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Wednesday 20 Dec 2017

Passengers reminded to check before they travel as hundreds of Network Rail workers carry out Christmas upgrade on Midland Main Line

Region & Route:

| Eastern

Network Rail is reminding passengers travelling between London and the East Midlands to check before they travel as vital upgrade work takes place on the Midland Main Line.

Over two hundred Network Rail workers will sacrifice spending the Christmas period with their families to work on the project to upgrade concrete slab which supports the track through Kentish Town. 

Fran Johnson from Derby is the project manager for the work and will be on site over Christmas. Fran said: "Over the festive period, I'll be out on site with my team. My role is to oversee the work which is going on and make sure everything is going to plan.

“The work we are doing at Kentish Town is vital to keep trains moving reliably and safely. Lots of planning has gone into the work and it’s really rewarding to see it all come together and improve the railway for members of the public.”

The work is vital and will increase the reliability of the railway for the many passenger trains which travel through the area. The slab was laid in the late 1970s and while routine maintenance has preserved it until now, major work is needed to continue to allow trains to pass through the area safely and reliably for years to come. It has been carefully planned to take place over the Christmas period, as this is when fewer passengers travel and disruption is as little as possible.

The work will take place between Saturday, 23 December and Monday, 1 January. East Midlands Trains from major stations will continue to run to London, however there will be changes to departure and journey times, so passengers are advised to visit https://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/information/media/news/Christmas-Travel-Arrangements/ before travelling. Thameslink trains will continue to serve Kentish Town, however there will be no service south of St Pancras International.

Jake Kelly, Managing Director, East Midlands Trains, added: "These works will help to improve the busy line into London St Pancras and we are working closely with Network Rail to minimise the impact on our customers as much as possible. Services will continue to run but there may be some slight changes to departure and arrival times so I would ask customers to double check before setting off."

For more information about Thameslink services, visit www.thameslinkrailway.com/christmas.

ENDS