Train travellers face festive disruption

Travellers are being told to allow extra time for their journeys

Rail passengers are facing severe disruption this festive season as maintenance is carried out on major routes.

There are no trains on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

After that rail travellers face reduced services, timetable changes and coaches replacing many trains.

The bulk of the work is happening the weekend after Christmas.

Anglia Railways passengers between Norwich and London and Norwich and Cambridge will be catching buses some of the way.

'Less disruptive'

An Anglia spokesman said: "The engineering work has been programmed in for this time of year because it is a time when fewer people are travelling and it is less disruptive for commuters travelling to and from work."

On West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) services, trains from London to Stevenage, Peterborough, Cambridge and King's Lynn are being diverted and buses are running on some local services.

Central Trains are using buses on the line from Stansted Airport to Birmingham, and the service between Peterborough and Norwich is starting and ending at Ely.

The Christmas message from all the train companies to all travellers is plan ahead and allow extra time for your journey.