Marks Tey Railway Station bridge to be shut over Christmas week for major repairs which could cause delays

Heavy maintenance work on a busy Essex railway station bridge is set to cause delays to people's journeys in december, with shuttle buses being deployed. Work will be carried out over the Christmas week on the footbridge at Marks Tey Railway Station, running from December 22 to December 27.

Greater Anglia is replacing the bridge deck, refurbishing the existing staircases, and enhancing lighting over the bridge. Customers will be unable to use the footbridge at all across the Christmas week.

A full-size accessible minibus will depart from the front of the station (Sudbury side, closer to platform two) to take passengers to the other side of the station. For anyone who needs to transfer from platform one to platform two, a member of staff will be available during the closure and will assist customers while the bridge access between platforms is closed.

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The minibus will operate as follows:

• Sunday 22 December, 07am to midnight

• Monday 23 December, 06am to midnight

• Tuesday 24 December, 06am to 11pm

• Wednesday 25 December, no services will operate, as no trains are running

• Thursday 26 December, no services will operate, as no trains are running

• Friday 27 December, 06am to midnight

While the work takes place, the car park on Station Road, which is linked to platform one, will be closed as follows:

• Phase one: Sunday 15 December at 10pm until Sunday 29 December at 6pm (part closure)

• Phase two: Monday 23 December from 12.01am until Friday 27 December at 6pm (full car park closure)

Customers are advised to use the car park on the opposite side, adjacent to platform two. Simone Bailey, Greater Anglia Asset Management Director, said: "Investing in upgrades to stations across the network is extremely important to Greater Anglia, demonstrating our commitment to providing excellent facilities and service to our customers.

"The bridge refurbishment will improve customer safety and enhance the station environment for passengers. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused while this work takes place and we would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding."