Railway replacement buses for next week due to works

Train services are set to be replaced with rail replacement buses as planned engineering works get under way.

Network Rail engineers will be renewing more than 1,700m (5,570ft) of railway track between Woodbridge and Westerfield junction in Suffolk.

The works will begin late on Saturday evening, affecting Greater Anglia trains services, and be completed by the early morning of the following Saturday.

Lawrence Bowman, Network Rail's route director for Anglia, thanked passengers for their patience.

"The East Suffolk line continues to see investment being made to update sections of track, some of which is 100 years old, to support a modern service," he said.

"There is never a good time to close a section of railway but having a longer period to work means we can do so much more with the time and it means a better and reliable railway for our customers."

Greater Anglia services from Sunday to Friday will be impacted and buses will replace trains between Saxmundham and Ipswich.

Trains will continue to operate between Lowestoft and Saxmundham.

Network Rail said the work would help accommodate an increase in freight traffic serving the Sizewell C construction project.

Part of the work will see jointed track replaced with continuously welded rail to reduce noise from passing trains and give passengers a smoother journey experience.

The work comes after previous improvements were made in the area to stabilise a mile-long section of embankment, which was slipping away and risked damaging signalling equipment.

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia's managing director, advised passengers to check before they travel and allow more time for journeys during the works.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.