Media centre

Friday 3 Feb 2023

Passengers urged to plan ahead of East Coast Digital Programme work on 18/19 February

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: East Coast

Passengers intending to travel to and from London King’s Cross and other destinations on the East Coast Main Line via Peterborough over the weekend of 18 and 19 February are being asked to plan ahead.

Further engineering work is taking place to deliver the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) - a transformation using state-of-the-art digital technology that will provide continuous speed- based signalling through a screen in the driver’s cab. This is aimed at improving reliability and providing a better and greener service for passengers. 

Over 18 and 19 February 2023 a new signalling system is being commissioned in the Wood Green - New Barnet area of North London, preparing the area for digital signalling while replacing existing life expired equipment.

New equipment and technology is also being installed between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire, a section of route which will eventually become the first part of the East Coast Main Line to operate with digital signalling.

On 18 and 19 February, no train services will run between St Neots (south of Peterborough) and London.

A reduced LNER service will start and terminate at St Neots or Peterborough, with rail replacement coaches between St Neots and Bedford, where passengers can connect to Thameslink services to or from London St Pancras.

Hull Trains will operate a reduced service via the Midland Main Line into London St Pancras with extended journey times.

Lumo will operate services between Edinburgh and Peterborough only, with rail replacement coaches between Peterborough and London King’s Cross.

Passengers travelling between London and Scotland are also being advised that that the West Coast Main Line is closed between Wigan North Western and Lancaster over the weekend of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 February due to railway improvements at Preston. Read more: https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/west-coast-main-line-closure-for-preston-station-track-upgrades

Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check before they travel via their operator’s website or at www.nationalrail.co.uk

Ed Akers, Network Rail’s Principal Programme Sponsor, ECDP said:

“The work taking place is an important step in this transformational programme to create a digitally signalled East Coast Main Line. It will enable us to progress towards a digital future while delivering more reliability in the present.

“We are sorry for the disruption that this will cause passengers. We’ve worked closely with train operators to keep people moving, so people should check before they travel.”

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said:

“We recognise this important work will see some changes to our timetable over the weekend of the 18 and 19 February.  The East Coast Digital Programme is taking our railway into a digital age and will bring long-term benefits for our customers by making journeys even greener and more reliable, while also enabling our Azuma fleet of trains to realise their full potential.”  

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director at Lumo and Hull Trains, said:

“There is no doubt that in the long term, the ECDP will be extremely beneficial for our customers, improving reliability and green credentials of services along the East Coast. We are working closely with rail operators to mitigate the impact to our customers but do apologise for any disruption that may be caused.”

ENDS