TRAIN services between Colchester and London are set for more disruptions with engineering works planned for the Easter holiday period.

Network Rail has announced its engineers will be working between Good Friday and Easter Monday to carry out Crossrail construction work at Shenfield station – adding more woe to already frustrated train users.

While work is ongoing, rail replacement buses will be put in place between London Liverpool Street and Ingatestone.

This is a similar arrangement to the service which has been in place at weekends since the start of February.

Network Rail is using the bank holidays to install new heat-resistant overhead wires, stretches of track and signalling equipment as part of its Crossrail construction plans and railway upgrade plan.

Richard Schofield, Network Rail’s route managing director for East Anglia, said he understood it was disruptive for passengers but said the work was essential for the future improvement of railway services.

He said: “The work we are carrying out over Easter as part of our railway upgrade plan is absolutely crucial to improve reliability and support the growing number of passengers travelling between Norwich and London.

“While I appreciate this does impact those travelling over the bank holiday, we have planned this work when fewer people travel.”

“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience and urge those planning to travel over the Easter period to check ahead to see how their journey may be affected.”

Rail users are at the halfway stage in ten weekends of consecutive disruptions to services.

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia’s managing director, said the company accepted the works needed to be done.

He said: “We will make sure that our customers can complete their journeys even though there is engineering work.

“We know our customers would rather complete their journey by train but we recognise that Network Rail’s railway upgrade plan will benefit the railway for everyone who uses it in East Anglia.”

Passengers can check before travelling at greateranglia.co.uk.