Rail upgrades to disrupt Norwich to London line over Christmas and New Year

The Norwich to London mainline will be affected by upgrade work on Sunday 23, Monday 24, Thursday 27, Friday 28, Saturday 29, Sunday 30, Monday 31 December and Tuesday 1 January.

A rail replacement bus service will run between Ingatestone and Newbury Park, where passengers can use their Greater Anglia tickets on the Central Line.

Trains will terminate at Ingatestone on Saturday 23, Sunday 24 and Thursday 27 December and at Shenfield on Friday 28, Saturday 29, Sunday 30, Monday 31 December and Tuesday 1 January, but the rail replacement bus service to and from Newbury Park will run from Ingatestone from Saturday 23 December to Tuesday 1 January, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day when there is no service.

Over the festive period the network's engineers will be undertaking:

•Installation of 12.5km overhead wire at Forest Gate on the Great Eastern Main Line as part of a £250m investment to improve reliability

Installation of structures that will carry new overhead wire on the Southend Victoria branch line as part of a £46m investment to reduce delays and cancellations especially in hot weather.

•Work on the Felixstowe branch line as part of the £60.4m project to install a new 1.4km loop near Trimley to increase freight traffic and improve reliability for passenger services.

•Works at Shenfield station as part of the Crossrail programme.

•While the line is closed, TfL will carry out bridge demolition work as part of the Ardleigh Green Bridge project near Romford.

Further work will take place in early 2019 which will see the overhead wiring system upgraded on the final stretch between Forest Gate and London Liverpool Street.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk. A breakdown of how journeys will be affected by improvement work across Britain over the Christmas and New Year period can be found by visiting nationalrail.co.uk/Christmas.