Network Rail has issued a warning that over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd November, train services on a large part of the East Coast Main Line south of Peterborough will be disrupted.

The disruption is to enable testing of new equipment that has been installed between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire as part of the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), which will provide in-cab digital signalling, resulting in greener, safer, and more reliable journeys.

During the testing, trains will move in and out of the digitally controlled section. At the same time, the associated trackside equipment will undergo further development.

Network Rail will also take advantage of the line closure to renew track at Letchworth Garden City,  Welwyn, and Wymondley, and improve the drainage at Stevenage.

Service changes on 22nd and 23rd November

Changes to passenger services include the following:

• Grand Central services will not run.
• Hull Trains will operate to and from London St Pancras, running to an amended timetable.
• London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will operate rail replacement coaches between Peterborough and Bedford, from where services run to London St Pancras.
• Lumo will only operate between Edinburgh and Newcastle, and on an amended timetable.
• Thameslink and Great Northern trains will not operate between Potters Bar and Peterborough/Royston, or between Hertford North and Stevenage.

In preparation for the introduction of digital in-cab signalling, GB Railfreight has started the installation of the necessary equipment on its Class 66 freight locomotives, and Siemens has upgraded a Govia Thameslink Railway Class 717 train for digital signalling.

“Its gradual introduction in the coming years will make the railway fit for the future and provide more reliable and greener services for passengers. We are also taking the opportunity to carry out vital work at other East Coast locations during the same weekend. There is never a good time to close the railway, but late November is a relatively quiet period, and gets the work done before the imminent pre-Christmas weeks. We encourage passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel, and thank them for their patience and understanding of this work.”

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP