A £27 million pound scheme to extend platforms at Littleport and Waterbeach to allow for longer trains will get underway next weekend.

Ely Standard: A £27m improvement plan for Waterbeach and Littleport rail stations will enable longer trains - work is set to get underway next weekend. Picture: NETWORK RAILA £27m improvement plan for Waterbeach and Littleport rail stations will enable longer trains - work is set to get underway next weekend. Picture: NETWORK RAIL (Image: Archant)

The work will allow trains to have more space and seats for passengers, easing overcrowding, particularly at peak times.

A new train siding is also being built at King's Lynn to allow longer trains to be in place for the first and last service of the day.

Engineers will work over several weekends between October 2019 and Easter 2020, with the new services likely to come into operation for the start of the December 2020 timetable.

Great Northern and Greater Anglia weekend services between King's Lynn and Cambridge may be affected by the work, with changes to the timetables and bus replacement services.

Ely Standard: A £27m improvement plan for Waterbeach and Littleport rail stations will enable longer trains - work is set to get underway next weekend. Picture: NETWORK RAILA £27m improvement plan for Waterbeach and Littleport rail stations will enable longer trains - work is set to get underway next weekend. Picture: NETWORK RAIL (Image: Archant)

Work takes place on the following dates:

- October 5 - 6 2019

- October 12 - 13 2019

- October 26 - 27 2019

- November 2 - 3 2019

- November 9 - 10 2019

- November 23 - 24 2019

- November 30 - December 1 2019

- December 25 - 26 2019

- February 1 - 2 2020

- February 22 - 23 2020

- Easter weekend April 10 - 12 2020

CrossCountry services to and from Stansted via Ely and East Midland services between Norwich and Peterborough via Ely may also be affected.

Passengers travelling on these routes are advised to check before travelling on the weekends affected.

Mark Budden, route director for Network Rail Anglia, said: "With work starting in October, we are forging ahead with delivering these important improvements for passengers travelling on the Fen line.

"I am sorry for the weekend disruption to services. When complete, it will bring much needed relief on overcrowded peak services between King's Lynn and Cambridge, improving the journey experience for passengers."

Keith Jipps, infrastructure director at Govia Thameslink Railway which runs Great Northern, said: "Longer trains will make a huge difference for our passengers between King's Lynn and Cambridge so I'm very pleased this work is about to start.

"However, I do urge people to check online at www.nationalrail.co.uk for the temporary changes we'll need to introduce during each weekend of engineering work."

The Littleport station work will involve extending platform 2 to 167 metres and providing step-free access to platform 1.

The platform extensions are required to prevent longer trains overhanging level crossings, while still allowing drivers access to the platform if an incident occurs in the station.