Media centre

Wednesday 16 Apr 2025

Passengers encouraged to plan ahead for early May bank holiday work

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

This early May bank holiday, most of the railway network across east Anglia will be open for passengers to travel. Whether working, visiting friends or family, or exploring towns or the beauty of the countryside, train services will be running to most destinations.

Some services will be affected by planned engineering work however, and we encourage passengers travelling on these routes to check their plans and allow extra time to complete their journey. Our planned engineering work will include:

• Replacing worn-out and broken concrete sleepers beneath the tracks on the busy Barking to Pitsea freight route to improve track durability and renewal of track at Jurgens Lane level crossing near West Thurrock.
  
  
• Ongoing improvements at London Liverpool Street station to renew the roof panels of the heritage trainshed and improve the catchment and drainage system to increase protection and resilience against more frequent and intense storm events.
  
  
• Track and signal work to complete modifications following removal of the Brickhouse crossover at Easter and consolidating track renewals by packing the ballast under the tracks in the Chelmsford and Marks Tey areas, including work to support the new Beaulieu Park station in readiness for opening by the end of the year.
  
  
• Installing new railway signal equipment and preparing for the second phase of commissioning for the Cambridge re-signalling project ready for the opening of Cambridge South station in early 2026.
  
  

• Continuing to build and fit out the new Cambridge South station.
  
  

• General maintenance and ancillary work including track drainage, power supply renewals, signalling and surveys.
  
  

Katie Frost, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia said: "Every piece of essential engineering work carried out over this bank holiday is a step towards enabling a more reliable railway network for everyone across the region.

“We encourage passengers to check their journey plans in advance and allow extra time if their service is affected, as this work is key to maintaining a dependable service for all those travelling across Anglia."

Martin Beable, Greater Anglia managing director, said:

“These works are essential to keep the railway running and make it fit for the future.

“A rail replacement service will run while Network Rail carry out these projects, and passengers are advised to check before they travel and allow more time for their journey.

“We would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out.”

Laura McEwen, c2c Operations and Engineering Director said: "c2c would like to thank customers for their patience as our line undergoes small but vital engineering works. These works will ensure we are able to offer a better, more reliable network to our customers across our route in the long-term. We encourage all passengers to plan their journeys in advance and to allow extra time if their service is affected." 

Travel information and service alterations:
All passengers are encouraged to check their journey plans before travelling with National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator. Buses may be busier than usual, and passengers should allow extra time for their journey if affected by engineering work.

Greater Anglia and CrossCountry passengers travelling via Cambridge
From Saturday, 3 May 2025 to Monday, 5 May 2025
Buses will replace trains between Cambridge North and Audley End. Passengers travelling between Cambridge and London in the London direction will need to double-back at Cambridge North.

However, trains will continue to operate between Norwich and Cambridge (via Cambridge North, with connections to the rail replacement buses) as well as between Audley End, Stansted Airport, and London.

Great Northern and Thameslink passengers travelling via Cambridge
From Saturday, 3 May 2025 to Monday, 5 May 2025

Buses will replace trains between Royston and Cambridge. An additional bus service will run directly between Royston and Cambridge North, calling at no intermediate stations, to connect to services to/from Kings Lynn.

Greater Anglia passengers travelling via Colchester/Chelmsford
Sunday, 4 May 2025
Buses will replace trains between Colchester and Billericay, Sudbury and Marks Tey, and Braintree and Witham.

Trains will continue to operate between Norwich, Ipswich, Clacton-on-Sea, and Colchester, as well as between Billericay and Liverpool Street.

c2c passengers travelling on the Essex Thameside lines
On Sunday, 4 May 2025

• Basildon Line: Liverpool Street services will be diverted to Fenchurch Street, calling at West Ham but not at Stratford. Ticket acceptance will be available on the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham. Fenchurch Street is a short walk from Liverpool Street.
• Ockendon Line: Services will start and terminate at Grays, with rail replacement buses running between Grays and Pitsea via Tilbury.
• Rainham Line: Rail replacement buses will be in place between Upminster, Rainham, Purfleet, and Grays. Passengers for Dagenham Dock will have ticket acceptance on the EL2 and 287 TfL bus services.
  
  

On Monday, 5 May 2025
A Sunday-level service will be in operation, with earlier first trains and later last trains, like a standard Saturday timetable. Specific disruptions include:

• Basildon Line: Liverpool Street services will again be diverted to Fenchurch Street, calling at West Ham but not Stratford. Ticket acceptance will still be available on the Jubilee line between Stratford and West Ham, and Fenchurch Street is a short walk from Liverpool Street.
• Ockendon Line: Services will start and terminate at Grays, with rail replacement buses in place between Grays and Pitsea via Tilbury.
• Rainham Line: These services will not run. Rail replacement buses will be in place between Upminster, Rainham, Purfleet, and Grays, and passengers for Dagenham Dock will have ticket acceptance on the EL2 and 287 TfL bus services.