Media centre

Monday 1 Jul 2019

Reduced service on East Coast Main Line as work on major railway upgrade continues

Region & Route:

Eastern

• Passengers urged to check before travelling as there is a reduced service on the East Coast Main Line on 13/14 July
• Work is part of a major revamp of the line and is a key stage in reopening a disused railway tunnel
• The East Coast Upgrade will bring significant benefits for passengers

Network Rail and train operators on the East Coast Main Line to and from London King’s Cross are urging passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel as work takes place on the weekend of 13/14 July.

As part of a £1.2billion upgrade into the route, Network Rail engineers will work to remove old signalling equipment from a disused railway tunnel at King’s Cross station. The signalling equipment needs to be removed so that new track can be laid in the tunnel. The tunnel will eventually reopen, which will increase the number of tracks into King’s Cross station from four to six, helping to increase capacity on the East Coast Main Line.

Work is also taking place elsewhere along the route to keep the number of times which passengers are disrupted as few as possible. To allow all of this take place safely, a reduced service will run on the route on 13/14 July. Passengers are strongly urged to check before travelling via National Rail Enquiries, with their train operator or on http://eastcoastupgrade.co.uk/. Services that are running are likely to be busier than usual and long-distance customers are advised to reserve a seat.

The work is part of the East Coast Upgrade which is the biggest investment into the route in a generation and will complete in 2021. The work will provide significant benefits for passengers, including more seats, quicker journey times and a more reliable service.

Work on the upgrade will be taking place over the coming years, with significant work taking place this August bank holiday between Peterborough and Cambridge and King’s Cross, St Pancras and Moorgate. This also includes the Hertford North Line. Passengers using services which start or terminate in the capital are strongly advised not to travel on 24/25 August and to instead travel on Friday, 23 or Tuesday, 27 August.

Rob McIntosh, Managing Director, Eastern for Network Rail, said: “As work on the East Coast Main Line ramps up, it is really important that passengers check before travelling.

“This is the biggest upgrade to the line in a generation and projects on this scale inevitably bring some disruption. We don’t want anyone to be disappointed, so we would urge passengers to plan ahead.

“This work is vital and will bring long term benefits for all users of the route, including more seats and faster and more reliable journeys. These improvements will enable us to continue to provide a service which meets the needs of the passengers, communities and economies we serve.”

A spokesperson on behalf of train operators along the route said: “On 13/14 July, a reduced service will run on the East Coast Main Line. Passengers are strongly advised to check before travelling and book seats on long distance services as trains are likely to be busier than usual.

“The East Coast Upgrade will improve the railway and allow passengers to feel more benefit from new trains which are being introduced along the route, which will increase capacity and provide faster and more reliable journeys.”

ENDS