The section of the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) between Brentwood and Colchester entered operation on 29 March 1843;[2] Witham station opened on the same day.

[3] The station became a junction five years later with the opening of the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway (MW&B) for goods trains on 15 August 1848; passenger services on the line began on 2 October 1848.

To access the car park from the station passengers once had to exit onto the street and take a substantial walk to the road bridge across the tracks situated just past the western end of the station, over the bridge and then down a residential road the other side of the tracks.

In 2001 funding was announced to build a footbridge direct from the station to the car park,[10] but this was subsequently withdrawn indefinitely due to financial cutbacks following the collapse of Railtrack.

[11] Work took place between in 2011 which included a new entrance at the station to provide access to and from the adjacent car park.

The Maldon branch had at an earlier date been served by a triangular junction which facilitated direct running from Colchester but it is shown as disconnected in 1897.