On bank holiday Sunday, 30th August, there will be no direct London North Eastern Railway (LNER) services between Peterborough and London King’s Cross.

The disruption is because of engineers upgrading the signalling on the southern part of the East Coast Main Line to the next-generation digital signalling using the European Train Control System (ETCS).

Although there will be no direct LNER trains to London King’s Cross, LNER will be running air-conditioned coaches between Peterborough and Bedford, where Thameslink services will provide direct connections to and from London St Pancras.

LNER will also be operating two special services between Newcastle and Bedford.

These trains will depart from Newcastle at 08:26 and 12:27, calling at Durham, Darlington, Northallerton, York, and Doncaster, before running direct to Bedford, from where there are frequent Thameslink train services to London St Pancras; their arrival in Bedford will be at 13:37 and 17:37.

There will also be two direct LNER northbound services from Bedford to Newcastle, departing from Bedford at 12:49 and 16:57, calling at Doncaster, York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, and Newcastle.

Suitable trains to connect with these services will depart from London St Pancras at 11:36 or 15:36. Anyone intending to travel on these services should book in advance at www.lner.co.uk.

In mid-July, LNER achieved a significant milestone in its journey towards digital signalling when it ran its first Azuma train controlled by the European Train Control System on the East Coast Main Line. On the Northern City Line, trains between Finsbury Park and Moorgate have been using ETCS for over a year without any physical lineside signals.