The Booking Hall Café - Rayne Station History (continued)

When the GER finally amalgamated with the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) on 1 January 1923, the new company made every effort to increase passenger traffic on the branch line by doubling the initial three passenger trains a day running in each direction, to six. But all to no avail. It was still the carriage of freight that supplied the revenue. 

During the Second World War the line was used to transport thousands of tons of rubble for the construction of Saling airfield, 5 miles from Braintree and, later, when it became operational, massive loads of bombs were carried to the same destination under cover of darkness. The United States Air Force bases at Stansted and Easton Lodge were also regularly supplied with armaments and stores arriving via Bishop's Stortford and Takeley station. After the invasion of Europe in June 1944 the line was used by ambulance trains to bring back wounded soldiers.

After the war the public's use of motor cars and competition from bus transport increased, the passenger service between Bishop's Stortford and Braintree ran virtually empty and inevitably, closure of the line for passenger traffic was announced. Despite public protests, the last train to run between the two towns was on 1 March 1952. 

Despite the loss of the passenger service after 83 years the line was kept open for freight traffic, which was still an important source of revenue. But by 1968 more and more freight was being transported by road and the branch line now became uneconomical to keep open.

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