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Thursday 25 Mar 2004

EASTER ENGINEERING WORK - THE REBUILDING OF THE RAILWAY GOES ON -

Region & Route:

| Southern

As part of the continued drive to deliver a safe and reliable railway, Network Rail will be carrying out essential engineering work at various sites across East Anglia over Easter. Mark Phillips, Network Rail Regional Director said: “Network Rail is committed to rebuilding the railway and Easter is a good opportunity to get on track and concentrate on lengthy and complicated jobs. All of our resources will be employed in renewing track and sleepers, working on the railway’s foundations and improving drainage.” Replacing rail will continue on the Great Eastern main line between Shenfield and Chelmsford.  The engineering team has been renewing track every Sunday, but work at Easter will be stepped up to last 54 hours over Sunday 11 and Monday 12 April. It is estimated that more than 560 yards will be replaced and track foundations improved. Buses will replace First Great Eastern trains between Shenfield and Chelmsford and Anglia will supply buses between Witham and London. Engineers will also be working on the track between Shenfield and Wickford on Good Friday, when buses will replace trains.  Network Rail will be working on the tracks’ foundations to improve the ride quality.  - more – Easter – 2 Anglia Railways is laying on buses between Ipswich and Woodbridge and Ipswich and Felixstowe on Sunday 11 April, due to work Network Rail is carrying out to Hadleigh Road bridge at Westerfield.  The work forms part of the national Felixstowe to Nuneaton freight upgrade project, which includes work to increase the size of bridges and tunnels to accommodate taller freight containers.  The project will see railway freight at the Port of Felixstowe thrive. Network Rail’s most challenging item of engineering work over Easter is taking place at Dalston where we are continuing work to replace a sewer.  The sewer is not functioning properly and is affecting track drainage.  There is a speed restriction on this line and renewing the sewer will enable us to remove the speed restriction and improve Silverlink’s passenger service.  To ensure that passengers are still able to utilise the North London Line, Silverlink will provide a number of replacement services from Good Friday to Easter Monday inclusive.  Trains will still run between North Woolwich and Hackney Central.  A replacement bus service will run between Hackney Central to Caledonian Road and Barnsbury.  Trains will recommence at Highbury and Islington to Richmond. Work to maintain track foundations will take place between Fenchurch Street and Upminster on Sunday 11 April.  Work will start in the early hours and continue all day.  Trains will be diverted into London Liverpool Street. Similar work will take place between Acton and Gospel Oak, but without disrupting passenger traffic. These activities will greatly benefit these heavily used lines. The work has been specifically programmed around the Easter holidays to ensure peak travel periods are largely unaffected.  This engineering work has been planned in consultation with Network Rail’s customers, the train and freight operating companies.  Passengers are advised to check their travel arrangements with National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950 or individual operators before making their journey. - more - Easter – 3 Mr Phillips continued:  “We’d like to apologise to passengers for the disruption this work will cause but we assure them that this absolutely essential work will deliver a better railway for all.”