Passengers are being asked to check their travel plans ahead of making journeys over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The planned work will see travel between London Kings Cross and Stevenage on Great Northern routes into Moorgate affected throughout the Bank Holiday weekend.
The work is part of the groundbreaking East Coast Digital Programme which is Government funded and will see the removal of traditional signals from the tracks and the introduction of the latest signalling technology. The programme is expected to cut delays by providing a more efficient and reliable service for passengers.
Work will take place on Sunday the 28th of August between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchen and will see 67 equipment cabinets installed in preparation for the routes move to digital operation.
This part of the project sees the very first section of the East Coast Main lines inter-city route to get digital signalling. The new operating system will be directly linked to a screen in driver's cabs and will communicate with trains continuously rather than fixed infrastructure signals which are currently in use. The first trains expected to run using the state-of-the-art technology will be during 2025.
Throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, engineering teams will also work to upgrade tracks for the Drayton Park area on the Northern City line between Finsbury Park and Moorgate. This work will increase reliability, cut disruption and support a modern railway that will run into the future.
Sunday the 28th of August will also see New Southgate station close in order to carry out improvement work which will see the replacement of the support structure under the ticket office and also its relocation.
East Coast Main Line will be affected as follows:
Sunday the 28th of August:
- No Thameslink or Great Northern services will operate between Finsbury Park and Stevenage via Welwyn Garden City.
- Trains between London and Cambridge/King's Lynn/Peterborough will divert non-stop via Hertford North and will experience longer journey times
- Rail replacement buses will be in operation between Alexandra Palace and Stevenage via Welwyn Garden City
- Rail replacement buses will be in operation between Hertford North and Stevenage, via Watton-at-Stone
- Long-distance services on the East Coast Main Line which involve LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains and Lumo will operate via the Hertford Loop, with longer journey times expected.
- New Southgate station will be closed.
Northern City Line will be affected as follows:
- The 27th, 28th and 29th of August will see trains that usually run to and from Moorgate diverted into London King's Cross.
Passengers are advised to check their travel plans via National Rail Enquiries or via their rail operators and to give plenty of extra time for their journeys.
Toufic Machnouk, Network Rail's Director, Industry Partnership for Digital Railway, said:
“The work happening this Bank Holiday weekend is a key part of the transition as we begin to move to digital signalling. It's central to the exciting progress we're continuing to make as part of the digital transformation of the East Coast Main Line.
“I'm sorry to any passengers who have to make changes to their plans and would ask everybody to check before you travel. Ultimately the work is vital to create a safer, more reliable, efficient, resilient and greener railway for everyone who uses the route.”
Jenny Saunders, Great Northern's Customer Services Director, said:
“Network Rail's vital work to modernise our railway means our passengers' journeys on these key routes will be more reliable in the future. We're doing our best to keep disruption to a minimum but some journeys may take longer than usual.
“Please check how your journey may be affected over the Bank Holiday weekend using National Rail Enquiries' online journey planner. As always, thank you for your patience and understanding.”
