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Thursday 6 Feb 2025

Essex Thameside weekend engineering work planned to maintain reliability for passengers.

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

Network Rail’s maintenance teams will be out in force during weekends in February and March to deliver essential work to keep the railway running safely and reliably.

Passengers planning to use c2c services during specific weekends in February and March are being encouraged to check before they travel and to leave extra time to complete their journeys.

Engineering work will take place over three consecutive weekends along the Essex Thameside line which will involve significant maintenance of the railway infrastructure and at stations, including:

• Rebuilding a retaining wall around an existing drainage culvert at Upminster to maintain stability and keep trains safe.
• Managing lineside vegetation at Basildon station to reduce the risk of trees falling onto the line and reduce the amount of leaf fall in the area which can affect train performance.
• Making repairs and removing redundant materials at Chalkwell Station.
• Repairing track defects and;
• Undertaking general maintenance of the track

 Mark Walker, Network Rail Anglia route infrastructure engineer, said: "A well-maintained railway enables safety and efficiency. While closing parts of a busy line isn’t ideal, these improvements are essential for both passenger and freight services. We thank passengers for their patience during these necessary works."

Rail replacement buses will be in operation on parts of the c2c rail network on the following weekend dates:

• Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 February
• Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 February
• Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March

Travel information and service alterations:
Passengers are encouraged to check their journey plans before travelling with National Rail Enquiries or via the c2c website.  Alternative train services may be busier than usual, and passengers should allow extra time for their journey.

Saturday 15 February: Services start/terminate at Fenchurch Street and Laindon, calling at West Ham, but not calling at Stratford. Other services will operate between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness via an alternative route.

Alternative Route: Rail replacement between Laindon and Pitsea. Ticket acceptance on the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham.

Sunday 16 February Services operate via an alternative route, not calling at Liverpool Street, Stratford, West Horndon, Laindon, or Basildon.

Alternative Route: Rail replacement between Upminster and Pitsea via Laindon. Ticket acceptance on the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham.

Saturday 22 February: Services start/terminate at Fenchurch Street and Laindon, calling at West Ham, but not calling at Stratford. Other services will operate between Fenchurch Street and Leigh-on-Sea via an alternative route.

Alternative Route: Rail replacement between Laindon and Pitsea and between Leigh-on-Sea and Shoeburyness. Ticket acceptance on the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham.

Sunday 23 February: Services start/terminate at Fenchurch Street and Laindon, calling at West Ham, but not calling at Stratford. Services extended to Stanford-le-Hope, calling at Tilbury Town and East Tilbury.

Alternative Route: Rail replacement between Laindon and Shoeburyness. Rail replacement between Stanford-le-Hope and Shoeburyness. Ticket acceptance on the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham.

Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 March: Services run between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness via Rainham, with no Liverpool Street services.

Alternative Route: Shuttle services between Upminster and Pitsea, and between Upminster and Grays. No District line between Barking and Upminster. Passengers with a valid ticket can use Jubilee line services between West Ham and Stratford.