A KEY railway line linking Colchester to the coast is set to be closed for at least two days after a landslide between Alresford and Great Bentley.

Services between Colchester and Clacton were suspended today after the landslide which happened just after midnight.

The track bed was washed away after continued bouts of heavy rain making it unsafe to run services.

Network Rail said engineers will now be working around the clock to pump away the water and repair the embankment and track.

The line is closed between Thorpe Le Soken and Colchester.

A limited rail replacement bus service is in place but passengers have been warned to allow extra time for their journeys.

A rail shuttle service is in operation between Walton and Thorpe-Le-Soken and between Clacton and Thorpe-Le-Soken.

The line is expected to be closed for at least the next two days while the repair work takes place.

Meliha Duymaz, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “The landslip has caused extensive damage and our engineers will be working around the clock to carry out the repairs and reopen the line as soon as it is safe to do so.

“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while the repairs are carried out.

“We will carry out an investigation into what caused the landslide and any further preventative measures we can take.”

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We apologise to customers for the inconvenience to customers on our Clacton and Walton lines. We’ve hired about 25 buses and coaches and will do our best to make sure customers can complete their journeys.”

Ian Edwards, from the Marks Tey Rail Users Group, said there needed to be investment in infrastructure.

He said: “The railways have just been neglected. The general state of the track is just appalling. This is not just a weeping sore, it is a gaping wound.

“There is years of neglect and it is getting silly.”