Passengers are being warned of disruptions over the weekend of 22 and 23 November as Network Rail undertakes essential work to progress the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). A large section of the railway south of Peterborough towards London will be affected while testing of new equipment takes place between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin.

The £1.4 billion ECDP scheme is set to introduce in-cab digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line, aiming to make journeys greener, safer, and more reliable. During the weekend, trains will transition in and out of digitally-controlled sections, with additional work developing trackside equipment.

Other maintenance planned alongside the digital signalling tests includes track renewal at Letchworth Garden City, rerailing at Welwyn and Wymondley, and drainage improvements at Stevenage. To maximise efficiency, the work has been scheduled at a time when fewer passengers are travelling.

Passenger services will be affected across multiple operators. Grand Central trains will not run, while Hull Trains will operate an amended service to and from London St Pancras. LNER will provide rail replacement coaches between Peterborough and Bedford to connect with London services. Lumo will run a reduced service between Edinburgh and Newcastle, and Thameslink and Great Northern trains will not operate between Potters Bar and Peterborough/Royston or between Hertford North and Stevenage.

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP, said: “The work taking place, including further testing, is a further part of our preparations for the introduction of digital in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line. 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 a 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.”

A spokesperson for the train operating companies added: “We will be working hard to keep passengers on the move while this essential engineering work takes place. Rail replacement bus services and revised timetables will be in place to help people reach their destinations, and we’re encouraging everyone to check before they travel.”

Image: Network Rail