Travellers hoping to head to London for weekend days out over the autumn are facing more disruption starting over the August bank holiday.

Network Rail engineers will be working to replace track in the Colchester area – but unlike in previous years the line will not be closed every weekend throughout the season.

September will be a grim month for people planning a weekend trip to London – buses will replace trains between Ipswich and Ingatestone every weekend except for Saturday September 29.

From then on, the lines will be open some weekends but closed on others – passengers are advised to check well in advance before travelling.

There will be buses between Ipswich and Ingatestone for the three days of the August bank holiday weekend while new track is installed at Colchester station and north to Ardleigh.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “We are carrying out a vast amount of work this bank holiday and over the Autumn months to make crucial improvements to rail services as part of our Railway Upgrade Plan.

“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work is carried out and advise passengers to check how their journey might be affected before they travel.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “This engineering work is vital. I know customers prefer to stay on the train for whole of their journey, but I’d like to reassure people that they will still be able to complete their journeys, even if part of it is by bus.”

Buses will replace trains for part of the journeys to London every weekend from 25/26/27 August to 22/23 September and on September 30(Sunday). Some will run from Ipswich, others from Marks Tey. There will also be buses on October 7 from Ipswich.

On the weekend of October 13/14 and on Sunday October 28 there will be buses replacing trains between Ipswich and Norwich – and also between Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds for cross-country services to Cambridge and Peterborough.

Overhead line work will also mean there are buses between Colchester and London on November 3/4, 17/18, and 24/25.

There are no planned service alterations on Saturdays 29 September, 6, 20, 27 October, 11 November or Sundays 21 October and 11 November.