Flooded rail line to shut for nine days for repair

A busy railway branch line will close for nine days for repairs after it was damaged during severe flooding in December.

A burst Thames Water sewer pipe flooded the tracks at Rye House station in Hertfordshire, with video showing water gushing over platforms.

Railway engineers will now replace 1km (0.6 miles) of track, meaning there will be no trains between Hertford East and Rye House from Saturday, 17 October to Sunday, 25 October.

Martin Beable, chief operating officer for Great British Railways - Anglia, said: "We're really sorry for the disruption, and advise that passengers start planning ahead if possible."

"There's never a good time to close the railway, especially for an extended period like this, but this is a big job that we must get done to keep providing the best possible service on the Hertford East branch," Beable added.

Replacement buses will run and tickets will also be valid on other services.

The first weekend will also see engineering works between London and Stansted.

Passengers are advised to check details before travelling at Greater Anglia, Stansted Express or Transport for London.

In December, the line was closed for nearly a week while teams carried out a full clean-up operation.

Some emergency repairs were made to the railway infrastructure, but Network Rail said "extensive work" was now required to make the route "fit for the future".

Rails, sleepers and ballast - the stones below the track - will be replaced, and it is hoped the new track will last for more than 50 years.

The platform structure will also be repaired and fully resurfaced.

Engineers will also take the opportunity of the closure to finish upgrading platform one at St Margaret's station.

Buses will replace trains between Hertford East and Waltham Cross on the weekend of 17 and 18 October.

From Monday, 19 October to Sunday, 25 October, rail replacement buses will run from Hertford East to Broxbourne.

Greater Anglia tickets will be valid on Great Northern services between Hertford North and Moorgate, or London King's Cross.

There will also be ticket acceptance on some parts of the London Underground.

Network Rail "strongly encouraged" customers to use these alternative rail services as there would be "limited capacity" on the replacement buses.

On the main line from London, buses will replace trains between Stansted Airport and Waltham Cross on the weekend of 17 and 18 October.

Trains will continue to operate between Cambridge and Stansted Airport. Passengers are "strongly encouraged" to travel from the airport to Cambridge before switching to the Great Northern or Thameslink service to London King's Cross.

There will be a very limited service between Waltham Cross and Stratford.

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