Fans who travel to games by train on the Great Eastern Main Line are set to face yet more disruption in 2017 with Network Rail having announced weekend engineering work which will continue until late May.
This comes on top of the current eight-week spell where buses have replaced trains between Witham and Newbury Park and the previously announced 10 days of similar disruption around Christmas and the New Year. The line was previously closed at weekends between January and March.
A Network Rail statement reads: "As part of its Railway Upgrade Plan, Network Rail will continue to install new overhead wires that will make the railway more reliable.
"During 2016, more than 31,000 metres of overhead wire has been installed and a speed restriction between Shenfield and Chelmsford has already been removed.
"Work continues apace on the Crossrail project to provide an extra platform at Shenfield and sidings in preparation for the arrival of new air-conditioned trains that will start operating on the TfL Rail route between Shenfield and Liverpool Street station from May 2017.
"These and other important upgrades will continue for 10 days over the Christmas and New Year period and will affect Greater Anglia and TfL Rail services into Liverpool Street and across to Cambridge.
"Further work to improve the line will take place over a number of weekends from January to May 2017, meaning some journeys will be longer and involve rail replacement buses from Essex into London.
"Major Crossrail works being delivered by Network Rail to remodel the track and provide an extra platform at Shenfield for future Elizabeth line services will take place from Tuesday 3rd January 2017 until late May.
"This means there will be no TfL Rail services between Brentwood and Shenfield during week days and weekends until late May 2017. During this time, a frequent rail replacement bus service will run between the two stations.”
Full details are available on the Network Rail website.