The work comes as part of a project which will see platforms extended at Hertford East and Ware to enable them to accommodate Greater Anglia's new ten-carriage electric commuter trains with the work set to take place from Monday the 11th to Monday the 18th of April.
Customers travelling with Greater Anglia will still be able to carry out their journey during the 8 day period as follows:
- Greater Anglia customers can use their tickets on Great Northern services from Hertford North to London King's Cross or Moorgate throughout the eight-day closure
- A rail replacement bus service will also be in operation from Hertford East, Ware, St Margarets and Rye House to Broxbourne, where Greater Anglia trains will run to London Liverpool Street.
Greater Anglia also wants to advise customers using the Hertford East Line of further works on the platform extension project taking place from Good Friday to Easter Monday (15th April to 18th April) which will coincide with Network Rail track works being carried out between Bishops Stortford and Waltham Cross.
Ongoing work on the platform extensions will also take place during the summer, with the new longer platforms expected to be complete by autumn.
Greater Anglia will be holding a ‘meet the manager; session at Ware station on Wednesday the 6th of April in order to give customers a chance to ask questions to staff about the closure.
Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia's Client and Programme Director, said:
“We thank our customers for their patience while this essential work takes place to get the Hertford East line ready to accommodate our new trains so they can run at their full length.
“There are 1,000 seats when two of our 5-carriage commuter trains are coupled together, so more customers will be able to get a seat than ever before.”
The new trains are longer and have more seating, they also feature USB and plug points, fast free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, improved accessibility features and an accessible toilet on each train. The trains also include better passenger information screens and dedicated cycle spaces.
The new trains are also more environmentally friendly with many more environmental features, such as regenerative braking, which puts electricity back into the network whilst braking. The trains also feature a lighter, more aerodynamic chassis, which makes the trains much more energy efficient.
The Class 720s have now mostly taken over the West Anglia and Great Eastern lines and branch lines in Essex. With the Class 317 and Class 321 slowly being phased out since the Class 720 trains came into service few years ago.