The Southend Victoria line is to be upgraded in 2018 to help increase capacity and installed overhead wires for electric trains.
The work is to reduce delays and improve reliability. Work will begin on the 15th January 2018 between Shenfield and Hockley.
The work will affect services from 9:30 pm Monday to Thursday each week for 5 months.
Overnight work was to allow the project to be fast-tracked by one year. This allows passengers to feel the benefits quicker.
Engineers have installed 100 structures to carry the new overhead wires between Shenfield and Southend Victoria. They have also installed over 1km of Overhead Wire between Shenfield and Billericay. This marks the start of work to install 128km of wire on the whole line to reduce delays. The delays are due to sagging overhead wires.
The current wire and structures are some of the oldest in the country, having been installed in the 1950s. When the weather gets hot, the wire sags, causing delays and cancellations as a result of reduced speed limits. This stops any damage to trains.
No trains will be running whilst the work is carried out. Please check your train provider before you travel.
Work will also take place between Southend Victoria and Shenfield in January.
What did the officials say?
Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail's route managing director for Anglia, said: “This work will bring crucial improvements to our Southend passengers as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan. The new wiring system will reduce delays on this line, especially in the hot summer months. Weeknight closures will enable us to complete this work quickly so passengers will benefit sooner. I understand that closing the railway is inconvenient and I'd like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this important work.”
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We are working with Network Rail to make a railway for now and for future generations. We are sorry that customers are inconvenienced by this work, but combined with the brand new trains we're getting from 2019, it will transform journeys on the Southend Victoria line. We know our customers would rather stay on the train until they reach their destination, but we will still make sure they can complete their journey, even if part of it is by bus.”
- Visit the Greater Anglia Website
For more information
Cant wait to see new overhead wires erected on the Southend Victoria Line. About time that Network Rail should do more to improve the Southend Victoria Line by replacing the old overhead wires and to install new overhead wires that wont sag.
finally a smart person