Cars and Motorcycles.
There are a number of car parks within South Woodham Ferrers, some of which are pay as you park and some offer time limited free parking. There are a number of EV Charging points for electric vehicles in the town.
The town has a Bus Gate in a section of Hullbridge Road, and enforcement is done randomly to ensure this is kept clear for use by buses only. Please use Albert Road instead.
Visiting Central Chelmsford City Centre by Car ? Why not use the Park and Ride from Sandon
Footpaths and walking
Most residential areas can reach our town centre within a 20 minute walk, and there are many cycle parking areas, such as at the Town Hall, the Railway Station and the edge of the town centre.
There are many Rights of Way, footpaths, Fen Paths and coastal paths in South Woodham Ferrers, along with a number of recommended routes, such as our Jubilee Walk. The Fen & John Cox areas are a great way to get out an enjoy nature, even in the winter with a good pair of wellies!
You can view many of these via
Or visit our cycling and walking section of this website
Buses
We have a number of bus routes in South Woodham Ferrers, including those who operate only for schools and colleges. Regular services include FirstBus 336, Hedingham Buses 94 and the DaRT Dengie 5 route*
To make best use of the local bus services there are a number of websites you can use to view routes or track buses live.
Information about local buses can be found in the links below.
You can use the live tracking via the BusTimes website
Select the route then Map (tracking option) on the upper left-hand side on the webpage above the date box.
Each bus is shown, though it may not be seen on the map if the bus is at a terminus.
Information can also be obtained from local operators’ websites.
Bus services are currently under much pressure, with recruitment shortages, central funding budget cuts, and changes in the way some people work, where working from home has seen a drop in commuting. Works to our highways, plus an increase in maintaining and replacing broken or worn-out utilities has led to delays in bus services due to these roadworks.
Trains
South Woodham Ferrers has a railway station which includes a large car park and nearby bus stops as well as a footpath which connects directly onto the Fen.
The current operator for train services is Greater Anglia who recently replaced their trains with modern rolling stock.
Many of the train services run as a shuttle between Southminster and Wickford where you can change for trains into Central London. There are a number of direct trains in peak hours, but even with a chance you can be in London in an hour. You can also change at Stratford for the Central Line or Elizabeth Line to the West End or for trains to Stanstead, London Overground and the Docklands Light Railway, or change at Shenfield for Chelmsford and stations in East Anglia. Our line is known as the Crouch Valley Line and follows the River Crouch estuary for much of the route. It is a great line to explore or to use to come to see South Woodham Ferrers.
We have a great team of station adopters who help keep our station looking welcoming. There is a “talking bench” at the station and also a ticket machine and a ticket office in the weekday mornings.
Trains operate between 1 to 2 trains an hour in each direction. You can find out more information, including booking assisted travel via their website.
Chelmsford Community Transport
Chelmsford Community Transport is a charitable organisation that has been operating since 1996 and currently has 1382 members. The service is open to all residents in Chelmsford and provides transport, including hospital trips to help less mobile people get out and about in the local area. All journeys must start and ideally finish within the district of Chelmsford and cover most kinds of journey, including shopping, social, recreational and medical, subject to availability. Their services aim to overcome transport barriers and enable everyone to participate more fully in society. Recently, the scheme merged with both the Colchester and Maldon Schemes to become community360. Follow the web link to find out how to book.
SWF Community Care Transport
SWF Community Care is a local charity which helps provide door to door service to take South Woodham Ferrers residents, who have difficulty arranging their own transport, to medical appointments, normally within the Basildon, Chelmsford. Braintree, Southend and Maldon areas, including the Grouch Vale Medical Centre. Follow the link below to find out more.
Fun Fact
For many years, the Thursday lunchtime train did not run as that line path was taken up by a Nuclear Flask train which supplied Bradwell Power Station. The Power Station is now decommissioned and the train no longer runs.