More "bustitution" for rail passengers heading north from Ipswich
Paul Geater
Passengers from Ipswich Station currently have to rely on suburban trains at weekends. Stock image. - Credit: Archant
Rail lines to the north and east of Ipswich will be shut for another weekend as Network Rail engineers continue to install new track and signalling in connection with the upgrade of the line between Felixstowe and Nuneaton in the Midlands.
There have been no weekend trains north of Ipswich station for the last two weeks - and that will continue next weekend.
Passengers travelling between Ipswich and Norwich, and going to Stowmarket, Diss, Needham Market or stations to Bury St Edmunds have to take a bus instead.
Buses also take East Suffolk Line passengers to Woodbridge - and replace trains on the Felixstowe branch.
Passengers from Norwich and Bury St Edmunds to London are urged to travel via Cambridge rather than via Ipswich.
Those travelling from Ipswich to London are able to travel by train - but there are no InterCity services because these trains are serviced at Greater Anglia's Crown Point depot.
Weekend passengers have to rely on suburban trains based at depots nearer London.
Later in the month there will be through trains to Norwich and London from Ipswich - but the East Suffolk Line will be subject to Sunday closures until the end of the month as Network Rail engineers continue to rebuild Westerfield Level Crossing which is used by trains to Lowestoft as well as those to Felixstowe.
A spokesman for Network Rail apologised for the disruption caused by the works, but said it was necessary to allow engineers to upgrade the track and allow more freight trains to use the routes from Felixstowe.
The shift of Network Rail work to the north of the region comes after years of work on the main line to London associated with the Crossrail project which has now come to an end.
However later in the year, there are two occasions where trains are unable to reach Liverpool Street - although on one of these trains will run to Stratford, allowing passengers to transfer to tube or Overground trains to complete their journey.
While this work will renew existing track and signalling, it will not expand the infrastructure apart from a new stretch of track near Trimley.
Vital work to improve major junctions at Haughley and at Ely to allow more cross-country trains has not yet been authorised.