Rail services in Essex will be disrupted by engineering work on the first weekend after England’s 'stay-at-home' order is lifted.

Network Rail urged passengers to “minimise travel” as it announced it will carry out 600 projects costing a total of £116 million over the Easter weekend.

The Government-owned company conducts much of its major upgrade work during bank holidays in a bid to reduce the impact on commuters.

But Easter will be the first weekend after England’s stay-at-home order is removed as part of the Government’s easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Outdoor gatherings of up to six people or two households will be allowed for the first time since the third national lockdown began on January 5.

Services in Essex will allow be affected due to engineering works taking place between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield between April 2 and 4.

It means all trains into the capital from the likes of Colchester, Clacton and Braintree, will be halted at Ingatestone where passengers will need to get rail replacement buses.

All services between Southend Victoria and Newbury Park, including Greater Anglia and c2c, will also be suspended throughout the Easter weekend.

Rail replacement buses will also be available to passengers affected.

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Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said: “Over the past year we have continued to invest billions of pounds in our railway to make sure we can play our part in a sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This significant investment will continue over the Easter bank holiday weekend, with thousands of frontline workers out delivering vital upgrades to the network.

“While the majority of routes are unaffected, anybody who needs to travel by train over Easter should check their journey in advance.”

Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy said last month that weekend rail closures could be scrapped if demand for leisure travel surges when lockdown restrictions ease.

He admitted there is “no point” in carrying out engineering work on dates when trains would be packed.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of passenger watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Operators need to make it clear which services are affected by engineering works and how.

“It’s also important that they continue to reassure passengers that it’s safe to travel if they need to do so. This includes providing accurate information on capacity and how busy services are expected to be.”