A railway in the
Colne Valley was first proposed in 1846 when the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury and Halstead Railway Company was incorporated by the
Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury and Halstead Railway Act 1846 (
9 & 10 Vict. c. lxxvi) to build a line from
Marks Tey on the
Eastern Counties Railway to
Sudbury, with a branch to
Halstead and a line from
Colchester to
Hythe. A later extension to
Bury St. Edmunds and
Clare was also approved, however a shortage of funds resulted in only the
Stour Valley Railway to Sudbury and the
line to Hythe being built. In 1856, the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway Company was formed by local people to build a branch line from
Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station to
Halstead. It was authorised by the
Colne Valley and Halstead Railway Act 1856 (
19 & 20 Vict. c. lxi) on 30 June 1856, and opened on 16 April 1860 between Chappel (north of
Marks Tey) and
Halstead, a distance of . A extension was authorised by the
Colne Valley and Halstead Railway (Extension) Act 1859 (
22 & 23 Vict. c. cxxii) on 13 August 1859 and opened in stages: • 1 July 1861 Halstead–
Castle Hedingham • 26 May 1862 Castle Hedingham–
Yeldham • 10 May 1863 Yeldham–
Haverhill (CVHR) Physical connection with the
Stour Valley Railway at Haverhill was provided in 1865, and although close relations were maintained with the
Great Eastern Railway, the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway remained completely independent until it became part of the
London and North Eastern Railway in the
1923 regrouping. The CVHR station, renamed Haverhill South, was closed to passengers in 1924 but remained open for goods until 1965. == Heritage railway preservation ==