Over the Christmas period, Network Rail will carry out improvements, maintenance, and upgrades on part of Greater Anglia‘s network.

To minimise disruption, the majority of work will be carried out overnight and on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Although some routes will be affected by the work, most of Anglia’s network will remain open for business as usual.

The majority of work will take place in London from Friday 24 December until Monday 3 January, and includes:

• replacing overhead wires at Stratford, to prevent delays caused by sagging wires when the weather gets hot;
• safety work to the roof of London Liverpool Street station;
• replacement of wheel timbers, sleepers and rails and strengthening work at Camden bridge in north London;
• replacement of a life-expired bridge at Cricklewood, which carries freight lines over London underground lines. The new bridge is expected to last 120 years, reducing the need for further repair works;
• bridge strengthening works at Fenchurch Street;
• bridge replacements at Christian Street and Morris Street near Shadwell station;
• work on the Crossrail programme between Stratford and Liverpool Street;

The highways authority in Essex will also undertake works to remove a bridge at Generals Lane in Essex.

The following Greater Anglia services will be affected:

• Boxing Day – Stansted Express will run between Tottenham Hale and Stansted Airport. Greater Anglia tickets will be accepted on TfL Victoria Line between Tottenham Hale and Kings Cross, and on the Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines, between Kings Cross and Liverpool Street;
• Bank Holiday Monday 27 & Bank Holiday Tuesday 28 December – rail replacement bus services will operate between: Shenfield and Colchester; Braintree and Witham; Marks Tey and Sudbury. No service between Stratford and Meridian Water;
• Saturday 1 to Monday 3 January inclusive – no service between Stratford and Meridian Water.

The following c2c services will be affected:

• Christmas Day and Boxing Day – no service;
• Monday 27 December to Monday 3 January inclusive – reduced services on all lines.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel as rail replacement services will be in operation on some routes while the work takes place. Passengers should check with their rail operator how their journey might be affected.

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “We’ve got a huge package of work planned this Christmas and New Year that will reduce delays, maintain safety and improve reliability across the rail network and we’ve been able to plan this to keep most of the network open. These works are crucial to keep services running safely and reliably. I’d like to thank our passengers and our line side neighbours for their patience while we carry out this important work.”

c2c’s Delivery Director Laura McEwen, said: “As the railway tends to be much quieter over the Christmas and New Year period, it is a good opportunity for our colleagues at Network Rail to carry out essential upgrade work to our rail infrastructure.

“We will make sure our customers can complete their journeys, although some of our services will be operating differently to normal. We would ask our customers to check before they travel over the festive period.”
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We know that this year more than ever our customers will be keen to spend Christmas with their loved ones. We will make sure that everyone can complete their journeys, even if part of it is by rail replacement bus.

“We will make sure we keep customers up to date on our website, app and social media – so I’d like to remind people to check before they travel.”

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