Network Rail is reporting good progress with its weekend work during February to upgrade the track and signalling on the East Coast Main Line.

So far this month, track has been renewed at Finsbury Park, St Neots, and Sandy and Offord, and points and crossings renewed at Hitchin and Woodwalton.

Overhead line equipment between Sandy and St Neots has been upgraded, drainage has been renewed at Stevenage, Biggleswade, and Langford, and improvements have been made to platforms at Alexandra Palace.

On-track balises (beacons) were also reprogrammed in preparation for testing the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), planned for Sunday, 15th February and Saturday, 21st and Sunday, 22nd February. This will involve using a Grand Central Class 180 unit and a Great Northern Class 717 to carry out train testing, management of speed restrictions and shunting.

A full update of system data will also take place in readiness for the introduction of digital signalling between Welwyn and Hitchin later this year, when trains will be controlled by signalling inside the driver’s cab.

Because of this work, on Sunday, 15th February, there will be no long-distance services south of Peterborough, with rail replacement buses running between Peterborough and Bedford, for trains to London St. Pancras. There will also be no trains between Potters Bar and St Neots/Letchworth Garden City, Moorgate and Finsbury Park, and Stevenage and Hertford North, with rail replacement bus services for Thameslink and Great Northern services.

On Saturday, 21st and Sunday, 22nd February, there will again be no long-distance services south of Peterborough, with rail replacement buses running between Peterborough and Bedford, and Thameslink and Great Northern services again replaced by rail replacement buses.

“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience during the closures over the last two weekends. A huge amount has been done by our teams to deliver a wide range of vital work to upkeep and upgrade the network, and to prepare for further digital signalling testing.”

“We have a further three days of route closures this month, as critical testing takes place ahead of the introduction of in-cab digital signalling later this year. This will be an exciting change to the way we operate the network, enabling more reliable services for the thousands of passengers who depend on the East Coast Main Line. We thank passengers for their understanding over the three upcoming affected days.”

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