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Passengers using Greater Anglia and TfL Rail services are reminded to check before they travel as ten weekends of important railway improvement works begin on Saturday, 4 February as Network Rail’s orange army continues to deliver its £250m programme to upgrade overhead wires, and Crossrail construction work takes place to prepare Shenfield station for future Transport for London (TfL) Elizabeth line services.

Work is underway on a £25 million scheme to transform Hackney Wick Overground station and deliver major improvements for Londoners and businesses in the surrounding area.

Rail passengers in South Cambridgeshire will soon benefit from longer trains that can carry more people as Network Rail begins work to extend platforms at three Cambridgeshire stations.

Residents and passengers in Cornwall will benefit from a safer level crossing as Network Rail continues to deliver its Railway Upgrade Plan.

Alex Hynes, the current managing director of Arriva Rail North, is to be appointed managing director of the ScotRail Alliance.

Network Rail’s Orange Army worked throughout the festive period to deliver upgrades on the Great Western route and Crossrail, with 413,992 combined hours – over 47 years – contributed over 10 days of upgrade work to deliver a bigger, better railway for passengers.

Network Rail and Abellio have today announced that Phil Verster will be moving to become managing director of the East West rail project that was announced by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling last month.

• Birmingham New Street station was the best performing station in England, recording a 26% growth in sales on last Christmas
• Network Rail reports 9.5% sales growth across its managed stations over the festive period
• 32% of total station users – almost 34 million people across Britain - visited a station retailer between 19 November and 24 December