Passengers urged to plan ahead of engineering work and industrial action on Great Northern routes

Wednesday 4 Jan 2023

Passengers urged to plan ahead of engineering work and industrial action on Great Northern routes – 7 and 8 January

Region & Route:: Eastern; | Eastern: East Coast

Passengers intending to travel with Great Northern and Thameslink on the route between London and Peterborough over the weekend of 7 and 8 January are being asked to plan ahead with travel impacted by both industrial action and engineering work.

Strikes by the RMT and ASLEF are affecting the entire network from 3-7 January and passengers are advised to travel only if absolutely necessary: https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/govia-thameslink-railway/pressreleases/strikes-set-to-disrupt-rail-travel-in-first-week-of-january-3225612

On Saturday and Sunday 7 & 8 January, pre-planned engineering work is also taking place as part of the Government-funded East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), aimed at improving reliability and providing a better and greener service for passengers.

State-of-the-art digital technology will be introduced through the transformational programme, providing continuous speed-based signalling through a screen in the driver’s cab.

On 7 and 8 January, no train services will run between St Neots (south of Peterborough), or between Royston and London (7 January) and Letchworth Garden City and London (8 January). London King’s Cross and Moorgate stations will be closed to passengers, and there will be no services to or from St Pancras International via Finsbury Park.

Thameslink will operate a limited shuttle service between Peterborough and St Neots.

Great Northern will run trains between Royston, Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn (7 January) and Letchworth Garden City, Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn (8 January). Rail replacement bus services will serve intermediate stations between St Neots, Royston and Alexandra Palace (7 January) and St Neots, Letchworth Garden City and Alexandra Palace (8 January).

For customers travelling to London, there will be rail replacement bus services from selected Great Northern stations across to the Midland Main Line to connect into Thameslink services from Bedford to London St Pancras. No Great Northern services will operate on the Hertford branch between Stevenage and Alexandra Palace, with stations being served by rail replacement bus services. There will also be no services on the Moorgate branch.

Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check before they travel at www.greatnorthernrail.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Over the weekend of 7 and 8 January a new signalling system is being tested in the Wood Green-New Barnet area of North London, preparing the area for digital signalling while reducing faults involved with the current system. New lineside equipment and technology is also being installed between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin, preparing the way for this section to become the first part of the East Coast Main Line to operate with digital signalling.

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