The Sunshine Coast Line

Liverpool Street to Clacton on Sea

The Sunshine Coast Line is the official name given to the railway from Colchester to Clacton on Sea. However, all services begin at Liverpool Street in the heart of the City of London which is where we begin.

Our train is a recently introduced Greater Anglia Aventra class 720 EMU (electric multiple unit). From the outset we run over the former Great Eastern main line towards Norwich. Our first stop is the major interchange station at Stratford in East London, where we pick up most of our passengers. From there we run non-stop alongside the tracks of the Elizabeth Line as far as Shenfield, our second stop. Now, down to double line, we run into rural Essex calling at the County Town Chelmsford and running through the newly opened Beaulieu Park station viewed from the cab and the air.

After the city of Colchester, our train diverges from the main line and heads south eastwards over the Sunshine Coast line to Hythe and Wivenhoe before running fast to Thorpe le Soken, the junction with the Walton on the Naze branch. Turning further to the south, into the glorious sunshine, we head towards the classic Essex seaside town of Clacton, where we end by capturing a little bit of the atmosphere down by the pier.

Running at speeds of up to 100 mph in sunshine throughout, we see the drivers (who change at Colchester), stations, trackside-runbys and aerial views. The history of this early main line, dating from 1839, is in the accompanying narration expertly delivered by one of Video 125's favourite professionals: Jonathan Kydd.

The route is shown virtually in real time.