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Monday 19 Dec 2022

Passengers reminded to check before travelling across Anglia this Christmas as major package of renewal, enhancements and maintenance work are planned.

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

The work over Christmas is essential to keep trains running reliably in 2023 and beyond. Passengers are being reminded to check with their train operators before they travel.

A major focus of the upgrades will be the lines around Liverpool Street, which will mean that no trains will run into or out of the mainline station from the end of service on Christmas Eve until the start of service on Tuesday 3 January.

This is because of work which includes:

• Bringing a brand-new power system into use that will supply overhead lines between Bow and Shenfield and support the long-term reliable running of both Elizabeth line and Greater Anglia trains.
• Replacing an old rail-over-road bridge near Bethnal Green
• Refurbishing multiple sets of points on the approach tracks into Liverpool Street station. Points allow trains to change between tracks, vital for everyday operations
• Strengthening the Bishopsgate tunnel which runs out of Liverpool Street

Greater Anglia will operate rail replacement buses (except on Christmas Day and Boxing Day) to help passengers get to and from London. Cambridge and Stansted Express services will start and terminate at Tottenham Hale.

London Overground services will not run into or out of Liverpool Street mainline station and there will be no Elizabeth line service between London and Shenfield.

On the c2c lines, work is taking place in the Grays area to replace stretches of overhead wire, reducing the likelihood of equipment failures and power outages. On the Ockendon line, buses will replace trains on certain days, while the Rainham line will also not run on some days, with rail replacement between Upminster and Pitsea via Grays. 

Other work on Anglia that will affect train services at times over the festive period includes:

• Carrying out a range of maintenance on the Southend Victoria line and the Southminster branch line, including work on the track, overhead lines and signalling equipment
• Refurbishing points near Gospel Oak station to help London Overground trains run reliably on the line to Barking
• Replacing old rails near Hampstead Heath station, as well as putting in new ballast and sleepers which support the rails. This is to minimise the risk of track faults causing delays on the London Overground between Richmond and Stratford.
• Improving the overhead lines inside a tunnel near Stoke Newington which is used by both London Overground and Greater Anglia trains, as well as doing vegetation management and drainage work further up the line
• Maintaining overhead lines and signalling equipment on the London Overground between Camden Road and Stratford

Passengers should always check before they travel at greateranglia.co.uk, c2c-online.co.uk and tfl.gov.uk for the Elizabeth line and London Overground. Journeys can also be checked on the National Rail journey planner

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “Work over Christmas is critical for upgrading and maintaining the railway ahead of the new year, with our teams out on track while so many of us are having fun and relaxing in our homes.

“We have a significant Christmas programme this year, particularly on the lines into Liverpool Street. I hope passengers can understand the need for the upgrades and I’d like to reassure them that we’ll be getting a huge amount done while trains aren’t running. I also want to say thank you to our lineside neighbours for bearing with us while we’re out working hard in their communities.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We appreciate that this work is inconvenient for passengers, but it is vital for the long-term reliability of our busy network.

“We will make sure that our customers can all complete their journeys, even if part of it is by bus.”

Rob Mullen, c2c managing director, said: “As the railway tends to be much quieter over the Christmas and New Year period, it is a good opportunity for our colleagues at Network Rail to carry out essential upgrade work to our rail infrastructure.

“We are aware that weekend engineering has particularly affected customers on our Rainham and Ockendon lines over the last couple of months. However, overhead line issues are very disruptive so these works over the festive period will help improve the resilience of this vital equipment.

"We would ask our customers travelling over the festive period to check before they travel. A bus replacement service will also be operating on the Ockendon and Rainham parts of our route."