Work to improve rail travel for Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex rail passengers heads towards completion

Tuesday 19 Dec 2017

Work to improve rail travel for Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex rail passengers heads towards completion

Region & Route:: Eastern: Anglia; | Eastern

Work ramps up next year on the mainline between Norwich and London as Network Rail engineers carry out a package of work that will transform journeys into the capital.

Starting at the end of January, important upgrades for the Crossrail programme and work to install new overhead wire between Essex and London will continue apace in the run up to completion.

At weekends from the end of January to April 2018, nearly 8km of new overhead wire will be installed between Ilford and Manor Park, along with structures to carry the wire as part of a £250m project to install a new overhead wiring system that automatically adapts to temperature changes. This follows on from the work to install 10km of overhead wire at Ilford at Christmas and will result in fewer delays to journeys between Norwich and London.

Work also continues on the Crossrail programme to upgrade the mainline and stations between Brentwood and London Liverpool Street in preparation for the opening of the eastern section of the Elizabeth line at the end of 2018. When fully open in 2019, the Elizabeth line will increase central London’s rail capacity by 10% and bring 1.5 million extra people within 45 minutes of central London. Passengers will be able to travel to parts of the City, West End and west London without the need to change trains and will also benefit from improved links to Heathrow Airport.

These improvements will last for decades to come and help to provide a much more reliable service to the growing numbers of passengers using the busy mainline.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “This work is crucial to improving rail travel in the East Anglia region, to provide more reliable services and improved connections across London. The number of people travelling by rail continues to grow and this investment programme forms a key part of our Railway Upgrade Plan to support this demand. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this work.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “This work is vital for the modernisation of the railway in East Anglia, which both Network Rail and Greater Anglia, are committed to in order to provide a railway fit for future generations. We appreciate that engineering work is inconvenient to customers who would rather stay on the train for the whole of their journey. I would like to reassure people that we will make sure they can still complete their journeys, even if part of it is by bus.”

Passengers travelling at weekends from Sunday 21 January to 25 March are urged to check before they travel as rail replacement services will run from either Witham or Ingatestone to Newbury Park where passengers can pick up the central line. The closures also affect passengers travelling from Southend and Southminster. Passengers can check how their journey will be affected at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator ahead of travelling.

Notes to Editors

This work replaces the wires and structures that were installed in the 1950s, which is one of the oldest wiring systems in the country. When the weather gets hot, the wires sag and speed restrictions have to be imposed to protect them from damage by trains. The new wires are controlled by a system of weights, to keep them taut at all times, so trains can pass at their normal speed meaning fewer delays.

Greater Anglia

Date	Great Eastern Mainline	Southend Victoria line*	Other branch lines
Saturday 13 January	Trains running to London - Braintree and Clacton services will depart Liverpool Street 6 minutes earlier all day.	Bus replacement between Southend - Shenfield	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Sunday 14 January	Trains running to London - Braintree and Clacton services will depart Liverpool Street 6 minutes earlier all day.	Bus replacement between Southend - Shenfield	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Saturday 20 January	Trains running to London - Braintree and Clacton services will depart Liverpool Street 6 minutes earlier all day.	Bus replacement between Southend - Shenfield	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Sunday 21 January	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Saturday 27 January	Trains running to London - Braintree and Clacton services will depart Liverpool Street 6 minutes earlier all day.	Bus replacement between Southend - Shenfield	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Sunday 28 January	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Saturday 3 February	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Billericay – Newbury Park
Sunday 4 February	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Billericay – Newbury Park
Saturday 10 February	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Billericay – Newbury Park
Sunday 11 February	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Billericay – Newbury Park
Saturday 17 February	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Billericay – Newbury Park
Sunday 18 February	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Billericay – Newbury Park
Saturday 24 February	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park
Sunday 25 February	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Manningtree – Harwich Town
Saturday 3 March	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Sunday 4 March	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster – Wickford Bus replacement between Manningtree – Harwich Town
Saturday 10 March	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Sunday 11 March	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Saturday 17 March	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Sunday 18 March	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Saturday 24 March	Bus replacement between Ingatestone – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford
Sunday 25 March	Bus replacement between Witham – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southend – Newbury Park	Bus replacement between Southminster - Wickford

*c2c ticket acceptance will be offered on the Southend Branch Line into/ out of London at weekends, for monthly and longer season ticket holders.

More information

For more information go to www.nationalrail.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

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