East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Lowestoft set for three weekends of rail replacements in April

Three consecutive weekends of works are scheduled for a Suffolk railway line in April, with passengers advised to check before they travel.

The engineering work will take place on the East Suffolk Line on the weekends of April 13/14, 20/21 and 27/28.

The efforts form part of a renewals and track maintenance programme designed to keep the railway running reliably and safely as well as supporting a Sizewell C project goal to move 60 per cent of construction materials by rail and sea.

The weekend works will affect various Greater Anglia passenger services between Westerfield and Oulton Broad South.

A rail replacement bus service will be in place between Lowestoft and Ipswich to allow passengers to complete their journey, with the exception of the final weekend when trains will run between Halesworth and Lowestoft.

Mark Walker, Network Rail Anglia route infrastructure engineer, said: "These works are vital for the safe and smooth operation of our railway network and to support the transport strategy for the Sizewell C project to move construction materials by rail.

“Each improvement, inspection, survey, and maintenance task emphasises our commitment to passenger safety and helps us to provide efficient service for our passengers and freight operators.

“I’d like to thank all our customers for their patience during these essential tasks."

Maintenance works will include removing old rail at Saxmundham and replacing it with updated infrastructure to give passengers a smoother ride, replacing defective signalling cables in the same area to minimise disruption and replacing wheel timbers at the Oulton Broad South swingbridge.

The new rail at Saxmundham will also support freight services delivering heavy construction materials to Sizewell C. Using the rail network to transport materials should reduce reliance on HGVs using local roads.

Rail replacement buses will depart from the bus stop on Chantry Road, opposite the Patmore Water Softeners building, instead of the railway station car park.

Additional work will be taking place on the East Suffolk line at the end of May on Sunday, May 26 and Monday, May 27, where bus replacement services will be in operation.