Train passengers travelling between Norwich and London are facing an autumn of disruption with weekend closures of part of the line because of 'complex improvement work'.

The line between Shenfield and Liverpool Street will be closed for eight weekends from this Saturday for work to tackle 'heat related' speed restrictions and for the new Crossrail service.

That will mean passengers have to catch a replacement bus service between those two stations at weekends until November 6.

Richard Schofield, Network Rail's route managing director for Anglia, said: 'This autumn and winter will see some of the biggest and most crucial changes on this route in years, helping improve passenger and freight services for everyone in the region.

'Our railway upgrade plan is vital in helping deliver the new trains as part of the Crossrail construction project in 2017, and removing a long and painful speed restriction which will no longer delay trains in the heat of summer.

'While I understand the inconvenience and disruption that closing the railway causes, the initial and long-term benefits for passengers are huge and we cannot postpone the opportunity to provide a bigger and better railway for the people of East Anglia and London.

'I'd like to thank passengers for their understanding while we carry out the work and my advice is to check how their journeys will be affected before they travel so they can plan ahead.'

Jamie Burles, managing director for Abellio Greater Anglia, said: 'We understand the significant impact engineering works has on our customers' journeys and we thank them for their patience and understanding. We are working very hard to provide practical and comfortable rail replacement alternatives for people wanting to travel during these times.'