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Tuesday 9 Aug 2016

Railway upgrades in Norfolk, Essex and East London to deliver smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers

Region & Route:

| Eastern: Anglia

| Eastern

| Southern

Passengers travelling from Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex to London Liverpool Street will benefit from fewer delays and more reliable journeys from September, following installation of a new railway bridge in Norwich and new track at Mile End during the August bank holiday weekend. Crossrail construction work will also continue along the route between Shenfield and London Liverpool Street.

The railway will remain open between Ipswich and Stratford while the work is carried out, meaning there will be less impact on passengers travelling from Suffolk and Essex to London over the bank holiday period.

Work taking place this August bank holiday, as part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan, to provide a bigger and better railway for passengers, includes:

• The replacement of a bridge in Norwich which carries the main line to London over Long John Hill, meaning the railway will be closed between Norwich and Ipswich. The new bridge has already been built on adjacent land so that the railway can be closed for as short a time as possible. The new structure has a flat and reinforced underside instead of an archway, to reduce both the likelihood of a vehicle hitting it and the damage to the bridge if a vehicle does hit it, increasing the robustness and reliability of the railway. Once the new bridge is in place, trains will once again run at line speed, resulting in fewer delays to passengers.

• Crossrail construction work to extend platforms along the TfL rail route in preparation for new trains from May 2017, and to install a roof on the footbridge over the railway at Gidea Park station. Works to the station buildings will also take place at Forest Gate, Gidea Park and Harold Wood.

• To improve the safety and reliability of the network, half a mile of track will be replaced between London Liverpool Street and Stratford. This will make passenger journeys smoother and more reliable.

• The high output ballast cleaner, which cleans the stones that form the track bed, will cover over a mile of track in the Norwich area. This will allow effective drainage under the track, enabling a safe, smooth and comfortable ride for passengers, with fewer delays.

Richard Schofield, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “These important upgrades and renewals will make the railway more robust and reliable, improving journeys for thousands of passengers. This bank holiday, the work will be much less disruptive as we are keeping the main lines open between Ipswich and Stratford.  I thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this vital work to maintain the smooth running of the railway for years to come.”

Jamie Burles, managing director, Abellio Greater Anglia, said: “We are grateful to customers for their patience and understanding while these important works are carried out. The improvements will help to deliver a better and more reliable service for passengers on the Great Eastern Main Line. We are committed to working with Network Rail to improve punctuality and performance across our network.”

Work between Stratford and London Liverpool Street will affect Abellio Greater Anglia services from Saturday to Monday, and there will be no TfL Rail services between Stratford and London Liverpool Street on Sunday and Monday. Customers are advised to use Central line services and to always check before they travel.

Notes to editors

The railway will be closed between Norwich and Ipswich while the bridge replacement work is carried out, affecting Abellio Greater Anglia services. A rail replacement bus service will be in place between Norwich and Ipswich. Tickets will also be accepted via Cambridge.

The line between Stratford and London Liverpool Street will be closed affecting Abellio Greater Anglia services. Services will terminate at Stratford and tickets to London Liverpool Street will be accepted on the Central Line.

The line between Stratford and London Liverpool Street will be closed on Sunday and Monday affecting TfL Rail services. Customers are advised to use Central line services.