Braintree branch line was originally constructed from Maldon to Braintree, the line was proposed by MWBR but was never sold.
The line was proposed by the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway (MWBR) and given royal assent in June 1846. The MWBR was subsequently purchased by the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR), and the line opened in 1848. 
