A large section of the railway south of Peterborough will be closed this weekend, 22 and 23 November, to allow further testing of digital signalling, passengers have been reminded.

The closure affects the line between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire, where trains will transition in and out of the digitally-controlled section as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). This £1.4 billion initiative is introducing in-cab digital signalling along the East Coast Main Line, aiming to deliver greener, safer, and more reliable journeys for passengers.

Network Rail has also scheduled additional work over the weekend to make the most of the period when trains are not running. This includes track renewal at Letchworth Garden City, rerailing at Welwyn and Wymondley, and drainage improvements at Stevenage.

The closures will affect multiple operators. Grand Central services will not run at all, while Hull Trains will operate a reduced service to and from London St Pancras. LNER passengers will be able to use rail replacement coaches between Peterborough and Bedford to connect to services to London St Pancras. Meanwhile, Lumo will run an amended service between Edinburgh and Newcastle only.

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

“We encourage passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel, and thank them for their patience and understanding of this work.” He added that the work, including further testing, is part of preparations for the introduction of digital in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line, with vital work at other locations also being carried out over the same weekend.

A spokesperson for the train operators 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.”

Passengers are advised to plan their journeys carefully and allow extra time if travelling along this section of the East Coast Main Line this weekend.

There will be also be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains between Potters Bar and Peterborough/Royston, or between Hertford North and Stevenage. Here are their service arrangements:

No trains will run between:

• Potters Bar and Peterborough

• Potters Bar and Royston

• Hertford North and Stevenage

A revised train service will run between:

• Royston and Cambridge/Ely/Kings Lynn

• Moorgate and Hertford North/Potters Bar

• London Kings Cross and Potters Bar

• Finsbury Park and Brighton

• Finsbury Park and Horsham (Saturday only)

Replacement buses will run between:

• Hitchin and Royston

• Bedford and Peterborough via St Neots

• Hitchin and Peterborough

• Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin

• St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield

• Hertford North and Stevenage

• Potters Bar and Hitchin

Additionally, before 09:40 on Sunday 23 November, buses will replace trains between Finsbury Park and Stevenage via Hertford North.

Image: Network Rail