Essex is served by two train companies - One and C to C - which are both owned by National Express.
One services run from London Liverpool Street and serve Colchester, Harwich, Clacton, Sudbury (Suffolk), Braintree, Harlow, and Southend and Southminster via Wickford.
C to C services run from London Fenchurch Street and serve Shoeburyness via Southend, and stations in between, including Basildon and Grays.
Under the current UK railway system, responsibility for the track and signalling falls to a third company, Network Rail.
Visitors from abroad are often confused and/or amazed by the complexity of ownership and operating companies, which was meant to foster competition.
As far as cyclists are concerned, the result has led to a variety of rules governing carriage of bicycles: nationally, some companies refuse to carry cycles while others carry them only at certain times; some charge some don't; some will take bikes depending on the type of train you intend to catch - and if there are engineering works and a replacement bus service, you can forget carrying a bike at all! Anyone travelling any distance and on more than one railway company is advised to make extensive checks first, and pray for a bike-friendly guard!
One is relative pro-bike and has installed new secure cycle parking in all of its stations. It also has a scheme by which cycle tourist who have a valid return ticket can have bike recovery in the event of a breakdown (Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire only). If you are heading for London, avoid Monday to Friday peak times as you cannot travel farther south than Shenfield on trains scheduled to arrive at Liverpool Street between 7.45am and 9.45am, or between London and Shenfield on trains leaving Liverpool Street between 4.30pm and 6:30pm. Tricycles and tandems are not permitted, but folding cycles are carried free of charge.
C to C has far less about cycling on its website. Click for details of C to C cycling services, which basically say that bicycles are welcome on services where they can be accommodated safely. They are not permitted on weekday services arriving in London between 7.20am and 9.30am or leaving London between 4.30pm and 6.40pm (exceptions apply). If you plan to travel with a group of 3 or more cyclists, please contact our helpline on 01702 357 640. Tricycles and tandems are not permitted, but folding cycles are carried free of charge.
Ships
Essex has two major seaports - Harwich and Tilbury. Of those, Harwich has links with the Netherlands and Denmark with Stena Line and DFDS Seaways.
Essex is home to Stansted Airport, which specialises in holiday travel and low-cost flights, as well as luxury flights to the USA. Please bear in mind the environmental cost of such trips when deciding whether or not to fly: query if your trip is vital or if it is only for your personal enjoyment. Consider whether it can be made by ship/train instead, which are far less polluting modes of travel. The main carriers from Stansted are Easyjet and Ryanair.
Please tell CIE if any of these links are out of date.
