Through autumn until the end of the year, several crucial upgrades will be taking place across the Great Eastern Main Line and other branch lines.

The work is planned to be carried out across weekends starting on the 11th September. This work will include renewal of points and crossing units at Witham, track, drainage and level crossing work at Kelvedon, track renewal along Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze lines, renewal of wheel timbers at River Stour, track renewal between Ipswich and Norwich and work to the power supply between Liverpool Street and Ingatestone.

Due to the work, rail replacement buses will run on the 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th September and on the 1st, 8th, 9th, and 30th October between Chelmsford and Colchester. the Braintree branch line will also have a replacement service bus in place on these dates.

On the 24th and 25th September, the Marks Tey to Sudbury branch line will also be affected. With further work taking place on the 5th and 6th of November between Colchester and Ipswich, on the Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze lines, and on the Harwich branch line.

Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze lines will have additional work done to them on the 16th, 22nd, 23rd October and 19th, 20th and 27th November.

Replacement buses will be in place between Ipswich and Norwich on the 15th, 16th and 23rd October to replace old track on the line.

Work will go ahead on the 2nd of October on the Felixstowe and East Suffolk lines with buses between Ipswich and Woodbridge and Ipswich and Felixstowe.

The work on the 12th, 19th, 20th November will see power supply work completed, which will allow for future plans on the Elizabeth line to go underway.

With all plans for the work to go ahead, passengers are advised to check before they travel to see how trains will be affected. You can check if your train will be affected via the National Rail Enquiries website https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail‘s route director for Anglia, said: “We’re carrying out this important work to improve reliability and to maintain the safe operation of the rail network on these busy lines. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out the improvements.”
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia Managing Director, said: “These projects will help to improve punctuality and performance along busy parts of our 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 and allow more time for their journey.
“We would like to thank customers for their patience while this work takes place.”