Greater Anglia engineering works (October 2026)

• West Anglia route disruption – Maintenance works will affect routes between London Liverpool Street, Cambridge and Stansted Airport, with replacement buses and amended services operating during closures.
• Essex route disruption – Engineering works around Colchester and Witham will affect late-night and early-morning services, with buses replacing some trains.
• East Anglia regional closures – Works will affect routes including Halesworth–Ipswich and Ely–Cambridge/Peterborough, with replacement buses operating on affected sections.

This affects services between 23:20 on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday nights and 05:00 on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday mornings.

Wednesday 30 Sep

22:55 Wickford to Southminster service and the 23:59 Southend Airport to Liverpool Street service will be replaced by buses throughout.

Thursday 1 Oct

A bus will replace the 05:29 Southminster to Wickford service with an earlier departure from Southminster.

Buses replace trains between Norwich and Ely. Trains will continue to operate between Ely and Stansted Airport.

23:54 Liverpool Street to Bishops Stortford service diverts via Seven Sisters instead of Tottenham Hale, with the journey time extended by several minutes

Trains will continue to operate between Norwich/Peterborough/Cambridge and Stowmarket (connecting into buses between Stowmarket and Ipswich), between Lowestoft and Halesworth (connecting into buses between Halesworth and Ipswich) as well as between Ipswich and London-direction.

Divert via Seven Sisters instead of Tottenham Hale with journey times extending by several minutes as a result

In connection with track maintenance work, the 23:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich train service will be replaced by a bus service between Ipswich and Norwich, calling at Stowmarket and Diss.

Form 22.55 until end of service, Southend Victoria services will have journey times extended by up to 10 minutes between Billericay and Hockley. 22.45 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria service will not operate.

Wednesday 7 Oct

22:55 Wickford to Southminster service and the 23:59 Southend Airport to Liverpool Street service will be replaced by buses throughout.

Thursday 8 Oct

A bus will replace the 05:29 Southminster to Wickford service with an earlier departure from Southminster.

In connection with maintenance work taking place between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, the 23:18 London Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea train service will be replaced by a bus service between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea.

Buses replace trains between Thetford and Cambridge North as well as between Bury St Edmunds and Peterborough

Trains will continue to operate between Norwich and Thetford, Cambridge North and Stansted Airport as well as between Ipswich and Cambridge.

Stansted Express services divert via Tottenham Hale and Stratford to / from Liverpool Street - journey times will be extended in both directions by up to ten minutes, and services will depart Liverpool Street up to ten minutes earlier than normal until 09.50

Mainline & Southend Victoria services have journey times increased by up to 15 minutes between Shenfield and Liverpool Street and depart Liverpool Street up to 15 minutes earlier than normal (sharing remaining open lines with Elizabeth Line services), until 09:45 and from 23:05 until the end of service.

Buses replace trains between Norwich and Stowmarket. Trains remain in operation between Stowmarket and Liverpool Street.

Buses replace trains between Sheringham and Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Norwich as well as between Lowestoft and Norwich.

In connection with maintenance work taking place between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, the 22:56 Colchester to Walton-on-the-Naze train service will be diverted to Clacton-on-Sea. At Clacton-on-Sea a connecting rail replacement bus service will operate to Walton-on-Naze, calling at Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-Sea, and Walton-on-the-Naze.

The 23:18 London Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea train service will be replaced by a bus service between Colchester and Clacton

In connection with track maintenance work taking place between Cambridge Heath and Cheshunt, Stansted Express and West Anglia train services which normally run via Seven Sisters (Southbury route), will be diverted via Tottenham Hale (Lea Valley route) from 23:35 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights through to 05:15 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.

From 22.55 until end of service, Southend Victoria services will have journey times extended by up to 10 minutes between Billericay and Hockley. 22.45 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria service will not operate.

From 23:05 until end of service, Mainline and Southend Victoria services will have journey times extended by up to 10 minutes between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, sharing remaining open lines with Elizabeth Line services

From 23:05 until end of service, Mainline and Southend Victoria services will have journey times extended by up to 10 minutes between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, sharing remaining open lines with Elizabeth Line services

Wednesday 14 October

22:55 Wickford to Southminster service and the 23:59 Southend Airport to Liverpool Street service will be replaced by buses throughout.

Thursday 15 October

A bus will replace the 05:29 Southminster to Wickford service with an earlier departure from Southminster.

Buses replace trains between Ely and Cambridge. Trains between will continue to operate between Norwich and Ely, Cambridge and Stansted Airport / London-direction as well as between Ipswich and Cambridge.

Buses replace trains between Ely and Peterborough. Trains will continue to operate between Ipswich and Ely.

Mainline & Southend Victoria services have journey times increased by up to 15 mins between Shenfield and Liverpool Street and depart Liverpool Street up to 15 mins earlier than normal (sharing remaining open lines with Elizabeth Line services), until 09.45 and after 23.05.

From 22.55 until end of service, Southend Victoria services will have journey times extended by up to 10 minutes between Billericay and Hockley. 22.45 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria service will not operate. 

Buses replace trains between Hertford East and Broxbourne.

Wednesday 21 Oct

22:55 Wickford to Southminster service and the 23:59 Southend Airport to Liverpool Street service will be replaced by buses throughout.

Thursday 22 Oct

A bus will replace the 05:29 Southminster to Wickford service with an earlier departure from Southminster.

Buses replace trains between Lowestoft and Ipswich. A separate shuttle bus will operate for customers travelling to and from Beccles, these customers will need to change buses at Halesworth.

Buses replace trains between Cambridge North and Audley End - passengers travelling between Cambridge and London-direction to use train services between Cambridge and Cambridge North, and double-back at Cambridge North.

Trains will continue to operate between Norwich and Cambridge North (connecting into buses between Cambridge North and Audley End) as well as between Audley End / Stansted Airport and London-direction.

Buses replace trains between Halesworth and Ipswich. Trains operate between Lowestoft and Halesworth.

Due to maintenance work, all lines between Witham and Colchester will be closed late-night Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Late Night

As a result, the 23:48, 00:18 and 00:46 London Liverpool Street to Colchester services will be replaced by a bus service between Witham and Colchester. Please also note that the 23:02 London Liverpool Street to Ipswich service will terminate at Colchester. Passengers for Manningtree and Ipswich should change at Colchester for the 23:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich service.

Early morning

Buses replace trains between Ely and Cambridge North. Trains will continue to operate between Norwich and Ely, Cambridge North and Stansted Airport / London-direction as well as Ipswich and Cambridge.

Buses replace trains between Ely and Peterborough. Trains will continue to operate between Ipswich and Ely.

If your route is affected by Greater Anglia's planned works, there will always be an alternative way to get from A to B. You'll just need to factor in a bit of extra time for your journey. Here's what to expect:

• Rail replacement buses. These normally run between affected stations, and your train ticket is valid on these at no extra cost.
• Shortened services. Some routes may be truncated, so a train that normally runs fromLondon Liverpool Street might start atStratford instead.
• Reduced schedules. Trains may also run less frequently than usual, and journey times will often be longer.
• Different start and finish times. You may see that trains start later and finish earlier, to allow for late-night engineering works.

If you travel to, from or via any of these places on the Greater Anglia network over long weekends, it's always worth checking ahead. Here are the most disruption-prone areas:

Are Greater Anglia tickets valid on rail replacement buses?

Yes, your existing train ticket is valid on any rail replacement bus that's running in place of your booked service, at no extra cost. Just show your ticket to the driver when you board.

Can I get a refund if I choose not to travel?

Yes. If engineering works affect your journey and you decide not to travel, you can claim a full refund on your unused ticket. Advance tickets can often be refunded or exchanged free of charge when there's significant disruption, too. Just be sure to check the terms and conditions of your ticket before you book.

How far in advance are engineering works announced?

Most of Greater Anglia's planned engineering works are confirmed around 12 weeks ahead, so you'll usually see the replacement timetables when booking your tickets.

Are Liverpool Street closures common during bank holidays?

Does engineering work affect Stansted Express services?

Yes, it can do as the Stansted Express uses the same main line between Liverpool Street and the airport. When work takes place on this stretch, services may be replaced by buses or run on an amended timetable. If you're flying from Stansted, it's always a good idea to check the timetable a day or two before you travel and allow extra time just in case.