; map 2 }}</ref>

As well as new EMUs introduced after 1960, the previous [[British Rail Class 306|class 306]] and [[British Rail Class 307|307]] units originally built for the 1.5kV DC system underwent conversion to become 6.25/25kV dual-mode EMUs. The conversion of both these classes of train involved significant interventions particularly the relocating of the pantograph to a different carriage and the associated internal layout changes this caused.<ref name=":7" /> The full 92-unit fleet of class 306s and the 32 units of class 307 fleet underwent alterations at [[Stratford Works]] with new equipment provided by Associated Electrical Industries at Manchester.<ref name=":9" />

Neutral sections are, or course, still required on the modern 25kV system and APC magnets are still used to automatically trigger the opening of the train's circuit breaker so that an arc is not caused at OLE when the pantograph travels between live and earthed wire.<ref name=":8" />

==== Feeding arrangements ====
The majority of the GEML network is electrified using the [[Railway electrification in Great Britain#Feeding Arrangements (Classic)|'classic' feeding arrangement]] connected to the 132kV distribution grid all controlled by [[UK Power Networks]]. In accordance with the [[Crossrail]] project, [[Railway electrification in Great Britain#Feeding Arrangements (Autotransformer)|autotransformer feeding]] was fitted between the new autotransformer feeder station (ATFS) at Pudding Mill Lane and Gidea Park. Pudding Mill Lane ATFS also feeds the Crossrail core from that point to the Westbourne Park tunnel portal and towards Abbey Wood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=East meets west |url=https://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Comment/east-meets-west |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.railtechnologymagazine.com}}</ref> This entirely replaced Crowlands classic feeder station (located between [[Chadwell Heath]] and [[Romford railway station|Romford]]) and significantly reduced the load of the Bow Junction classic feeder station. The feeder station is connected to the [[National Grid (Great Britain)|National Grid]] 400kV transmission substation also named Pudding Mill Lane.

The line between Gidea Park and Shenfield is fitted out to be converted to autotransformer feeding in the near future with a sectioning autotransformer station (SATS) already completed at Shenfield in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shenfield SATS sub-station |url=https://vgcgroup.co.uk/case-studies/shenfield-sats-sub-stations/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=VGC Group }}</ref> Autotransformer feeding is also due to be extended as far as [[Beaulieu Park railway station|Beulieu Park]] as a new ATFS is being constructed just north of the station at the same site as the Springfield classic feeder station.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Great Eastern Main Line Power Supply Upgrade Beaulieu Feeder Station (GRIP 2 to 8) |url=https://www.amey.co.uk/media/news/2020/february/great-eastern-main-line-power-supply-upgrade-beaulieu-feeder-station-grip-2-to-8/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Amey }}</ref>

The original 1.5kV DC system of 1949 used traction substations at Bethnal Green, Stratford, Chadwell Heath, Gidea Park, and Shenfield all supplied by 33kV 3 phase AC distribution ring owned and operated by the railway. The 33kV ring was itself supplied by the utility grid at Chadwell Heath and Crosswall (near Fenchurch Street).<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=British Railways—Eastern Region (Great Eastern Line) |title=Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street to Chelmsford and Southend (Victoria) Electrified Lines Working Instructions |publisher=(internal) |year=1956 |ref=BR29818}}</ref> Beyond Shenfield, the DC system installed in 1956 to Chelmsford and Southend Victoria did not use the railway distribution lines but were connected directly to the public utility grid at 33kV.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Baker |first=John |date=Oct 1992 |title=GE Section Overhead Electrification 1935-1969, Part 3 |journal=Great Eastern Journal |volume=72 |pages=27}}</ref> Between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, the DC substations were significantly altered but retained for the conversion to 6.25kV in 1960 but were unsuitable for the further upgrades to 25kV. So too were the 33kV distribution lines which were reinforced by replacing the Crosswall grid connection with a stronger one at Bethnal Green. However after 1960, the distribution lines no longer powered Shenfield substation as a new feeder station was built that could supply both 6.25kV southwards and on the Southend line and 25kV for the line north to Chelmsford and for the future upgrade.<ref name=":2" />

From 1976 to 1980 the 6.25kV lines between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria were upgraded to 25kV which required entirely new grid connections and substations. New feeder stations were installed at Crowlands and at Bow Junction. The substation at Gidea Park became the MPTSC between Shenfield and Crowlands, and a brand new MPTSC was installed at Manor Park to separate Crowlands and Bow Junction feeder stations. Bow Junction feeder station also supplied the WAML up to a new MPTSC at Hackney Downs by way of a new Spitalfields TSC around Bethnal Green junction.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Anglia / Romford ECR {{!}} Signalling Photos |url=https://photos.signalling.org/index?/category/235-romford_ecr |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=photos.signalling.org}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+List of traction substations on the Great Eastern Main Line<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=British Railways—Eastern Region (Great Eastern Line) |title=Working Instructions for Electrified Lines |publisher=(internal) |year=1960}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=British Railways—Eastern Region (London, Tilbury and Southend Line) |title=Working Instructions for Electrified Lines |publisher=(internal) |publication-date=1961 |ref=BR31248}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=British Railways |title=Working Instructions for A.C. Electrified Lines |publisher=(internal) |year=1975 |ref=BR29987}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ministry of Transport (Railway Accidents) |year=1962 |title=Final report on the Accidents and Failures which occurred in Multiple Unit Electric Trains in the Scottish Region and Eastern Region of British Railways |journal=London: HM Stationery Office}}</ref>
!Mileage{{Efn|1=Measured in miles and chains (80 chains = 1 mile)}}
!Substation
![[Railway electrification in Great Britain#Feeding Arrangements (Classic)|Type]]
!In use
!Neutral Section
!Grid Connection
!Notes
|-
|0m 0c
| colspan="6" |[London Liverpool Street station: datum point for the line]
|-
|0m 30c
|''Liverpool Street''
|''TSC{{Efn|Technically speaking, a TSC on a DC railway should be referred to as a Track Paralleling Hut (TPH), they are functionally similar. However, this table will call them TSC for simplicity with terminology for AC systems. In addition, the original documentation for the DC system used the term TSC.}}''
|''1949–1980''
|''no''
|''n/a''
|Converted in 1960 from 1.5kV DC to 6.25kV AC
|-
|01m 14c
|Spitalfields
|TSC
|since 1980
|no
|n/a
|Allows Bow Junction "A" to feed the WAML that splits at Bethnal Green. Replaced Liverpool Street TSC
|-
|01m 22c
|''Bethnal Green''
|''FS''
|''1949–1980''
|''yes (from 1960)''
|''Railway owned 33kV ring''
|Converted in 1960 from 1.5kV DC to 6.25kV AC. Substation also fed WAML from 1960.
|-
|02m 68c
|''Bow Junction''
|''TSC''
|1949–1980
|''no''
|''n/a''
|Converted in 1960 from 1.5kV DC to 6.25kV AC
|-
|03m 15c
|Bow Junction
|FS
|since 1980
|yes{{Efn|Neutral sections at Bow FS were moved to 2m 70c in 1995, and to 2m 68c in 2015.
03m 15c represents where the substation is approximately located}} 
|[[UK Power Networks|UKPN]] 132kV underground power line
(Hackney Supergrid 132 to Bow 132)<ref>{{Cite web |last=UK Power Networks |year=2014 |title=LPN Regional Development Plan (North London) |url=https://library.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/Library/GetPdf?pdfUrl=Asset_Management_Documents%2FRegional_Development_Plans%2FLPN%2FLPN_RDP_North_London_Islington_Hackney.pdf |format=pdf}}</ref>
|Dual FS with "A" and "B" sides. Installed for 25kV upgrade. Replaced Bethnal Green and Stratford FSs. Since 2022, the "B" side no longer feeds GEML but does supply [[North London line|North London Line]] and [[Lea Valley lines#Route and services|Temple Mills Branch]] via ducting to the Stratford area.
|-
|03m 31c
|Pudding Mill Lane
|ATFS
|since 2022
|yes
|Adjacent [[National Grid (Great Britain)|National Grid]] Pudding Mill Lane 400kV transmission substation
|Dual ATFS. "A" side powers Crossrail Central Operating Section, "B" side powers GEML replacing Bow Junction "B" FS.
|-
|04m 55c
|''Stratford''
|''FS''
|''1949–1980''
|''yes (from 1960)''
|''Railway owned 33kV ring''
|Converted in 1960 from 1.5kV DC to 6.25kV AC
|-
|05m 71c
|Manor Park
|SATS
|since 1980
|yes
|''n/a''
|Installed for 25kV upgrade. Acted as an MPTSC between Bow Junction "B" FS and Crowlands "A" FS until Pudding Mill Lane ATFS replaced both in 2022. Neutral section still in situ so this substation may still be in use in some.
|-
|08m 20c
|Ilford
|SATS
|since 1949
|no
|''n/a''
|Installed originally as a TSC from 1949, converted to 6.25kV in 1960, to 25kV in 1980, and finally converted to a SATS by 2022.
|-
|10m 49c
|''Chadwell Heath''
|''FS''
|''1949–1980''
|''yes (from 1960)''
|''Railway owned 33kV ring''
|Converted in 1960 from 1.5kV DC to 6.25kV AC. Chadwell Heath was the location of the main grid connection for the railway's 33kV ring.
|-
|11m 24c
|Crowlands
|SATS
|since 1980
|yes
|(''1980–2022'') UKPN 132kV underground power line 
(Barking 132kV to Crowlands Grid)<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=UK Power Networks |title=EPN Regional Development Plan: Barking, Warley & West Thurrock |url=https://library.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/Library/GetPdf?pdfUrl=Asset_Management_Documents%2FRegional_Development_Plans%2FEPN%2FEPN_RDP_Warley_Barking_West_Thurrock_GSP.pdf |format=pdf}}</ref>
|Originally Dual FS with "A" and "B" sides. Installed for 25kV upgrade. Replaced Chadwell Heath FS and Gidea Park as an FS. The substation may have become a SATS from 2022 since the neutral section is still in situ.
|-
|14m 45c
|Gidea Park
|MPATS/MPTSC
|since 1949
|yes (from 1960)
|(1949–1980) Railway owned 33kV ring
(since 1980) n/a
|Installed originally as an FS from 1949, converted to 6.25kV in 1960. Converted into a MPTSC between Crowlands "B" and Shenfield "A" in 1980 and finally converted to a MPATS by 2022.
|-
|17m 01c
|''Brook Street''
|''MPTSC''
|''1949–1976''
|''yes (from 1960)''
|''n/a''
|Originally as 1.5kV TSC, converted to 6.25kV MPTSC in 1960, substation removed in 1976.
|-
|19m 70c
|''Shenfield [DC]''
|''FS (DC)''
|''1949–1960''
|''no''
|''Railway-owned 33kV ring''
|Only ever a 1.5kV DC feeder station. Replaced by the new Shenfield FS with 132kV grid connection.
|-
|20m 72c
|Shenfield [new]
|FS
|since 1960
|yes
|UKPN 132kV underground power line
(Warley 132kV Grid to Shenfield Grid)<ref name=":3" />
|Dual FS, originally capable of 6.25kV and 25kV operation until 1980 when it fed all lines at 25kV.
Since Springfield FS was introduced, normally only of two supplies is in use for the section Gidea Park to Shenfield. Substation is configured to feed the Southend line if needed.
The site has been added to with a SATS since 2022 that is not yet in use.
|-
|23m 40c
|''Ingatestone''
|''TSC''
|''1956–1960''
|''no''
|''n/a''
|1.5kV DC TSC, removed when line was de-energised in 1960 for conversion to 25kV AC by 1961
|-
|27m 15c
|''Hylands''
|''FS (DC)''
|''1956–1960''
|''no''
|''unknown''
|1.5kV DC FS, removed when line was de-energised in 1960 for conversion to 25kV AC by 1961
|-
|29m 40
|Chelmsford
|TSC
|since 1961
|no
|n/a
|Installed 1961 for the 25kV system
|-
|33m 06c
|Springfield
|FS
|since 1993
|yes
|UKPN 132kV overhead powerline
(Rayleigh Main 132kV to Braintree 132kV)<ref>{{Cite web |last=UK Power Networks |year=2014 |title=Braintree — Rayleigh (EPN) |url=https://library.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/Library/GetPdf?pdfUrl=Asset_Management_Documents%2FRegional_Development_Plans%2FEPN%2FEPN_RDP_Rayleigh_Braintree_Group.pdf |format=pdf}}</ref>
|Dual FS installed ~30 years after this section was originally electrified.
Due to soon become an ATFS
|-
|38m 12c
|Witham
|TSC/MPTSC
|since 1962
|yes
| rowspan="2" |n/a
|Originally installed as an MPTSC between Shenfield and Colchester FSs. Since Springfield FS was introduced, Witham is probably switched through in normal operation.
|-
|43m 50c
|Hill House
|MPTSC (?)
|since 1962
|yes (since 2011)
|Originally installed as a TSC on the Colchester supply in 1962. A neutral section was added in 2011 likely to separate the Springfield "B" and (new) Hythe "A" supplies. Unknown if any switching ability exists at this substation.
|-
|52m 21c
|Colchester
|MPTSC
|since 1959
|yes
|1959–1993: yes (unknown)
1993–present: no
|Originally installed as a dual FS. B side supplying the Clacton line (from 1959) and A side feeding the mainline to Witham in 1962. Colchester likely ceased being an FS in 1993 when Springfield FS on the mainline and Hythe FS (by 1989) on the Clacton line were installed.
Currently it is a three way MPTSC distributing the incoming Hythe FS "A" supply to the mainline south to Hill House as well as terminating the supply from Manningtree FS to the north.
|-
|59m 47c
|Manningtree
|FS 
| rowspan="2" |since 1985
|yes
|UKPN 132kV overhead powerline (Cliff Quay grid to Lawford Grid)<ref>{{Cite web |last=UK Power Networks |date=2014 |title=EPN Regional Development Plan: Bramford – Rayleigh 132kV group network |url=https://library.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/Library/GetPdf?pdfUrl=Asset_Management_Documents%2FRegional_Development_Plans%2FEPN%2FEPN_RDP_Rayleigh_Bramford_Group.pdf |format=pdf}}</ref>
|The first single supply (tee feeding) FS on GEML only feeding southwards to Colchester. The substation also supplies the entirety of the Harwich line.
|-
|69m 42c
|Ipswich
|TSC
|no
|n/a
|
|-
|79m 10c
|Stowmarket
|FS
|since 1986
|yes
|UKPN 132kV overhead powerline
(Bramford Grid to Bury [st Edmunds] Grid)<ref>{{Cite web |last=UK Power Networks |date=2014 |title=EPN Regional Development Plan: Bramford Grid - West Suffolk 33kV Network |url=https://library.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/Library/GetPdf?pdfUrl=Asset_Management_Documents%2FRegional_Development_Plans%2FEPN%2FEPN_RDP_Bramford_GSP_West.pdf |format=pdf}}</ref>
|Dual supply FS
|-
|85m 24c
|Cow Green
|TSC
| rowspan="5" |since 1987
|no
| rowspan="4" |n/a
|
|-
|91m 34c
|Mellis
|TSC
|no
|
|-
|98m 76c
|Hales Street
|MPTSC
|yes
|
|-
|106m 63c
|Flordon
|TSC
|no
|
|-
|123m 38c
|Norwich 
|FS
|no
|UKPN 25kV underground powerline to nereby Thorpe 132kV Grid
|Single supply FS
|-
|124m 09c
| colspan="6" |[Norwich Station, end of line]
|}
{{noteslist}}
=== Rolling stock ===
====Inter-city====
Steam-hauled inter-city trains on the London-Norwich service were replaced by diesel power in the 1960s; locomotives from classes [[British Rail Class 40|40]], [[British Rail Class 37|37]] and [[British Rail Class 47|47]] hauled services until the mid-1980s.

[[Electric locomotives]] replaced diesel haulage from the mid-1980s, when the remainder of the GEML was electrified north of Colchester; their utilisation continued until March 2020. [[British Rail Class 86|Class 86]] locomotives powered the service from 1985 until 2005,<ref group=Note>Class 86s hauled services only as far as Ipswich between 1985 and 1987; Class 47s would continue to operate the Ipswich to Norwich section until electrification of this final stage was completed</ref> with rakes of [[British Rail Mark 2|Mark 2]] coaches. Push-pull services were introduced during their tenure, initially using a [[Driving Brake Standard Open|DBSO]] coach at the Norwich end and latterly with Mark 3 [[Driving Van Trailer]]s, cascaded from the [[West Coast Main Line]]. From 2004, [[British Rail Class 90|Class 90]] locomotives replaced the ageing Class 86s and rolling stock was updated with refurbished former West Coast Main Line [[British Rail Mark 3|Mark 3]] coaches, following the introduction of the [[British Rail Class 390|Class 390 ''Pendolino'']] stock on that route.

By March 2020, new {{Brc|745}} EMUs had fully replaced Class 90 and Mark 3 coaches; thereby ending locomotive operation on the inter-city services on the Great Eastern Main Line.<ref>[http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/abellio_wins_east_anglian_rail_franchise_for_nine_years_in_1_4bn_deal_1_4651285 Abellio wins East Anglian rail franchise for nine years in £1.4bn deal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925073542/http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/abellio_wins_east_anglian_rail_franchise_for_nine_years_in_1_4bn_deal_1_4651285 |date=25 September 2016 }} [[East Anglian Daily Times]] 10 August 2016</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/last-passenger-locomotive-in-east-anglia-1-6584993|title=End of the line for traditional trains on Greater Anglia routes|last=Geater|first=Paul|website=East Anglian Daily Times|date=30 March 2020 |language=en|access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>

====Suburban====
[[Electric multiple unit]]s are used for inner and outer suburban passenger trains and [[diesel multiple unit]]s are used on non-electrified branch lines.<ref name=network_rail/> The main passenger units utilised are:

*{{Brc|345}}: 450 seats across nine cars.<ref group="Note">Running in reduced seven car formation from 2017-2020.</ref> Maximum speed {{convert|90|mph|abbr=on}}. (Operated by Elizabeth Line)
*{{Brc|745}}: 757 seats across 12 cars. Maximum speed {{convert|100|mph|abbr=on}}. (Operated by Greater Anglia)
*[[British Rail Class 720|Class 720]]: 545 seats across five cars. {{convert|100|mph|abbr=on}}. (Operated by Greater Anglia)
*{{Brc|755}}: 167 seats across three cars (class 755/3) or 229 seats across four cars (class 755/4). Maximum speed {{convert|100|mph|abbr=on}}. (Operated by Greater Anglia)
On weekends and when engineering work occurs, c2c run services into Liverpool Street via Stratford using [[British Rail Class 357|Class 357]] [[Electric multiple unit|electric multiple units]] (EMU).

====Freight====
Freight services also operate frequently on the Great Eastern Main Line, with its easy access to the [[Port of Felixstowe]]. A pool of Class 90s, including most of the locomotives that operated inter-city services on the GEML, provide electric haulage with [[British Rail Class 66|Class 66]] and [[British Rail Class 70 (diesel)|Class 70]] providing diesel power.

==Current developments==

===Crossrail===
{{Update section|date=December 2022|reason=Crossrail is a project to develop the infrastructre that the Elizabeth line runs on. Crossrail never has operated trains and there is no line called Crossrail}}
In 2015, [[TfL Rail]], the precursor of [[Crossrail]], took over operation of the Shenfield stopping "metro" service and, from 2022, the full Crossrail service will run via a tunnel through central London and link up with the [[Great Western Main Line]] to {{Stnlnk|Reading}} and [[Heathrow Terminal 4 railway station|Heathrow Airport]].

The first new {{Brc|345}} rolling stock entered service on the service on 22 June 2017. The new trains, built at Bombardier's Derby factory, provide air conditioned walk-through carriages, intelligent lighting and temperature control, closed-circuit television and passenger information displays showing travel information, including about onward journeys. It was planned that by September 2017, half of the services between Shenfield and Liverpool Street will have switched to the new Class 345 trains. From May 2015, Crossrail services (re-branded as [[TfL Rail]]) have an interchange with existing GEML services at Liverpool Street (via new underground platforms) as well as {{stl|LUL|Stratford}}, {{Stnlnk|Romford}} and {{Stnlnk|Shenfield}}.

In November 2022, Crossrail services began to operate between Shenfield and [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]] via [[Farringdon station|Farringdon]]. However no services operate further than Paddington onto the likes of [[Heathrow Airport]] and [[Reading railway station|Reading]]. Instead, these services start from [[Abbey Wood railway station|Abbey Wood]], the Elizabeth line's southeast branch.

==Proposed developments==
A new station is planned at [[Great Blakenham]] as part of the [[SnOasis|SnOasis development]] approximately halfway between {{rws|Needham Market}} and {{rws|Ipswich}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neilmacdonald.info/snoasis.htm|title=Listening to residents and their concerns|publisher=Neil MacDonald|access-date=6 November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/7713164.stm|title= Final Government Approval|work=BBC News|date=6 November 2008}}</ref> Another is planned at [[Beaulieu Park rail station|Beaulieu]], 3 miles north-east of Chelmsford entailing a long section of extra tracks on viaduct/bridge.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/10681669.__53m_rail_station_at_Beaulieu_is_on_track/ |title=£53m rail station at Beaulieu is on track |newspaper=Chelmsford Weekly News |date=18 September 2013 }}</ref>

== Services ==
The majority of trains are operated by [[Abellio Greater Anglia]], with the [[Elizabeth line]] operating the Liverpool Street to Shenfield stopping "metro" trains. A limited number of weekend (and when engineering work is planned) [[c2c]] services, operate on part of the line between Stratford and Liverpool Street.<ref name=network_rail/>

===Main line===

Fast and semi-fast services utilise the main line between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Branch lines diverge at Romford, Shenfield, Witham, Marks Tey, Colchester, Ipswich, Stowmarket and Norwich.

Additionally, a very limited number of main-line services call at Ilford, Seven Kings and Gidea Park during early mornings and late nights, often for the convenience of train drivers who may be working from these locations.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Station || class=unsortable|Borough || class=unsortable|Branch lines
|-
|[[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] || [[City of London]] ||
|-
|[[Stratford station|Stratford]] || [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]] || 
|-
|[[Romford railway station|Romford]] || [[London Borough of Havering|Havering]] || [[Romford–Upminster line]] 
|-
|[[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]] || [[Brentwood (borough)|Brentwood]] || [[Shenfield–Southend line]] 
|-
|[[Ingatestone railway station|Ingatestone]] || Brentwood || 
|-
|[[Chelmsford railway station|Chelmsford]] || [[Chelmsford (borough)|Chelmsford]] || 
|-
|[[Hatfield Peverel railway station|Hatfield Peverel]] || [[Braintree (district)|Braintree]] ||
|-
|[[Witham railway station|Witham]] || Braintree || [[Braintree branch line]]
|-
|[[Kelvedon railway station|Kelvedon]] || Braintree || 
|-
|[[Marks Tey railway station|Marks Tey]] || [[Colchester (borough)|Colchester]] || [[Gainsborough line]] 
|-
|[[Colchester railway station|Colchester]] || Colchester || [[Sunshine Coast Line|Sunshine Coast line]]
|-
|[[Manningtree railway station|Manningtree]] || [[Tendring District|Tendring]] || [[Mayflower line]] 
|-
|[[Ipswich railway station|Ipswich]] || [[Ipswich]] || [[East Suffolk line]]; [[Felixstowe branch line]] 
|-
|[[Needham Market railway station|Needham Market]] † || [[Mid Suffolk]] || 
|-
|[[Stowmarket railway station|Stowmarket]] || Mid Suffolk || [[Ipswich–Ely line]] 
|-
|[[Diss railway station|Diss]] || [[South Norfolk]] ||
|-
|[[Norwich railway station|Norwich]] || [[Norwich City Council|Norwich]]|| [[Wherry lines]]; [[Bittern line]]; [[Breckland line]] 
|}

† Needham Market is not served by main-line trains.

=== Electric line ===
The [[Elizabeth line]] is a high-frequency service that operates between [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]] and {{rws|Shenfield}} via [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] since 2022 and serves all stations.

In 2006 the off-peak stopping service on the Great Eastern Main Line consisted of six trains per hour, with some additional services during peak times.<ref name=network_rail/> During peak times, some trains start or terminate at {{rws|Gidea Park}}. The line is mostly within Greater London, with two stations in the Essex borough of Brentwood.

The electric line is also used by limited services extending to and from {{rws|Southend Victoria}}.<ref name=network_rail/>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Station || class=unsortable|[[Travelcard#The zones|Travelcard zone]] || class=unsortable|Borough 
|-
|[[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] ||1|| [[City of London]] 
|-
|[[Stratford station|Stratford]] || 2/3 || [[London Borough of Newham|Newham]] 
|-
|[[Maryland railway station|Maryland]]|| 3 || Newham 
|-
|[[Forest Gate railway station|Forest Gate]]|| 3 || Newham 
|-
|[[Manor Park railway station|Manor Park]] || 3/4 || Newham 
|-
|[[Ilford railway station|Ilford]] || 4 || [[London Borough of Redbridge|Redbridge]] 
|-
|[[Seven Kings railway station|Seven Kings]] || 4 || Redbridge 
|-
|[[Goodmayes railway station|Goodmayes]] || 4 || Redbridge 
|-
|[[Chadwell Heath railway station|Chadwell Heath]] || 5 || Redbridge 
|-
|[[Romford railway station|Romford]] || 6 || [[London Borough of Havering|Havering]] 
|-
|[[Gidea Park railway station|Gidea Park]] || 6 || Havering 
|-
|[[Harold Wood railway station|Harold Wood]] || 6 || Havering 
|-
|[[Brentwood railway station|Brentwood]] || 9 || [[Brentwood (borough)|Brentwood]] 
|-
|[[Shenfield railway station|Shenfield]] || C || Brentwood 
|}

==Passenger volume==
These are the passenger usage statistics from the year beginning April 2002 to the year beginning April 2013 and for those beginning April 2016 to April 2022. Needham Market is the only station on the line that is not served by trains to/from London.

{{GBsta-u|
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Norwich|u1=2,351,236|u2=2,421,607|u3=2,527,760|u4=2,711,910|u5=3,449,930|u6=3,568,618|u7=3,496,082|u8=3,749,474|u9=3,911,508|u10=4,126,012|u11=4,139,820|u12=4,071,502|u13=4,048,984|u14=4,111,338|u15=4,156,020|u16=4,250,834|u17=4,041,818|u18=967,650|u19=3,213,504|u20=3,963,948}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Diss|u1=328,606|u2=314,136|u3=325,553|u4=417,857|u5=551,781|u6=559,544|u7=539,234|u8=600,904|u9=621,728|u10=646,158|u11=675,527|u12=682,142|u13=675,036|u14=685,326|u15=689,960|u16=700,586|u17=671,300|u18=124,442|u19=422,272|u20=559,966}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Stowmarket|u1=367,331|u2=417,729|u3=453,271|u4=545,670|u5=705,682|u6=751,802|u7=756,484|u8=855,692|u9=884,962|u10=927,856|u11=944,466|u12=932,510|u13=956,202|u14=951,396|u15=935,240|u16=967,114|u17=916,094|u18=185,762|u19=615,232|u20=764,552}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Needham Market|u1=12,014|u2=16,237|u3=25,472|u4=37,074|u5=43,987|u6=52,782|u7=58,054|u8=67,056|u9=77,554|u10=85,078|u11=91,358|u12=92,418|u13=88,242|u14=91,706|u15=100,648|u16=102,320|u17=100,754|u18=33,484|u19=79,196|u20=94,148}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Ipswich|u1=2,022,546|u2=2,017,300|u3=2,144,935|u4=2,402,852|u5=2,807,395|u6=2,825,352|u7=2,774,536|u8=3,004,678|u9=3,159,348|u10=3,348,394|u11=3,312,522|u12=3,295,398|u13=3,284,934|u14=3,342,366|u15=3,351,870|u16=3,416,026|u17=3,292,182|u18=726,756|u19=2,125,686|u20=2,682,574}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Manningtree|u1=574,633|u2=719,792|u3=707,782|u4=865,217|u5=910,384|u6=833,888|u7=799,776|u8=890,624|u9=983,054|u10=1,093,178|u11=1,154,294|u12=1,169,288|u13=1,124,876|u14=1,068,642|u15=1,078,502|u16=1,106,204|u17=1,068,816|u18=200,350|u19=634,684|u20=783,130}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Colchester|u1=4,005,869|u2=4,305,315|u3=4,287,601|u4=4,337,926|u5=4,516,616|u6=4,502,739|u7=4,218,622|u8=4,362,914|u9=4,584,110|u10=4,291,055|u11=4,402,045|u12=4,457,306|u13=4,460,848|u14=4,475,581|u15=4,378,743|u16=4,453,178|u17=4,249,444|u18=1,029,176|u19=2,913,266|u20=3,392,742}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Marks Tey|u1=364,979|u2=384,337|u3=400,155|u4=432,073|u5=459,980|u6=443,724|u7=428,804|u8=428,816|u9=437,006|u10=473,162|u11=494,998|u12=503,540|u13=523,218|u14=557,456|u15=577,548|u16=604,902|u17=606,914|u18=112,616|u19=302,470|u20=401,950}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Kelvedon|u1=789,487|u2=774,972|u3=759,680|u4=787,033|u5=799,439|u6=797,236|u7=763,240|u8=791,312|u9=827,358|u10=812,610|u11=837,236|u12=854,088|u13=878,096|u14=865,706|u15=844,570|u16=847,748|u17=797,650|u18=119,948|u19=355,632|u20=482,106}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Witham|u1=2,173,543|u2=2,261,186|u3=2,307,269|u4=2,342,618|u5=2,341,123|u6=2,277,436|u7=2,076,532|u8=2,159,09|u9=2,251,940|u10=2,244,774|u11=2,349,736|u12=2,380,266|u13=2,377,010|u14=2,343,972|u15=2,331,628|u16=2,349,496|u17=2,299,342|u18=479,098|u19=1,277,154|u20=1,617,780}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Hatfield Peverel|u1=419,144|u2=418,145|u3=412,523|u4=416,083|u5=398,255|u6=394,420|u7=357,382|u8=357,458|u9=389,284|u10=399,602|u11=408,896|u12=415,214|u13=412,530|u14=411,574|u15=419,264|u16=427,276|u17=425,046|u18=77,692|u19=223,884|u20=287,396}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Chelmsford|u1=6,445,365|u2=6,698,243|u3=6,801,193|u4=7,113,065|u5=7,447,696|u6=7,375,452|u7=6,934,970|u8=7,335,952|u9=7,876,686|u10=8,002,126|u11=8,286,879|u12=8,381,166|u13=8,488,146|u14=8,536,968|u15=8,619,942|u16=8,926,576|u17=8,606,294|u18=1,716,828|u19=4,595,710|u20=5,784,584}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Ingatestone|u1=554,235|u2=606,007|u3=628,220|u4=630,362|u5=649,324|u6=637,918|u7=596,310|u8=636,170|u9=694,754|u10=715,974|u11=750,746|u12=759,626|u13=781,838|u14=836,418|u15=875,874|u16=923,050|u17=875,070|u18=241,694|u19=623,658|u20=682,790}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Shenfield|u1=2,701,210|u2=2,861,253|u3=2,907,917|u4=2,965,886|u5=3,024,519|u6=3,008,422|u7=2,825,598|u8=2,936,428|u9=2,991,100|u10=3,131,298|u11=3,314,120|u12=3,486,772|u13=3,689,850|u14=3,746,572|u15=3,872,484|u16=4,149,488|u17=4,170,558|u18=1,063,094|u19=2,863,920|u20=5,105,512}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Brentwood|u1=2,361,639|u2=2,475,272|u3=2,535,139|u4=2,479,150|u5=2,520,143|u6=2,557,092|u7=2,322,842|u8=2,420,930|u9=2,495,480|u10=2,701,998|u11=2,809,578|u12=2,871,330|u13=2,818,560|u14=2,883,890|u15=2,992,072|u16=3,210,516|u17=3,132,758|u18=834,604|u19=1,860,822|u20=2,849,612}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Harold Wood|u1=1,879,400|u2=1,770,874|u3=1,773,086|u4=3,014,836|u5=3,476,002|u6=3,042,946|u7=2,808,636|u8=2,552,716|u9=2,580,280|u10=2,857,572|u11=2,917,788|u12=3,140,072|u13=2,929,974|u14=2,973,440|u15=2,929,720|u16=3,088,968|u17=3,064,280|u18=964,088|u19=1,998,062|u20=3,269,054}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Gidea Park|u1=1,838,172|u2=1,689,192|u3=1,670,663|u4=2,703,604|u5=3,172,538|u6=2,587,398|u7=2,401,226|u8=2,467,414|u9=2,524,448|u10=2,587,142|u11=2,810,806|u12=2,944,838|u13=2,860,546|u14=2,797,104|u15=2,711,136|u16=2,833,972|u17=2,872,264|u18=752,520|u19=1,683,656|u20=2,804,592}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Romford|u1=5,208,851|u2=5,118,900|u3=4,823,860|u4=7,363,378|u5=8,372,672|u6=7,310,172|u7=6,736,060|u8=6,817,246|u9=6,998,872|u10=7,445,556|u11=8,265,442|u12=8,946,522|u13=9,040,996|u14=8,833,544|u15=8,702,770|u16=9,180,976|u17=9,382,408|u18=3,133,122|u19=6,286,654|u20=11,603,078}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Chadwell Heath|u1=1,836,872|u2=1,607,729|u3=1,556,568|u4=2,208,567|u5=2,352,716|u6=2,246,672|u7=1,977,616|u8=2,144,996|u9=2,228,662|u10=2,346,218|u11=2,686,904|u12=3,006,994|u13=3,673,514|u14=3,883,758|u15=3,755,174|u16=3,973,098|u17=4,054,746|u18=1,510,058|u19=2,745,800|u20=4,500,098}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Goodmayes|u1=1,472,318|u2=1,155,770|u3=1,070,419|u4=1,961,690|u5=2,092,464|u6=1,929,478|u7=1,792,694|u8=2,069,248|u9=2,306,452|u10=2,389,588|u11=2,625,572|u12=2,832,750|u13=3,780,726|u14=3,845,200|u15=3,544,810|u16=3,498,332|u17=3,653,340|u18=1,386,934|u19=2,469,574|u20=4,131,424}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Seven Kings|u1=1,694,399|u2=1,174,319|u3=1,095,940|u4=1,567,157|u5=1,764,774|u6=1,657,658|u7=1,528,296|u8=1,708,550|u9=1,879,664|u10=2,112,832|u11=2,330,778|u12=2,423,964|u13=3,126,372|u14=3,099,284|u15=2,959,784|u16=3,167,632|u17=3,157,300|u18=1,286,182|u19=2,317,224|u20=3,781,774}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Ilford|u1=3,679,035|u2=2,931,960|u3=2,623,618|u4=5,075,338|u5=6,119,745|u6=5,559,414|u7=5,363,400|u8=6,286,174|u9=6,721,496|u10=6,854,314|u11=7,632,352|u12=8,022,488|u13=8,199,216|u14=8,121,754|u15=7,679,264|u16=7,942,174|u17=7,793,746|u18=2,536,166|u19=4,754,530|u20=8,750,562}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Manor Park|u1=875,206|u2=694,315|u3=656,895|u4=1,291,690|u5=1,443,311|u6=1,232,484|u7=1,160,120|u8=1,424,914|u9=1,593,348|u10=1,659,972|u11=1,809,714|u12=1,848,578|u13=2,788,910|u14=2,373,788|u15=1,601,080|u16=1,700,818|u17=2,367,478|u18=1,010,452|u19=1,976,616|u20=3,719,684}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Forest Gate|u1=1,209,066|u2=956,231|u3=915,549|u4=1,891,875|u5=2,037,387|u6=1,706,018|u7=1,598,816|u8=1,914,054|u9=2,205,106|u10=2,403,326|u11=2,647,058|u12=2,786,448|u13=3,846,734|u14=3,207,020|u15=2,834,734|u16=2,980,888|u17=3,354,698|u18=1,424,074|u19=2,675,098|u20=4,883,572}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Maryland|u1=265,274|u2=197,259|u3=196,927|u4=450,314|u5=503,987|u6=431,350|u7=425,176|u8=501,956|u9=541,942|u10=699,584|u11=939,324|u12=965,076|u13=1,475,574|u14=1,250,086|u15=1,145,878|u16=1,254,204|u17=1,330,978|u18=638,676|u19=1,429,510|u20=2,788,146}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=Stratford|u1=2,597,390|u2=7,914,419|u3=7,699,178|u4=13,089,922|u5=13,368,783|u6=12,303,033|u7=12,370,245|u8=17,479,020|u9=21,797,460|u10=25,564,250|u11=26,377,506|u12=30,974,204|u13=41,113,260|u14=42,251,592|u15=40,077,082|u16=41,206,226|u17=41,912,114|u18=13,985,162|u19=28,182,238|u20=44,136,784}}
{{GBsta-u A|stn=London Liverpool Street|u1=38,968,814|u2=50,469,209|u3=47,271,234|u4=55,265,748|u5=57,759,809|u6=55,103,416|u7=51,596,155|u8=55,769,423|u9=57,105,400|u10=58,448,814|u11=63,004,002|u12=63,631,246|u13=66,556,690|u14=67,339,218|u15=66,965,956|u16=69,482,532|u17=65,984,786|u18=11,212,008|u19=32,165,310|u20=80,448,194}}
}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="Note"}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|title=It's 'Go' for the Great Eastern - at last!|first=Geoffrey Freeman|last=Allen|pages=41–43|date=January 1983|magazine=[[RAIL (magazine)|Rail Enthusiast]]|publisher=EMAP National Publications|issn=0262-561X|oclc=49957965}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Resignalling the Great Eastern|first=David|last=Allen|magazine=[[RAIL (magazine)|RAIL]]|issue=323|publisher=EMAP Apex Publications|date=28 January – 10 February 1998|pages=28–33|issn=0953-4563|oclc=49953699}}
* {{cite book|title=Report on the collision at Ilford|publisher=[[Ministry of War Transport]]|last1=Mount|first1=AHL|last2=Wilson|first2=GRS|url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/MoT_Ilford1944.pdf | access-date=7 September 2012 |date=15 March 1944 }}

{{Main inter-regional railway lines in Great Britain}}
{{Railway lines in the East of England}}
{{Railway lines in London}}
{{Crossrail navbox}}

[[Category:Transport in the City of London]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Newham]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Havering]]
[[Category:Transport in the Borough of Brentwood]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Essex]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Suffolk]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Railway lines in the East of England]]
[[Category:Railway lines in London]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1849]]
[[Category:Electric railways in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Main inter-regional railway lines in Great Britain]]
[[Category:5 ft gauge railways in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1849 establishments in England]]
[[Category:25 kV AC railway electrification]]