Thameslink and Great Northern passengers are being advised to check their travel plans if making journeys over the August bank holiday weekend. The weekend will see vital engineering work for the East Coast Digital Programme and will affect customers travelling to or from London on the East Coast Main Line.
During the bank holiday weekend, Great Northern and Thameslink trains will be affected as follows:
Saturday the 26th of August:
- No trains will operate between Peterborough and Biggleswade from 20:00 to the end of service with rail replacement buses operating from 20:00 through to the end of service and also on Monday the 28th of August until 08:00.
Trains will operate between:
- London King's Cross and Biggleswade
- London King's Cross and Cambridge/Ely/King's Lynn
- Moorgate and Stevenage via Hertford North
Sunday the 27th of August:
- No trains will operate between Potters Bar/Hertford North and Peterborough/Royston.
Rail replacement buses will be in operation between:
- Hitchin and Royston
- Bedford and Peterborough via St Neots
- Hitchin and Peterborough
- Luton Airport Parkway and Hitchin
- St Albans and Hitchin via Welwyn Garden City
- Potters Bar and Hitchin
- Hertford North and Stevenage via Watton at Stone
Trains will operate between:
- Royston and Cambridge/Ely/King's Lynn
- King's Cross/Moorgate and Potters Bar/Hertford North
- Brighton and Finsbury Park via St Pancras
Monday the 28th of August
- From the start of service to 08:00 no trains will operate between Peterborough and Biggleswade
Rail replacement buses will be in operation between:
- Biggleswade and Peterborough
Trains will operate between:
- London King's Cross and Biggleswade
- London King's Cross and Cambridge/Ely/King's Lynn
- Moorgate and Stevenage via Hertford North
Please note that step-free access is NOT available at Biggleswade. For those travelling between Biggleswade and Peterborough who need assistance, please speak with a staff member. Accessible transport will be provided at Hitchin.
The work being carried out over the bank holiday weekend will take place between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire and will see a number of digital upgrades carried out in order to prepare for digital signalling in 2025.
Further to this work, the evening of Friday the 25th of August will see Peterborough's power signal box closed, with local signalling control will be moved to York's modern rail operating centre over the weekend. This will support trains to move more efficiently across junctions, cutting delays for passengers.
Network Rail has carefully organised the programme of works in order to keep disruption to a minimum for passengers seeing Friday and Saturday mostly unaffected and Monday unaffected.
Ricky Barsby, Network Rail's Head of Access and Planning for ECDP, said:
“We're encouraging passengers to check before they travel over the August Bank Holiday weekend so that their journeys run as smoothly as possible. The work we are delivering for the East Coast Digital Programme is imperative in allowing for improved, more reliable journeys for our passengers in the future.”
“We want to thank passengers for their patience and understanding in advance of the work and have carefully planned it so that it causes the least amount of disruption as possible.”
Jenny Saunders, Thameslink and Great Northern Customer Services Director said:
“The work Network Rail is carrying out over the August Bank Holiday weekend is essential to delivering more reliable journeys for our Great Northern and Thameslink customers. Whilst the work has been planned to minimise disruption, regrettably, there will be some disruption to our customers' journeys – particularly on Sunday 27 August – so please check ahead of travelling.”
