Network Rail has completed the replacement of glazing panels as part of a major roof refurbishment at London Liverpool Street.

The final cracked glass panels were swapped out during five weekend-day closures in March, when the main concourse was designated an exclusion zone so the work could be carried out safely overhead.

Earlier in the project, engineers renewed the discoloured, lichen-covered panes above platforms 1–10, spanning 11,000m² — roughly 8.8 Olympic-sized swimming pools. In total, thousands of old panels have been replaced over the past year.

More natural light is already flooding the station and the full effect will be seen once scaffolding is removed. The new glazing, coupled with drainage upgrades across the roof, is also set to cut leaks onto the concourse and platforms, helping keep people moving safely.

Making use of the March closures, Network Rail delivered further works to improve reliability for Greater Anglia, Stansted Express, Elizabeth line and London Overground Weaver line passengers. Teams:

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- improved track drainage at Liverpool Street and Harold Wood

- fixed overhead line faults at Liverpool Street and Shenfield

- repaired the underside of the road-over-rail bridge at Forest Gate station

- renewed worn-out track crossings at Stratford, Shenfield and Ingatestone

- replaced 1.5km of ageing track at Ilford and Gidea Park

- excavated poor-quality ballast and carried out overhead line maintenance at Cambridge Heath and Hackney Downs

- installed new drainage pipes at Prittlewell on the Southend Victoria line

- repacked ballast and enhanced track quality at multiple locations

With Network Rail's support, Transport for London also delivered improvements at three Elizabeth line stations:

- Manor Park: roof replacement, including removal of an asbestos canopy, plus general maintenance to the main station building

- Harold Wood: structural repairs to platform 4

- Manor Park, Harold Wood and Chadwell Heath: platform works including better drainage, resurfacing, reinstated markings and new tactile paving

Mark Walker, Network Rail Anglia infrastructure director, said: "We completed a huge amount of work over these March weekends that we simply couldn't have got done during regular overnight maintenance. We’re really sorry for the disruption to services, but these upgrades will help us to deliver a better, brighter and more robust railway for passengers travelling to and from Britain’s busiest station."

The Liverpool Street roof programme continues this year, with further drainage improvements, scaffolding removal and replacement of the decorative wooden valance at the end of the trainshed following full restoration. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure is Network Rail's contractor on the scheme.