Plan ahead for weekend journeys into London Liverpool Street in March

Passengers are being reminded to plan ahead and check before travelling as weekend engineering work in March will affect all routes and services to/from London Liverpool Street including closure of the London terminus for five weekend days.

Essential weekend engineering work in March will deliver maintenance, renewals and repairs to keep busy sections of the railway running.

This work will include the closure of London Liverpool Street mainline station (including the concourse) for five days in March, affecting weekend passengers using Greater Anglia services into the mainline station from Southend Victoria/Ingatestone, and from Cheshunt via Broxbourne.

Some c2c services that use Liverpool Street station will also be affected.

The Elizabeth line will see closures between Stratford and Shenfield during weekends in March, as well as London Overground Weaver line services from Enfield Town/ Cheshunt and Chingford into London Liverpool Street station.

These works are being done to keep the infrastructure running reliably and safely for all rail users.

They include:

• Track and rail renewal near Ilford station and Gidea Park;
• Roof renewal including roof drainage improvements at London Liverpool Street station;
• Track drainage works;
• Station and/or platform works at Stratford, Chadwell Heath, Harold Wood, Manor Park, Upminster, Rayleigh, Wickford and Hockley;
• Infrastructure work at Ilford depot;
• Overhead line work and overhead line redundant structure removals;
• Surveys and inspections of structures/canopies/retaining walls/culverts/tunnels and brickwork repairs;
• Vegetation management and litter clearance along the railway;
• Track maintenance and treatment (including tamping, rail grinding and ballast cleaning); and
• General drainage and infrastructure maintenance.

Katie Frost, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “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 surveys 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.”

Passengers are being encouraged to check before travelling by using nationalrail.co.uk, or by visiting train operator websites, and to leave extra time to complete journeys on the following dates:

Saturday and Sunday, March 7pm and 8

Great Eastern mainline and Southend Victoria/Southminster line:

• On Sunday, March 8, buses will replace trains between Ingatestone/Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street via Shenfield. Trains will continue to operate between Norwich/Clacton/Colchester Town/Braintree and Shenfield connecting into the rail replacement at Ingatestone to/from Newbury Park as well as between Southminster and Wickford.
• On Sunday, March 8, Elizabeth Line services will not operate between Stratford and Shenfield. Rail replacement buses will operate between Stratford and Romford, and Newbury Park and Shenfield (calling at Romford).
• Over the weekend, the London Overground Liberty line will be closed between Romford and Upminster.
• Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15

  Great Eastern mainline:

  • On both days, trains will not run between London and Shenfield with rail replacement buses operating to/from Ingatestone connecting to Newbury Park.
  • Trains will continue to operate between Norwich/Clacton/Colchester Town/Braintree and Shenfield connecting into the rail replacement at Ingatestone.
  • Trains will also operate between Southend Victoria and Shenfield as well as between Southminster and Wickford connecting into rail replacement services at Shenfield to Newbury Park.
  • On both days, Elizabeth Line services will not operate between Stratford and Shenfield. Rail replacement buses will operate between Stratford and Romford, and Newbury Park and Shenfield (calling at Romford).
  • The London Overground Liberty line will be closed between Romford and Upminster.

Liverpool Street station and West Anglia mainline

• On Sunday, March 15 only, Liverpool Street mainline station (including the concourse) will be closed to all Greater Anglia, Stansted Express, c2c, Elizabeth line and London Overground services. Greater Anglia services to/from Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford East and Stansted Airport will start/terminate at Stratford.
• On Sunday only, London Overground will be operating two trains per hour from London Fields to Chingford, one train per hour  from London Fields to Enfield Town and one train per hour from London Fields to Cheshunt from 09.50. Before this time, a replacement bus service will operate between Seven Sisters and Enfield Town/Cheshunt and Hackney Downs and Chingford.
• On both days the Elizabeth line’s low level Liverpool Street station remains open however services will not run beyond Stratford due to closures on the Great Eastern mainline.

Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22

Great Eastern mainline

• On both days, trains will not run between London and Ingatestone with a bus replacement service operating between Beaulieu Park/Billericay and Newbury Park.
• Trains will continue to operate between Norwich/Clacton/Colchester Town/Braintree and Chelmsford (via Beaulieu Park) connecting into rail replacement buses.
• Trains will continue to operate between Southend Victoria and Billericay as well as between Southminster and Wickford connecting into rail replacement buses at Billericay.
• On both days Elizabeth Line services will not operate between Stratford and Shenfield. Rail replacement buses will operate between Stratford and Romford, and Newbury Park and Shenfield (calling at Romford).
• The London Overground Liberty line will be closed between Romford and Upminster.

Liverpool Street station and West Anglia mainline

• On both days, Liverpool Street mainline station will be closed to all Greater Anglia, Stansted Express, c2c, Elizabeth Line and London Overground services. Greater Anglia services to/from Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford East and Stansted Airport will start/terminate at Stratford.
• On Saturday, March 21, the Elizabeth line will not operate between Whitechapel and Shenfield. The Elizabeth Line’s low level Liverpool Street station remains open for customers travelling between Paddington and Abbey Wood.
• On Sunday, March 22, the Elizabeth Line will be closed between Paddington to Abbey Wood including the low level Liverpool Street station.
• On both days, London Overground Weaver line services will not run between London Liverpool Street and Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Chingford. Rail replacement buses will operate between Seven Sisters and Enfield Town/Cheshunt and Hackney Downs and Chingford.

Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29

Great Eastern mainline and Southend Victoria/Southminster line:

• On both days, trains will not run between London and Shenfield/Southend Victoria/Southminster with buses operating between Ingatestone/Southend Victoria and Newbury Park as well as between Southminster and Wickford.
• Trains will continue to operate between Norwich / Clacton / Colchester Town / Braintree and Shenfield via Ingatestone connecting into rail replacement buses.
• On both days, Elizabeth line services will not run between Stratford and Shenfield. Rail replacement buses will operate between Stratford and Romford, and Newbury Park and Shenfield (calling at Romford).
• The London Overground Liberty line will be closed between Romford and Upminster.

Liverpool Street station and West Anglia mainline

• On both days, Liverpool Street mainline station will be closed (including the concourse) to all Greater Anglia, Stansted Express, c2c, Elizabeth line and London Overground services. Greater Anglia services to/from Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford East and Stansted Airport will start/terminate at Stratford.
• On both days, Elizabeth Line’s low level Liverpool Street station remains open however services will not run beyond Stratford due to closures on the Great Eastern mainline.
• On both days London Overground Weaver line services will not run between London Liverpool Street and Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Chingford.
• Rail replacement buses will operate between Seven Sisters and Enfield Town/Cheshunt and Hackney Downs and Chingford