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Engineers are continuing with major track and signalling upgrades around Manchester this Christmas to boost reliability, allow more trains to run in future and improve connectivity across the North.

• More than 200 railway workers are giving up Christmas with their families to remodel the track layout between platforms 4 and 6 as part of a project to boost reliability
• Major work will take place over 10 days, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day when there are no timetabled train services
• Changes to services from Monday 27 December 2021 to Monday 3 January 2022
• Very limited services to or from Leeds station on Sunday 2 January – passengers urged to check before travelling

Engineers are spending their Christmases carrying out vital improvements to strengthen a railway bridge just south of Finsbury Park station, which carries the busy East Coast Main Line.

Around 200 Network Rail workers are spending this Christmas upgrading the points – movable pieces of track which allow trains to move from one line to the other – at Peterborough.

• Engineers will carry out final stage of work to upgrade 1970s track between Kentish Town and London St Pancras this Christmas and over New Year
• Improvements will bring a more modern reliable railway for passengers and reduce delays
• Reduced East Midlands Railway and Thameslink services from Monday 27 December until Tuesday 4 January – passengers reminded to plan ahead
• Additional Midland Main Line upgrades on Christmas Day and Boxing Day when no timetabled trains are running

Network Rail’s purpose-built Rail Innovation and Development Centre (RIDC) reached a major milestone on the East Coast Digital Programme last month with the successful completion of dynamic testing of the Alstom-installed European Train Control System (ETCS) on rolling stock. The test was controlled from the ETCS National Integration Facility (ENIF).

• Upgrades to the track and signalling on London’s Northern City Line continue over Christmas
• Major work will take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day when there are no timetabled services running
• Trains between Finsbury Park and Moorgate will divert into London King’s Cross on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December - passengers reminded to check their journey
• East Coast Digital Programme will boost reliability for passengers and reduce delays

The main stage of work to make Finsbury Park station fully accessible is now underway, after Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, joined Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway and Islington Borough Council for a ground-breaking event today (Monday 13 December).