Plea for rail works to end on time

Written by Brentwood Gazette reporter and published in Brentwood Gazette on Sun 23rd Mar 2008

Rail commuters are hoping major engineering works taking place during the Easter break will be completed on time.

Passengers travelling over the bank holiday weekend will have their journeys disrupted but all eyes are on what happens on Tuesday morning when thousands will be returning to work.Network Rail has just been fined a record amount after Christmas engineering works overran resulting in a nightmare start to the New Year for commuters.

The Easter period engineering works in the Anglia region include further work on the £6million track replacement at Shenfield.

Vital overhead line replacements are also due to place at London Liverpool Street, Bethnal Green and Cambridge.

But David Kendall, secretary of the Brentwood Bus and Rail Users' Association, said he would be seeking some reassurances for commuters at a meeting due to take place with rail chiefs last night (Tuesday).

Cllr Kendall said: "I intend to ask them about any compensatory measures if the Easter works do not run to time."

Network Rail Chief Executive Iain Coucher said: "Following the New Year, we have listened to passengers and those who represent them and now our planning and preparation is more robust than ever."