Timetable changes for King's Lynn trains as dry weather affects tracks
Network Rail announces service adjustments due to peat and clay issues
Passengers in Norfolk travelling to and from King's Lynn will face timetable changes starting from 3rd August due to track issues brought on by hot weather and low rainfall.
Network Rail has implemented speed restrictions on Great Northern services between Ely and King's Lynn as the peat and clay underneath the railway have dried and shrunk, leading to uneven tracks.
As a safety measure, trains will arrive at King's Lynn four minutes later and depart four minutes earlier than usual.
One train in each direction will be withdrawn or amended on weekdays, with more changes expected at weekends.
Some services will have fewer carriages due to the speed restrictions affecting train and driver scheduling.
Full details of these changes are available on the Great Northern website.
Engineering work is scheduled on the Fen Line between Ely and King’s Lynn from 10th to 13th August and from 21st to 24th September, causing buses to replace late-night trains on these days.
Other Anglia routes will also experience late-night and early-morning changes as further engineering work takes place from 3rd August.
These include Greater Anglia services on the London Liverpool Street – Southend Victoria and Wickford – Southminster routes, with some services replaced by buses after 22:45.
On Thursdays, some London to Colchester services will have extended journey times.
The c2c and Elizabeth line will also see changes, with reduced services between Gidea Park and Shenfield from 23:00 to midnight on specific dates.
Network Rail Anglia plans to monitor track conditions closely, potentially imposing additional speed restrictions if necessary.
The extra engineering work will continue as needed to maintain track conditions.
Joe Kennedy, Infrastructure Director for Network Rail Anglia, said, "We're taking action to keep running the best possible service despite the significant challenges we're again facing this summer with our peat and clay soils. Our teams across Anglia will continue to work hard to minimise the impact on passengers, but we're really sorry for the disruption caused by the service changes. Thank you to everyone for bearing with us."
Jenny Saunders, Customer Service Director for Great Northern, said, “We know many passengers will feel disappointed by further timetable changes after the challenges experienced on this route in recent weeks. I am sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on your journey; we do not take that inconvenience lightly.”
Saunders added that the timetable alterations are crucial to preventing delays and ensuring reliable service, and urged passengers to check updated journey planners and websites for revised train times.