Please see below communication received from Network Rail about the railway improvement works they are going to be carrying out from February to March to bring benefits for people travelling between Norwich and London.
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. Crossrail construction work will also continue to prepare Shenfield station for future Transport for London (TfL) Elizabeth line services.
This type of work can only take place when the railway is closed. Over the ten weekends, there will be no TfL Rail service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Greater Anglia services will also be affected (full details provided as an appendix). Rail replacement buses will operate and customers are advised to check their journeys before they travel at nationalrail.co.uk, tfl.gov.uk or with greateranglia.co.uk/alteration.
Over the ten weekends Crossrail construction work will continue at Shenfield to pave the way for the introduction of new walk-through, air-conditioned, electric trains for TfL Rail passengers from May, including:
- Connecting the new platform six at Shenfield station to the existing rail network for future Elizabeth line services to use
- Altering platforms so that they are the correct height for the new trains
- Upgrading the rail junction at Shenfield so that freight, fast and stopping passenger services can run without impeding each other
TfL and Network Rail will also use this opportunity to continue improvement work at stations along the TfL Rail route in preparation for the Elizabeth line.
The next set of wires will be replaced at Seven Kings and work over the first four weekends will focus on installing the structures that will carry the wires. New, more durable, heat-resistant wires that will not sag during the hot summer months will be installed in the following six weekends. This will enable the lifting of heat-related speed restrictions which have caused significant delays to train services when the wires get hot, meaning fewer delays for passengers all the way up to Norwich.
To make the most of the closed line, track, ballast and sleepers will be renewed at Romford to reduce maintenance and make the railway more reliable.
Our engineers will carry out a huge package of important work over these ten weekends as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan to improve reliability, reduce delays and prepare the TfL Rail line for new trains from May. We’d like to again thank passengers for their continued patience and understanding while we make these improvements. A customer leaflet with further information on the rail services affected will be available at TfL Rail and Greater Anglia stations shortly.
Further work is planned over Easter, the May bank holidays and additional weekends after Easter and we will write to you with further detail on this nearer the time.
If you would like any further information please contact Hannah Briggs, Public Affairs Manager on hannah.briggs@networkrail.co.uk
| Date | TfL Rail | Greater Anglia |
| Sat 4 February | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone /Billericay and Liverpool Street station** |
| Sun 5 February | ||
| Sat 11 February | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone /Billericay and Liverpool Street station** |
| Sun 12 February | Rail replacement bus services for journeys between Witham/Billericay and Liverpool Street station** | |
| Sat 18 February | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone/Wickford and London Liverpool Street station** |
| Sun 19 February | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Wickford and London Liverpool Street station** | |
| Sat 25 February | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool station and Southminster to Wickford *** |
| Sun 26 February | ||
| Sat 4 March | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street station and Southminster to Wickford *** |
| Sun 5 March | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street station and Southminster to Wickford*** | |
| Sat 11 March | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone/Billericay and London Liverpool Street station** |
| Sun 12 March | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Billericay and London Liverpool Street station** | |
| Sat 18 March | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street station and Southminster to Wickford *** |
| Sun 19 March | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool station and Southminster to Wickford*** | |
| Sat 25 March | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street station and Southminster to Wickford*** |
| Sun 26 March | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street station and Southminster to Wickford*** | |
| Sat 1 April | No train service between Gidea Park and Shenfield after 23:00. Replacement buses will run**** | Normal Saturday service |
| Sun 2 April | No train service between Ilford and Shenfield before 09:00 and between Chadwell Heath and Shenfield after 09:00. Replacement buses will run**** | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Wickford and London Liverpool Street station** |
| Sat 8 April | No train service between Liverpool Street and Shenfield. Replacement buses will run* | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Ingatestone/Billericay and London Liverpool Street station** |
| Sun 9 April | Replacement buses will run for journeys between Witham/Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street station and Southminster to Wickford*** | |
Rail replacement bus service information
Buses will replace Tfl Rail trains between Brentwood and Shenfield until late May 2017.
* A rail replacement bus service will run every 15 minutes calling at all stops (except Liverpool Street and Maryland), as well as Newbury Park for the Central line.
** A rail replacement bus service will run between Ingatestone or Witham/Billericay or Wickford and Newbury Park (London Underground Tube Station) calling at all stops. Tickets will be accepted on the Central line from Newbury Park to/from London Liverpool Street.
*** A rail replacement bus service will run between Ingatestone or Witham/Southend Victoria and Newbury Park (London Underground Tube Station), and between Wickford and Southminster calling at all stops. Tickets will be accepted on the Central line from Newbury Park to/from London Liverpool Street.
**** A rail replacement bus service will call at all affected stations.
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