Network Rail engineers have completed an extensive set of railway engineering work across the Anglia region to benefit passenger and freight services.
Major station construction programmes, track renewals, overhead line renewals, bridge demolitions and planned maintenance were completed successfully, despite poor weather conditions over the festive period. Network Rail also completed critical station work projects at Cambridge South and Beaulieu Park, connecting and completing new sections of mainline track to allow the station construction to continue safely into 2024.
The following work was completed:
- At Cambridge South, a new track alignment was brought into operation allowing train services to be diverted around an area of construction of the station platforms.
- The Cambridge resignalling team installed signal gantries, and associated signalling equipment between Cambridge and Ely as part of a larger programme of investment.
- At Beaulieu Park station, new track was brought into use to allow trains to divert around the area of construction for new platforms while the new station building work continued.
- Track points were replaced and adjustments made to the overhead line equipment at Barking to improve reliability.
- 1,000 metres of new overhead wire installed at Stratford, completing all overhead wire renewals in this location and a set of track points were renewed at Stratford to improve reliability.
- Network Rail demolished the Kingsbury Road bridge which had come to the end of its useful life. It is planning to install a new structure on the weekend of 27 and 28 January and reopen the bridge by summer 2024.
- Around 300 metres of rail and 392 baseplates in the tunnel at Ipswich were renewed as well as clearing out the gullys and gutters to maintain drainage.
- General maintenance work across the network to take advantage of existing closures of the railway by undertaking surveys, inspections and repairs.
Katie Frost, Network Rail’s Route Director for Anglia said: “Months of rigorous preparation for the engineering work over Christmas has been successfully delivered as planned and the railway reopened on schedule to passenger and freight services.
“Thank you to all our customers and passengers for your patience and understanding while we delivered a lot of work to maintain and improve the railway across Anglia.”
January 2024 Engineering work
Further weekend engineering work will be continuing over January 2024. Passengers are encouraged to continue to check journey plans via nationalrail.co.uk or via greateranglia.co.uk in advance and leave extra time if necessary to complete their journey.
Sat 6 and Sun 7 January
- In connection with construction work for the new Beaulieu Park station, the mainline will be closed between Chelmsford and Witham all weekend. A rail replacement bus service will be available.
- In connection with signalling work, buses replace trains between Norwich and Ely all weekend.
Sat 13 and Sun 14 January
- In connection with track renewal works and overhead line works, buses will replace trains between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea and between Colchester and Walton-on-the-Naze all weekend.
- In connection with track renewal works, buses will replace trains all weekend between Colchester and Ipswich, Colchester and Harwich Town (via Manningtree) and between Manningtree and Ipswich.
Sat 20 and Sun 21 January
- In connection with track renewal works and overhead line works, buses will replace trains between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea and between Colchester and Walton-on-the-Naze all weekend.
- In connection with track renewal works, buses will replace trains all weekend between Colchester and Ipswich, Colchester and Manningtree, and between Manningtree and Ipswich. A connecting shuttle train service will operate between Manningtree and Harwich Town.
- In connection with track renewal works, the line will be closed between Cheshunt, Hertford East and Audley End all weekend. Connecting rail replacement bus services will operate between Waltham Cross and Hertford East, Stansted Airport and Audley End.
Sat 27 and Sun 28 January
- In connection with track renewal works, buses will replace trains all weekend between Colchester and Ipswich (fast), Colchester and Harwich Town (via Manningtree) and between Manningtree and Ipswich.
- In connection with track renewal works, the line will be closed between Cheshunt, Hertford East and Audley End all weekend. Connecting rail replacement bus services will operate between Waltham Cross and Hertford East, Stansted Airport and Audley End.
Photo credit: Network Rail
