Media centre

Monday 11 Mar 2019

Updated: Easter engineering works: passengers advised to check before they travel

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

Passengers who travel across East London, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk are set to benefit from major rail upgrades as Network Rail carries out a package of upgrades over Easter.

Those travelling between 19-22 April are advised to check before they travel as a 13,800-strong workforce across the country will work around the clock this Easter to deliver more reliable infrastructure, improved facilities and services for passengers.

The programme of work is part of Network Rail’s railway upgrade plan – a multi-billion-pound investment in the rail network which will improve passenger journeys in the months and years ahead.

On the Anglia route, there will be no trains between Shenfield and Southend Victoria with services replaced by buses.

Most c2c services will be diverted to Liverpool Street instead of Fenchurch Street from Friday 19 April to Monday 22 April as the station will be closed, except for services on the Rainham line which will be replaced by buses.

Teams of engineers will work on a number of projects, and below is further detail of some of the work that will be carried out:

• replacing 9.5 km of overhead lines and structures replaced between Billericay and Shenfield as part of a £46m  project to improve reliability for passengers on the Southend Victoria line;
• Improving the reliability of the line between London Fenchurch Street station and Barking by replacing two bridges and renewing the track at Caroline Street and Davenport Street in Limehouse, East London. This means no trains running to or from London Fenchurch Street. Services will be diverted to and from London Liverpool Street station from Friday 19 to Monday 22 April and buses replace trains between Barking and Aldgate East;
• TfL will be carrying out extensive overhead line renewals and signalling work between Barking and Purfleet that will enable future services to run as part of the Barking Riverside extension project;
• renewing old signalling equipment between Norwich and Lowestoft
• renewing track at Stowmarket and maintenance work between King’s Lynn and Littleport; and
• significant capacity improvements on the Felixstowe branch line to allow more container traffic to move on the line each day to and from the port of Felixstowe as part of a £60m upgrade.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “The work taking place across the Anglia route is absolutely vital to provide passengers with a much more reliable service.

“We know there is never a good time to close the railway but doing the work over the bank holiday means we can achieve so much more and deliver the punctuality and reliability benefits to passengers at a time when fewer people want to travel.

“We are working closely with c2c, Greater Anglia and TfL to help passengers complete their journeys, and we would like to thank you for your patience while these vital works take place.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We’re sorry when customers are inconvenienced by engineering works, as we know passengers would rather travel by train all the way.

“However, we will make sure that customers get to their destinations, even if part of their journey is by bus.

“A large part of the network is engineering-free this Easter and as ever we’d advise people to check before they travel.”

c2c Managing Director Julian Drury said: “We’ll be working with Network Rail to do our best to keep customers moving this Easter during these essential upgrades.

“We'll be diverting our services from Southend and Basildon to Liverpool Street and Stratford, while for other areas of our route we’ll be providing shuttle trains and buses to help you with your journey.”      

Passengers are advised to check their journey with their train operator or www.nationalrail.co.uk before travelling.

Rail replacement bus services will operate on some routes to allow passengers to complete their journeys while these works are taking place.

 Details

Greater Anglia

From Good Friday until Easter Monday:

• Buses will replace trains between Shenfield and Southend Victoria and between Wickford and Southminster.
• Sheringham station is closed for major improvement work and buses will replace trains between Cromer and Sheringham.
• Buses will replace trains between Ipswich and Felixstowe.

 On Easter Sunday

• Buses will replace trains between Ipswich and Norwich all day.
• Buses will replace trains between Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds all day.

From Easter Sunday to Easter Monday:

• Buses will replace trains between Littleport and Kings Lynn.

c2c

From Friday 19 until Monday 22 April:

• Trains will not run to / from London Fenchurch Street.
• Buses will replace trains between Barking and Grays via Rainham

On Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday:  

• 2 trains per hour will run between London Liverpool Street and Shoeburyness via Basildon
• 2 trains per hour will run between Grays and Southend Central
• 2 trains per hour will run between Grays and Upminster

On Easter Saturday:  

• 4 trains per hour will run between London Liverpool Street and Shoeburyness via Basildon
• 2 trains per hour will run between Grays and Southend Central
• 2 trains per hour will run between Grays and Upminster
• Trains will not call at Barking until after 07:00.
• West Ham United are at home against Leicester City. Additional services will run before and after the match and services will be formed of 8 or 12 carriages.

London Underground

Please visit www.tfl.gov.uk to plan your journey