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The platform at Colchester Railway Station in Essex is the longest in the UK, stretching a total of 620 metres from one end to the other – or around 10 minutes to walk across

Colchester Railway Station's platform stretches an impressive 620 metres
Colchester Railway Station’s platform stretches an impressive 620 metres(Image: Google Maps)

An Essex railway station boasts the country’s longest platform, which takes a whopping ten minutes to walk from one end to the other. Cross Country Trains’ website reveals that Colchester Railway Station’s platform stretches an impressive 620 metres.

Given that the average human walking speed is approximately 5km/h, it would take between eight and ten minutes to cover the entire length of the platform. Greater Anglia informs us that the station features a Victorian Ticket office, now sporting a modern interior, while the other half of the station houses a ticket hall constructed in the 1970s.

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The station comprises six platforms, including two bay platforms, as well as a stabling yard – a feature some stations possess for parking trains when they’re not in use, according to the company.

Primarily served by Greater Anglia, the station connects Norwich to Colchester and London to Colchester, according to the TheTrainLine.

However, rail enthusiasts will know that due to its division into two sections, Colchester can’t lay claim to the longest uninterrupted platform in the UK, reports the Express.

That accolade goes to Gloucester railway station, with its staggering 602m of continuous platform alongside the track.

Its length is reportedly equivalent to around 32 carriages.

Gloucester, United Kingdom - February 27, 2015:  People waiting on the platform of Gloucester train station as a Crosscountry train pulls into the station
Gloucester train station has 602m of continuous platform(Image: tbradford via Getty Images)

However, considering that UK trains typically consist of fewer than 12 cars, Gloucester’s platform could easily accommodate two trains end to end.

The platform underwent an extension in 1977, courtesy of a British Rail overhaul, with the aim of accommodating two InterCity 125 trains at once.

However, when compared to the country’s leading transport hubs, the station itself is relatively modest, boasting three rail lines, a car park and a cafe.

Predominantly, the station sees services from GWR, CrossCountry and Transport for Wales trains, as per TheTrainLine.

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