Engineering work for the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) will mean that trains will not run to or from King's Cross on Sunday 3 December.
The ECDP involves installing digital signalling with equipment in the driver's cab of trains operating on the East Coast Main Line. Network Rail expects this to make services on the line more reliable and to increase capacity by allowing trains to run closer to each other. It will also reduce carbon emissions.
On 3 December, Network Rail will be working between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire, installing equipment and technology in preparation for trains to run using digital signalling in the area from 2025.
Changes to train services on the day are as follows:
- no LNER, Lumo, or Hull Trains services terminating at or departing from London King's Cross station
- no Grand Central service
- reduced LNER service with train services starting and terminating at St Neots; rail replacement coaches between St Neots and Bedford, where passengers can re-join rail services to London St Pancras
- Lumo services will terminate at Peterborough; limited replacement coach service
- Hull Trains will be running a reduced train service which will divert and terminate in St Pancras.
Engineering work in the nearby Cambridge area may impact journeys towards London Liverpool Street station.
Network Rail is urging passengers to check journey details before travelling, which they can do via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator.
Further work on the ECDP will take place affecting services on Christmas Eve, Sunday 24 December. Network Rail will release more details regarding this work in due course.
Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail's East Coast Digital Programme, said: “This work is vital for the introduction of digital, in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line, which will provide a better service for passengers and reduce carbon emissions.
“We want to thank passengers for their patience and understanding ahead of this work and understand that journeys will take longer than they normally would.
“We're encouraging all passengers to check their journey before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator.”
Dr Linda Wain, Engineering Director at LNER said: “We recognise this important work will see some changes to our services on 3 December. The East Coast Digital Programme is taking our railway into a digital age and will bring long-term benefits for our customers, while also enabling our Azuma fleet of trains to realise their full potential.”
Martijn Gilbert, Lumo and Hull Trains Managing Director, said: “Starting the journey towards digital signalling into the cabs of trains is exciting and will deliver benefits to train services in the long run, but we do recognise that, in the short-term, these works will impact some customers' journeys.
“We're working closely Network Rail and fellow train operators to minimise the impact wherever possible, and we encourage customers to check and plan ahead for journeys during these works.”
