Passengers can enjoy East Anglia by rail over August bank holiday

Network Rail have issued the following press release about planned engineering work affecting some train services in East Anglia over the August bank Holiday weekend:

Passengers will be able to travel by rail during the August bank holiday to enjoy the best of what Anglia has to offer as majority of the rail network across the region will be open.

Passengers will be able to travel from London Liverpool Street to Norwich, Cambridge and Stansted, as well as enjoying rural lines to coastal destinations, scenic historic towns and cities. The route from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Basildon will also be open for passengers to explore the Essex Thameside corridor.

Engineering work has been kept to a minimum for the bank holiday weekend. The only significant work taking place will be between Grays and Pitsea from 15:00 on Saturday 24 August up to and including Monday 26 August, affecting c2c passenger services. A rail replacement bus service will be in operation between Grays and Pitsea, serving stations via Tilbury.

Passengers travelling further afield are still encouraged to check before travelling using National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator, as engineering work may be taking place elsewhere in the country which may affect journeys.

Passenger journeys on Great Northern and Thameslink services travelling from Cambridge to King's Cross or St Pancras will be affected by in-train testing of the new digital signalling systems on the East Coast Main Line from late on Saturday 24 August and all day Sunday 25 August until early Monday morning. A revised train service will run between Royston and Cambridge, Ely and Kings Lynn. A rail replacement bus service will run between Royston and Hitchin and from Hitchin to Potters Bar.

Lawrence Bowman, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia said: “We’ve worked hard with our train operators to keep disruption down to a minimum for this August bank holiday.

“It’s an important time of year for leisure travellers, day-trippers and tourists to explore east-Anglia and there is no better way to do that than by rail.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “Our region has so much to offer, whether it’s a trip to the city or coast, shopping or sightseeing, or a summer festival.

“We have a lot of great destinations on our network, and we hope people are able to enjoy a day out by train this summer bank holiday weekend.”

c2c’s Head of Planning & Performance, Ben Squire, said: “Network Rail’s Engineering teams will be carrying out essential maintenance and repair works on the c2c line between Grays and Pitsea over the August bank holiday weekend.

"A rail replacement bus service will be on hand to transport customers in both directions; however, we do encourage that you plan ahead and check before you travel. c2c would like to apologise for any inconvenience these works may cause.”

Chris Fowler, network operations and performance director for Govia Thameslink Railway which operates Thameslink and Great Northern trains said: “With no trains running on a key section of our route between London and Peterborough and Cambridge this August bank holiday, it’s essential that our customers plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time.”