Network Rail and various East Coast Mainline train operators (TOCs) are advising passengers not to travel ahead of this weekend’s King’s Cross blockade.
As part of Network Rail’s on going plan to upgrade the East Coast Main Line, this August bank holiday passengers are advised NOT TO TRAVEL ahead of a planned closure of the East Coast Mainline – for the first time in 20 years.
The £1.2 billion upgrade is expected to allow the addition of 10,000 extra seats per day on long distance services, as well as reducing journey times and increasing reliability for passengers.
What’s being done?
- Transfer the signalling area currently controlled by King’s Cross Signal Box to the ‘state-of-the-art’ York Rail Operations Centre (ROC).
- Carry out work on the overhead line equipment outside King’s Cross, complimenting the work being done to upgrade the power supply and improve the station’s signalling and track layout.
- Various other upgrade works across the ECML, including the renewal of Newark Flat Crossing; where the Nottingham to Lincoln Line crosses the ECML, just North of Newark North Gate.
Why the bank holiday weekend?
Trains run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, meaning there isn’t really a time that the network isn’t being used. Therefore Network Rail plan engineering works at night, over weekends and bank holidays, when the network is less busy than on the average weekday.
Travel Advice
All operators are issuing advice for passengers to NOT TO TRAVEL over the duration of the bank holiday weekend.
Please allow extra time to complete your journey and remember to check your journey before you travel for any last-minute alterations.
- East Midlands Railway services will be diverted between Doncaster and Peterborough on Monday 26th August due to engineering works at Newark.
- Grand Central services will not be operating on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August. Additionally, an amended timetable will be in operation on Friday 23rd and Monday 26th August.
- Great Northern and Thameslink will operate a reduced time table from start the of the day on Saturday 24th till the end of the day on Monday 26th August; with NO TRAINS operating between London King’s Cross, London Saint Pancras, Peterborough, and Cambridge as well as between Moorgate, Welwyn Garden City, Hertford North, and Watton-at-Stone on Saturday and Sunday. For essential travel only, a limited replacement bus will operate between:
- Peterborough and Bedford
- Peterborough and Hitchin
- Hitchin and Potters Bar
- Letchworth Garden City and Cambridge
- Stevenage and Enfield Chase
- Hull Trains will be operating an amended time table from Friday 23rd through till Monday 26th August. On Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August, there will be a very limited service from Hull to London Saint Pancras, with services expected to be extremely busy.
- LNER will operate a very limited service from Scotland and the North of England to Peterborough on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August. Trains that do run are expected to be extremely busy and it is advised that you reserve a seat, or risk standing for part or all of your journey. Evening peak restrictions have been removed on Friday 23rd August. A reduced service will operate on Monday 26th August to and from London King’s Cross with services diverted between Doncaster and Newark North Gate.
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