Network Rail and Greater Anglia have announced the dates when the Great Eastern Main Line between Norwich and Ipswich will be closed for repairs.
To reduce closure and downtime, Network Rail have combined a number of maintenance tasks across the line, such as fitting 1.5 miles of new rail.
This work should hopefully increase punctuality along the line for passengers.
Work takes place on the following weekends:
- Saturday 27th to Sunday 28th of February
- Saturday 13th to Sunday 14th of March
Buses will operate on a number of routes on different days:
- Saturday 27th February 2021
- Buses will operate between Norwich and Stowmarket via Diss and between Norwich and Ipswich via Diss
- Sunday 28th February 2021
- Buses will operate between Norwich and Ipswich
- Trains will be replaced by buses between Ipswich and Felixstowe/Saxmundham.
- Trains will operate between Saxmundham and Lowestoft only
- Saturday 13th March 2021
- Buses will run between Norwich and Stowmarket via Diss and between Norwich and Ipswich via Diss
- Sunday 14th March 2021
- Buses will operate between Norwich and Ipswich
- Trains will be replaced by buses between Ipswich and Felixstowe/Woodbridge.
- Trains will operate between Woodbridge and Lowestoft only
- Rail replacement buses will operate between Ipswich and Ely to replace Peterborough trains, and will replace trains between Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds, replacing Cambridge services.
- Trains will be in operation between Ely and Peterborough and between Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge.
Rail replacement bus services will be running, with more information on these can be found on Greater Anglia's website or National Rail Enquiries' website
Network Rail's Route Director for Anglia Ellie Burrows said: “This work is crucial to prevent delays and cancellations from track faults between Norwich and Ipswich, which will benefit all passengers travelling on the Great Eastern Main Line. I'd like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this work.”
Greater Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles said: “This work will help improve punctuality on one of the key routes on our network. Rail replacement buses will operate while this work takes place, to ensure passengers are able to complete their journeys.
“We would like to thank customers for their patience while this essential work takes place.
“Government advice at the moment is to stay at home and to only travel for essential reasons such as work, medical appointments and other legally permissible reasons. Our Safer Travel pledge highlights everything we are currently doing to help keep customers safe while travelling with us.”
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I would like to see Haughley Junction put back to double track and all the other parts that go that.
Question is whether greater Anglia will honour the usually lower price charged on the NRW LST route on journeys via Ely to London (especially important if you have the Club 50 railcars).
From past experience they won’t, National Rail website and GA website will show Ely route as “preferred” at a much higher price (more than £20 more from recollection of past experience) unless you put in a “via” of COL to force a GEML routed ticket with replacement buses.
Happy to avoid taking replacement buses, but not paying that much for the privilege.
Answering my own question as I need to take a trip on that route and there are weekend engineering works with replacement buses (and uncertain social distancing).
Nope, same old overcharging problem. Now they are not a franchise anymore there should be no issues of price capping being a commercial issue.
Really not customer centric.
What about continuing on replacing overhead wires including at Stratford and Maryland in East London and between Prittlewell and Southend Victoria on the Southend Victoria Line. And upgrade works at Clacton-on-Sea.