Autumn weekend rail engineering work to affect passengers travelling to and from West Norfolk

Rail passengers travelling via Cambridge and Ely are being asked to check their journey plans before setting off as there are set to be major disruptions over the next few months.This autumn, construction work for the new Cambridge South station will continue, together with upgrading the track, signals, and power systems between Shepreth branch junction and Cambridge station, to prepare for station opening next year.To allow this work to continue, a series of autumn weekend closures will be needed when trains are not running to allow engineers to safely work on, and next to, the mainline.

Weekend services between Cambridge and Ely North junction and on the lines to Peterborough, Lynn, and Norwich will be affected on the following dates:- Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22- Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29 – Saturday and Sunday, October 5 and 6- Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13 – Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20Rail replacement bus services will be operating on these dates to allow passengers to complete their journeys.Lawrence Bowman, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said: “There is a huge amount of work being done on the railway in Cambridgeshire this autumn to give our customers a safe and reliable railway. “It can be disruptive for weekend passengers that this work can only be done while trains are not running for the safety of our engineers, so I want to thank everyone for their patience while we carry out this important work over the autumn months.”Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “Network Rail will be carrying out large projects which are very important to the railway this autumn.“A rail replacement service will run while these works take place, and passengers are advised to check before they travel and allow more time for their journey.“We would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out.” Chris Fowler, network operations and performance director for Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Thameslink and Great Northern trains, said: “We also thank our customers for their understanding while Network Rail progress these major projects, which will be of huge benefit to local communities and economies.”With Great Northern and Thameslink services affected on several weekends in September, October, and November, and replacement buses running on some routes, it’s essential that our customers plan ahead, allow plenty of extra time for their journeys, and double-check before they set off.”