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Thursday 29 Oct 2026

A clean sweep of Lowestoft station track: vacuum power to help boost railway reliability

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

Over four consecutive November days, engineers will be replacing 50-year-old track in platforms 2 and 3 at Lowestoft station to help drive down delays for Suffolk and Norfolk rail passengers.

Currently, the ground beneath the rails is saturated in several places along the platforms, affecting the condition of the track and increasing the likelihood of faults that can cause disruption. Oil from previous generations of trains is also visible, leading to an unsightly appearance and contributing to the deterioration of the track bed.

Railway engineers will be using a specialist vacuum machine to remove areas of old ballast – the stones that support the track – before replacing it with fresh material. Sleepers and rails will also be replaced at various locations within the platforms. This work will help to keep passengers moving safely, smoothly and reliably into the future. Lowestoft is a crucial point on the local rail network, with direct connections to both Norwich and Ipswich, so minimising issues here supports punctual journeys right across the region.

The work will take place between Friday 13 – Monday 16 November inclusive, with train services affected on both the Lowestoft-Norwich and Lowestoft-Ipswich lines as follows:

Buses replace trains between:

• Lowestoft and Norwich
• Lowestoft and Oulton Broad South
• Lowestoft and Haddiscoe (Friday and Monday only)
• Reedham and Lingwood via Cantley

Trains will continue to operate between Ipswich and Oulton Broad South, and between Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

Passengers should check before they travel at greateranglia.co.uk

Joe Kennedy, Infrastructure Director working as part of GBR Anglia, said: “The vital work we’re doing in November will help us provide the best possible service on these busy and important routes for years to come. We’re really sorry for the disruption, especially on the two weekdays, but this is a big job that we must get done to maintain a reliable railway.”

GBR Anglia brings c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia together under a single unified structure on the journey to Great British Railways. The three organisations are increasingly planning and delivering as one railway, enabling faster and more joined up decision-making.