Vital upgrades to prevent cancellations and delays on Cambridgeshire’s railway completed over Christmas

Vital upgrades have been completed across Cambridgeshire’s rail network over the festive break to prevent delays and cancellations.

Works have finished on the line between Ely and Peterborough and Network Rail have thanked passengers for their understanding and cooperation.

Engineers have replaced barriers at the level crossing on Whittlesey Road in March to “make the crossing safer and more reliable”.

Almost 100m of track was also renewed in the operation at the site which sees around 176 passenger and freight trains per day.

Further along the line, engineers worked at Manea Bridge, where weathered timbers were replaced and steel work repairs were made.

This was done to make the railway “safer and allow for the removal of a speed restriction that slows trains down through this section”.

Across the country, a 25,000-strong workforce is working more than 380,000 hours to keep the railway open and deliver 330 projects.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “We have used the quieter Christmas period to complete these crucial repairs.

“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carried out this essential work.”

Further works are taking place across the region’s rail network until Wednesday, January 2.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel via: www.nationalrail.co.uk