Passengers are being urged to check journey plans ahead of travelling as the work this July will affect those heading to London from Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
The essential work will take place on Sunday the 24th of July and will see the extension of platforms to for new trains and provide power ahead of the Elizabeth Line's next stages of opening which will see services from Shenfield connected to Paddington station via the City of London and the West End.
The works being carried out will support the increasing number of passengers returning and will see:
- Power upgrade for Pudding Mill Lane near Stratford that will provide power for Elizabeth Line services.
- Work to lengthen platforms on the West Anglia main line to accommodate 10-car trains
The next phase of the Elizabeth line opening will see the integration of services from east to west using the new central tunnels and stations which will offer additional benefits for those making their way from the east to the west. Connecting the three railways will also enable services from Reading and Heathrow through to Abbey Wood and from Shenfield through to Paddington. Central stations services between Paddington and Whitechapel will see 22 trains each hour during peak services and 16 trains per hour during off-peak.
During the work, buses will replace trains on the Great Eastern main line between Ingatestone and Liverpool Street. The West Anglia main line will also see buses replace trains between Bishops Stortford and Waltham Cross, and also between Hertford East and Waltham Cross.
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail's route director for Anglia, said: “This work is vital to upgrade the railway to support new, longer trains for West Anglia passengers and to support the next stage of the opening of the Elizabeth line which will revolutionise the way passengers travel across London. I'd like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out these works.”
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We're very sorry for the inconvenience these engineering works cause in the short term, but in the long term they play a part in improving rail connections and modernising our railway, making it better for everyone.
“We will make sure that customers can complete their journeys – even if part of it is by rail replacement bus.”
Romford platforms 2 and 3 should be extended to accommodate Class 720 trains operating 10-Car formation with platforms 4 and 5 that have been extended to accommodate the 9-Car Elizabeth Line Class 345 trains.