Disruption to Newark train services as Network Rail carry out East Coast Digital Programme upgrade work on the East Coast Mainline between Grantham and London
Further work to upgrade a main railway line is set to cause transport disruption next month.
Network Rail teams have now completed two weekends of upgrade work as part of the billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme on the East Coast Main Line, with further work planned between London King’s Cross and Grantham in February.
The work will result in some changes to services, including those to and from Newark, on Saturday, February 10, and Sunday, February 11, work will be taking place between London and Peterborough.
LNER will be operating a reduced service starting and terminating at Grantham all weekend. Rail replacement coaches will run between Grantham and Huntingdon where customers can join a rail shuttle service to London King’s Cross.
From Saturday, February 17, until Tuesday, February 20, there will be no LNER trains to or from London King’s Cross.
The signalling system between Welwyn and Hitchin will be commissioned, allowing for train testing as part of the next phase of the programme.
LNER will operate a reduced service starting and terminating at Peterborough and rail replacement coaches will run between Peterborough and Bedford, where customers can join other operators’ services to London St Pancras.
On Saturday, February 10, Sunday 11, Saturday 17, and Sunday 18, Hull Trains will be running a reduced train service of two trains in each direction which will divert at Doncaster and terminate in London St Pancras.
However, on Monday, February 19, and Tuesday 20, Hull Trains will be terminating in Doncaster, with no services running to or from London, Grantham or Retford.
There will also be disruption to Lumo and Grand Central services.
Ricky Barsby, head of access and integration for East Coast Digital Programme, said: “This is a huge milestone for the project. Commissioning the Welwyn to Hitchin stretch will allow us to start testing the new system with trains and is testament to the incredible hard work and dedication of our engineers over the last year.
“We know this extended work will cause disruption to passengers and we are very sorry for that. We would encourage all passengers to check their journey via National Rail Enquiries before they travel and want to thank them for their patience and understanding.”
A spokesperson on behalf of LNER, Hull Trains, Lumo and Grand Central said: “Our teams will be working hard to keep passengers on the move and get them to their destination as quickly and as efficiently as they can during this work.
“All the latest travel information, including how passengers’ journeys may be affected, can be found on our websites, social media channels, or at our stations.”
Over the last two weekends, engineers have carried out work in preparation for digital, in-cab signalling to operate on the East Coast Main Line in 2025, for more reliable, resilient, and greener journeys.
Further improvements to the track have been carried out, as well as adjustments to overhead line equipment, and testing of newly installed cabling and equipment that will make the new system function.
