Media centre

Tuesday 7 May 2019

Passengers set to benefit from rail upgrades across Anglia

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

Passengers are set to benefit following major upgrades to the region’s rail network over the early May bank holiday, as all of the projects across Anglia were delivered on time. 

As part of the company’s Railway Upgrade Plan across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and East London, Network Rail engineers:

• Replaced overhead lines and structures between Billericay and Shenfield as part of a project to improve reliability for passengers on the Southend Victoria line.
• Renewed old signalling equipment between Norwich and Lowestoft
• Carried out additional work to improve the reliability of the line between London Fenchurch Street station and Barking and completed some minor upgrades following the replacement of the two bridges at Caroline Street and Devonport Street in Limehouse, East London during Easter
• Upgraded the signalling equipment on the West Anglia mainline
• Decommissioned a level crossing on the Felixstowe branch line as part of a project to allow more container traffic to move on the line each day to and from the port of Felixstowe

Nationally, thousands of workers across the country worked on projects that delivered more reliable infrastructure, improved facilities and services for passengers.

The work was completed at the quietest time for rail travel on the country’s railway with around half the normal number of passengers travelling compared to the 4.8 million journeys taken every day.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “Anglia’s Team Orange worked incredibly hard over the bank holiday to maintain and upgrade the railway, helping us to deliver more reliable services to passengers and freight users.  

“We know there is never a good time to close the railway, so I want to offer my thanks to passengers and our lineside neighbours for their continued understanding while this much needed work was carried out.”

With another bank holiday weekend on the horizon, Network Rail is advising passengers to plan their journeys in advance of the next one between 25-27 May.

Some of the work in the Anglia region includes:

• A nine-day closure of the line between Southend Victoria and Wickford to replace overhead wires that is happening between 25 May and 2 June, with train services replaced by buses
• Improving the reliability of the track between Fenchurch Street and East Ham
• Continuing the upgrade to platforms at Sheringham station
• Renewing overhead line equipment, switches and crossings – movable sections of rail that guide trains from one track to another - and track maintenance between Ipswich and Norwich/Bury St Edmunds
• 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.

Meliha Duymaz added: “We're continuing to improve the railway in our region over the next bank holiday but that will mean some disruption while we carry out these improvements for passengers.

“While a lot of the network will be open, if you are thinking about travelling, please plan ahead by checking with your train operator or visiting the National Rail Enquiries website.”