Mayflower line

Mayflower line
A Class 321 train passes the River Stour near Wrabness
Overview
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Essex
Stations	6
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	Greater Anglia
Rolling stock	Class 755, Class 720,
History
Opened	15 August 1854
Technical
Line length	11 miles 16 chains (18.02 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)
Route map (Click to expand)

v t e Mayflower Line
Legend
Great Eastern Main Line to London Liverpool St │ to Norwich 59½ Manningtree S E N Manningtree Junction 61¼ Mistley Bradfield Priory Halt 65¾ Wrabness former alignment via 'The Hangings' 69¾ Harwich International for Hoek van Holland 70¼ Dovercourt 70¾ Harwich Town miles from London Liverpool St

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 16 chains (18.02 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.^[1] The Engineer's Line Reference for the line is MAH.^[2]

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 Mayflower line takes its name from the Pilgrim ship Mayflower, which is believed to have been built in Harwich in the 16th century. Harwich was also home to the ship's captain and part-owner, Christopher Jones.^[3]