Greater Anglia engineering works (November 2026)

• Halesworth–Ipswich and Ely routes (26 October–1 November): Replacement buses will operate between Halesworth and Ipswich, Ely and Peterborough, and Ely and Cambridge North. Trains will continue on unaffected sections of these routes.
• Norwich and Lowestoft (13–16 November): Buses replace trains between Norwich and Lowestoft, including services via Cantley and Reedham. Norwich–Great Yarmouth trains will run via Acle only.
• Sudbury, Braintree and Colchester routes (14–15 and 21–22 November): Replacement buses will operate between Sudbury and Marks Tey, Braintree and Witham, and across several sections around Colchester, including routes towards London.
• Ipswich, Norwich and Clacton routes (16–22 November): Overnight buses will replace selected Ipswich–Norwich and Colchester–Clacton services. Some early-morning trains will start or terminate at Ipswich instead.
• Tottenham Hale, Stratford and Cheshunt (8–13 and 22–29 November): Hertford East services will be diverted to Liverpool Street instead of Stratford on 8 and 28–29 November, with no trains between Meridian Water and Stratford. Overnight and early-morning services between Liverpool Street and Cheshunt will also be diverted via Seven Sisters or Tottenham Hale on selected dates.
• Stansted Airport–Liverpool Street (15 November): Services will be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes, with an additional half-hourly service running between Stansted Airport and Stratford via Tottenham Hale.
• Repeated late-night and early-morning changes (2–26 November): Southend Victoria services will face extended journey times between Billericay and Hockley, while some Liverpool Street–Shenfield services will also take up to 10 minutes longer. Selected Wickford–Southminster and Southend Airport–Liverpool Street services will be replaced by buses.

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

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.

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.

Wednesday 4 November

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

Thursday 5 November

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

No services will operate between Meridian Water and Stratford. Lea Bridge passengers to use local buses.

This affects services between 23:20 on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday nights (00.50 on Tuesday/Wednesday Mornings) and 05:00 on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/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.

Wednesday 11 November

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

Thursday 12 November

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

Buses replace trains between Norwich and Lowestoft, Reedham and Lingwood via Cantley as well as between Oulton Broad South and Lowestoft. Services between Norwich and Great Yarmouth will operate via Acle only; no services via Reedham. Trains will continue to operate between Ipswich and Oulton Broad South.

Buses replace trains between Sudbury and Marks Tey

Services divert via Seven Sisters instead of Tottenham Hale, with journey times extending by several minutes as a result, before 08.15 and after 23.59.

Due to a platform block at Liverpool Street, services between Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport will be reduced to half hourly, instead of quarter hourly. A supplementary half hourly service will operate between Stansted Airport and Stratford (via Tottenham Hale) in lieu.

Buses replace trains between Ipswich and Colchester and between Manningtree and Harwich Town. Trains will continue to operate between Norwich and Ipswich as well as between Colchester and London Liverpool Street.

In connection with track maintenance work taking place between Ipswich and Norwich, the 23:30 London Liverpool Street to Norwich service will be replaced by a bus service between Ipswich and Norwich on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, calling at Stowmarket and Diss.

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.

Wednesday 18 November

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

Thursday 19 November

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.

Late Night

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

Early Morning

Buses replace trains between Sudbury and Marks Tey

Buses replace trains between Braintree and Witham

The 06:15, 06:45 and 07:15 Southend Victoria to Liverpool Street services will terminate at Billericay with rail replacement operating to Shenfield.

The 07:15 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria service will start at Billericay with rail replacement operating from Shenfield.

The 08:10 and 08:46 Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria services will start at Shenfield.

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.

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.

Buses replace trains between Colchester and Ingatestone (for journeys to / from London), Colchester and Chelmsford (for intermediate journeys), Braintree and Witham as well as between Sudbury and Marks Tey.

Trains will continue to operate between Norwich / Clacton-on-Sea and Colchester Town as well as Chelmsford and Liverpool Street, via Ingatestone, connecting in / out of rail replacement bus services.

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.

Wednesday 25 November

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

Thursday 26 November

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

No services will operate between Meridian Water and Stratford. Lea Bridge passengers should use local buses.

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.