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Colchester Town
General information
Location	Colchester,City of Colchester England
Coordinates	51°53′11″N0°54′16″E / 51.8865°N 0.9044°E /51.8865; 0.9044
Grid reference	TM000248
Managed by	Greater Anglia
Platforms	1
Other information
Station code	CET
Classification	DfT category E
History
Original company	Tendring Hundred Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1 March 1866	Opened asSt. Botolph's
8 July 1991	RenamedColchester Town
Passengers
2019/20	0.736 million
2020/21	0.178 million
2021/22	0.504 million
2022/23	0.587 million
2023/24	0.644 million
Location
Notes Passenger statistics from theOffice of Rail and Road

Colchester Town railway station (formerlySt Botolph's) is on theSunshine Coast Line in theEast of England, and is the secondary station serving the city ofColchester, Essex. It is 53 miles 76 chains (86.8 km) fromLondon Liverpool Street.^[1][2] Its three-letter station code is CET. The city's larger station is calledColchester (also known asColchester North station to distinguish it) and is on theGreat Eastern Main Line but is further away from the city centre.

The station was opened in 1866 by theTendring Hundred Railway, a subsidiary of theGreat Eastern Railway, asSt. Botolph's, after the nearby priory and church that gave their name to this part of the city. It was renamedColchester Town in 1991.^[3] It is currently operated byGreater Anglia, which also runs all trains serving the station.

As of 2024^[update] there is only one platform. Since a magistrates' court was built the station size has decreased, losing its car park and talks of adding an extra platform have been halted. To the east of the station, Colne Junction is the western extremity of a triangle which gives access towards Colchester station to the west andHythe station to the east. The curve to the north from Colne Junction to East Gates Junction is sharp, with a continuouscheck rail which necessitates slow passage.

The following services typically call at Colchester Town during the off-peak:

• 3 trains per hour (tph) toColchester, of which;
• 1 tph toLondon Liverpool Street, calling at all stations toWitham thenChelmsford,Shenfield, andStratford;
• 1 tph toWalton-on-the-Naze, calling at all intermediate stations.

Colchester Town is closed on Sundays unless engineering work closes Colchester station, in which case Colchester Town is used as an alternative station.

• Train times andstation information for Colchester Town railway station fromNational Rail

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Colchester		Greater Anglia Sunshine Coast Line		Hythe

• Railway stations in Essex
• DfT Category E stations
• Former Great Eastern Railway stations
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1866
• Railway stations served by Greater Anglia
• Buildings and structures in Colchester (town)
• Transport in Colchester
• 1866 establishments in England

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