Passengers urged to check before they travel as Anglia’s rail network set for upgrades this Easter: Stratford 2

Monday 22 Mar 2021

Passengers urged to check before they travel as Anglia’s rail network set for upgrades this Easter

Region & Route:
Eastern: Anglia

Passengers who need to travel into London from Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex over Easter are urged to check their journeys in advance as Network Rail plans to carry out major upgrades to improve reliability on the busy main line and Southend branch lines.

Work will take place over the Easter weekend between Friday 2 to Monday 5 April. In line with Government guidance, passengers are urged to minimise travel over the Easter bank holiday, and those who do need to travel should check in advance whether their route will be affected by the engineering works taking place. The work will involve:

Great Eastern main line (Norwich - London Liverpool Street)

  • Installing new overhead wire, structures and steel work at Stratford as part of works to upgrade the overhead wiring system. The new system automatically tightens the wires when they sag in hot weather, preventing the need for speed restrictions that cause delays and cancellations.
  • Replacing two point-ends, which form part of the switches and crossings units that allow trains to switch lines Gidea Park. As part of this work, 300 metres of track will also be replaced. This will prevent delays and cancellations caused by track issues.
  • Track maintenance works between Harold Wood and Stratford, and maintenance works at Liverpool Street to keep services running safely and reliably.

Southend Victoria branch line (Southend Victoria - London Liverpool Street)

  • Overhead line, track maintenance and earthworks between Billericay and Southend Victoria to keep the services running safely and reliably.

c2c line (London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness)

  • Work between Grays and Pitsea as part of a wider programme to upgrade the overhead wiring system to prevent delays and cancellations when wires sag in hot weather.

TfL Rail lines (Shenfield to London Liverpool Street)

  • Work continues to extend platforms 16 and 17 at Liverpool Street, in preparation for the full-length Elizabeth line trains which are planned to be introduced later this year.
  • Additional work to the overhead lines and signalling systems will also take place at Liverpool Street station.

Follow up works will take place on the following weekend of Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April, along track renewals at Billericay and footbridge strengthening works at Seven Kings, Goodmayes and Brentwood. Some preparatory works will also take place the weekend before, on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March.

Rail replacement services will run throughout and passengers who need to travel are advised to check beforehand.

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director said: “We’re carrying out vital upgrades to the main line this Easter in order to improve reliability, which means fewer delays and cancellations for passengers. I’d like to remind passengers who do need to travel over Easter to check before they travel while the work is carried out.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “This work will help to improve punctuality and performance along these vital parts of the network.

“We will be running a rail replacement bus service while the work takes place so customers will be able to complete their journeys. Passengers should check before they travel, allow more time for their journey and wear a face covering when travelling by train or rail replacement bus and at our stations.

“Government travel guidance for Easter is to minimise journeys and avoid travelling at busy times and on the busiest routes. Greater Anglia has several measures in place to keep you safe, from regular cleaning and sanitisation of trains and stations, to making it easier for you to socially distance.

“We would like to thank customers for their patience while this work takes place.”

Passengers who need to travel between London and Norwich, London and Southend Victoria and London and Shoeburyness are advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator.

Notes to editors

Greater Anglia services

Greater Anglia services will be affected between London and Norwich and London and Southend Victoria on the following days:

  • Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March
  • Friday 2 to Monday 5 April (Easter weekend)
  • Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April

Rail replacement services will run, please check the website www.greateranglia.co.uk or the app for more details.

TfL Rail services

  • There will be no TfL Rail service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield during the Easter weekend, Good Friday (Friday 2 April) to Monday 5 April (Easter Monday), and the following weekend (Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April). Regular Rail Replacement buses will run calling at all stations (except Maryland).
  • Between Tuesday 6 April and Friday 9 April, there will be no service between Liverpool Street and Stratford. This is while work continues to extend platforms 16 and 17 at Liverpool Street, in preparation for the full-length Elizabeth line trains which are planned to be introduced later this year. Customers can use the Central line or Greater Anglia services for journeys between the two stations.

More details: https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/

c2c services

c2c services will be affected on the following dates:

  • Sunday 28 March
  • Friday 2 to Monday 5 April

More details: www.c2c-online.co.uk

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - Katie Mack
Media relations manager (Anglia route)
0330 8577 132
Katie.Mack@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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