What can I say about my home-town train station? Not a lot. It is not an exciting, historical station. It not pretty to look at. The most descriptive word I can use would be ‘functional’.

Basildon – like my former home of Stevenage – is a New Town. The little groups of villages were absorbed into one new suburban development, and on 25th of November 1974, Basildon got a station near the town centre. Prior to the opening of Basildon Station, passengers could either alight at Laindon and walk into Basildon (a bit of a trek), or go a bit further on, and get off at Pitsea, whereupon another robust walk back to Basildon would be required. The arrival of a station in the heart of town helped the town to grow, and like any good station, it has good bus links. You’re about 20 minutes from the seaside town of Southend-on-Sea, and even a stopping service to London takes only 45 minutes or so. Another good quality of the station is that disabled access is well-catered for (provided the lifts work).

What more is there to say? Nothing really. Basildon was designed and built by bureaucratic forces. It’s appearance reflects this.

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