Published on: Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Last updated: Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Train company Greater Anglia is reminding customers about Christmas rail services, including details of rail replacement services during Network Rail engineering works.
Engineering work is due to take place from Saturday 24 December to Monday 2 January. There will be no Greater Anglia services between Ingatestone/Billericay and London Liverpool Street during this time. There are no services at all on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, apart from a special Stansted Express service from 6.30am on Boxing Day.
At weekends and bank holidays between these dates (December 24, 27, 31, January 1 and 2) there will be rail replacement bus services between Witham/Ingatestone and Billericay to Newbury Park for Central Line services.
From Wednesday 28 December to Friday 30 December, passengers from Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Braintree, Clacton, Walton-on-the-Naze and Harwich should change at Witham for rail replacement bus services to Stansted where they can catch the Stansted Express to Liverpool Street.
Passengers from Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford and Ingatestone should use a rail replacement service from Ingatestone to Newbury Park for Central Line services.
On Sunday 1 January, London Liverpool Street services will be replaced by buses between Cheshunt and Bishop’s Stortford. Stansted Express services will be replaced by direct buses between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.
Full-size bikes cannot be taken on rail replacement buses. Folding bikes are allowed at bus drivers’ discretion.
Customers should check timetables on the Greater Anglia website or app for details of last trains, and, in some cases, rail replacement buses, on Christmas Eve.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia Managing Director, said: “We apologise to customers for inconvenience caused by Network Rail’s engineering works over the Christmas period. This work includes essential upgrades to overhead lines to make the railway more resilient.
“However, the railway is not shut over this time. Our rail replacement services will get passengers to where they need to go on routes affected by engineering works.”
Check here for information about planned service alterations: https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/service-alterations
Good value fares continue to be available for travel to other places in East Anglia over the Christmas period, including Norwich, Ely, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich.