RAIL engineering works will be taking place at Colchester over the Christmas period.

Revised timetables are available in the “service alterations” section of the Greater Anglia website, or on the Greater Anglia app or Twitter.

Most routes are free of engineering works over the Christmas period.

On Christmas Eve the last services will be earlier than usual, finishing by about 10pm.

There will be no service on Christmas Day and only a revised Stansted Express service on Boxing Day.

From close of service on Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day, Network Rail will carry out engineering works on the Great Eastern Mainline over eight days in two locations – at Colchester and between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.

On December 27, 30 and 31, Ipswich-London and Clacton-London services will be able to call at Colchester along with other intermediate stations as normal.

Intercity Norwich-London services will be running through Colchester but will not be able to call there - connections for Colchester will be available at Ipswich, Manningtree and Chelmsford.

On December 28 and 29, trains from Norwich, Ipswich and Clacton will only run as far as Ingatestone.

There will be a bus replacement service operating between Ingatestone and Newbury Park where Greater Anglia customers can use their tickets on the Central Line to Stratford and London Liverpool Street.

On New Year's Day services will not be able to run through Colchester and as a result, there will be a bus replacement service in operation between Ipswich, Manningtree, Colchester and Marks Tey on the main line and between Hythe and Marks Tey on the route from Colchester to Clacton.

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We’re pleased most of our services will be running between Christmas and New Year so people can travel to visit loved ones, enjoy the sales, or enjoy a day out.

“However, because the railway tends to be much quieter over this period, it is also a good opportunity for Network Rail to get on with some really essential upgrade work that will help services operate reliable and punctually in the future.

“If there is engineering works on your journey, we will be working hard to make sure that you can still complete your journey, even if part of it is by bus.”