East Coast Main Line is undergoing a £1.2bn upgrade, including a track renewal at Newark, over August Bank Holiday.

TRAIN passengers need to be aware of major railworks taking place over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

East Coast Main Line will be undergoing its biggest upgrade in a generation, costing £1.2bn, and will see the first major closure of the route in 20 years this summer, including a track renewal at Newark which is scheduled to take place between August 24 and 26.

Over the Bank Holiday Weekend, no trains are able to travel between Peterborough or Cambridge and London King’s Cross or London St Pancras International, and passengers using services which start or terminate in the capital are strongly advised not to travel on August 24 or 25, and to instead travel on Friday 23 or Tuesday 27. A reduced service will run from Newark on Monday, August 26.

Rob McIntosh, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “We are delivering the biggest upgrade to the East Coast Main Line in a generation to bring huge benefits for passengers – including additional seats, quicker journeys and a more reliable service.

“We know this work will have an impact on people who use the line – we’re doing everything we can to keep disruption to a minimum, but passengers will need to plan ahead and check before they travel.

“Once completed, this upgrade will improve journeys and ensure we can continue to provide a service which meets the needs of the passengers, communities and economies we serve.”

The upgrade plan is set to create capacity for up to 10,000 extra seats a day on long-distance services, see faster journeys and improve reliability for passengers.

Passengers can see how their journey will be affected by visiting http://eastcoastupgrade.co.uk/.