Rail users in East Anglia are being urged to plan ahead of travel this March, as Network Rail carries out major weekend engineering work on lines to and from London Liverpool Street.

The upgrades will take place over the weekends of 7-8, 14-15, 21-22, and 28-29 March. In addition, London Liverpool Street station, including the concourse, will close for five days: 15, 21, 22, 28, and 29 March.

Network Rail says the work is essential to keep busy sections of the railway safe, reliable, and efficient.

The improvements cover a wide range of maintenance and renewal work, including track and rail renewal, roof upgrades, drainage works, station and platform work, and inspections, among many other key tasks to be carried out along the section of track.

Passengers are advised to check their travel plans before setting off, as the weekend works and station closures will affect many journeys across East Anglia. Replacement buses are available on some disrupted routes to allow passengers to reach their destinations, so extra time for travel is recommended.

“I’m sorry that our work will impact weekend passenger journeys in March. There is never a good time to close the railway, but our planned work will deliver an extensive amount of renewals, repairs, maintenance and necessary inspections on these busy, well used routes into London Liverpool Street.

“Much of the work needs to be done while trains are not running to keep our staff safe, and we are maximising the time we have to do as much as we can.”

Katie Frost, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia.

“These projects will help improve and maintain very busy parts of the network, which will help to maintain our high standards of punctuality and reliability.

“Passengers should check before they travel and allow more time for their journey. We would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while Network Rail carry out this essential work.”

Martin Beable, Greater Anglia’s Managing Director.