Upcoming engineering work to support digital signalling programme

Thursday 8 Jan 2026

Upcoming engineering work to support digital signalling programme

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

Further digital signalling progress will be among various planned railway upgrades taking place over four consecutive weekends – affecting passenger journeys south of Peterborough towards London.

The engineering work from 31 January will deliver a range of improvements – including construction and testing under the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), which replaces traditional lineside signals with real‑time, continuous information delivered directly to the driver’s cab.

This landmark scheme is set to introduce digitally signalled passenger trains on the main line between Welwyn and Hitchin from later this year, meaning more reliable, greener, and even safer journeys.

The rigorous testing process checks the interaction between lineside equipment, onboard equipment and signalling control at York Rail Operating Centre.

Other work taking place over the four weekends will include:

track renewal at Finsbury Park, St Neots, Sandy station and Offord
renewal or refurbishment of switches and crossings (which guide trains safely from one line to another) at Hitchin, Woodwalton and Wood Green
upgrades to overhead line equipment at Stevenage and between Sandy and St Neots.
renewal of drainage at Stevenage, Harringay, Biggleswade and Langford
platform upgrades at Alexandra Palace

On 31 January-1 February and 7-8 February*, there will be no train services between London and Peterborough/Royston, and no trains to Stevenage via Hertford North. Long distance operators will run amended services, with rail replacement bus services in place between Peterborough and Bedford. Thameslink and Great Northern will have various rail replacement bus services in place.

On 15 February** only there will be no trains between:

Peterborough and London
Potters Bar and St Neots/Letchworth Garden City
Moorgate and Finsbury Park
Stevenage and Hertford North

Rail replacement services will operate between Peterborough and Bedford. Thameslink and Great Northern will have various rail replacement bus services in place.

On 21-22 February*** there will be no train services between London and Peterborough/Royston, and no trains to Stevenage via Hertford North, with rail replacement bus services in place between Peterborough and Bedford. Thameslink and Great Northern will have various rail replacement bus services in place.

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP, said:

“A significant amount of vital work is taking place over these four weekends, including further steps to introduce digital signalling to the East Coast Main Line. This investment will mean a more reliable, greener and even safer railway for the millions of people who travel on this route each year.

“As well as the progress we’re making on digital signalling, we’re also taking the opportunity to complete a wide range of essential maintenance and renewal work. We appreciate that these upgrades will affect journeys, and we’re grateful to passengers for their patience while our teams carry out this essential work.”

A spokesperson for the train operating companies added:

“We’ll be working hard to keep passengers moving while this essential work takes place. Rail replacement services and revised timetables will help people reach their destinations, and our teams will be on hand to support customers. We encourage everyone to check their journey before travelling.”

Notes to Editors

Click here to read more about ECDP.

Fifty-seven ECDP test cases were carried out and passed using Great Northern Class 717 and Great Central Class 180 trains during 16-hour period on Boxing Day, while passenger services were not running.

*On 31 January-1 February and 7-8 February:

LNER will have an amended service north of Peterborough, with rail replacement coaches operating between Peterborough and Bedford to connect customers with services to/from London St Pancras. Passengers travelling between the north and London are strongly advised to use LNER services and provided rail replacement services to and from Peterborough and London and avoid travelling via Sheffield, Derby or Chesterfield due to extremely high passenger numbers on the Midland Main Line.
Hull Trains will run a reduced timetable between Hull and London St Pancras. Trains will not call at Beverley, Cottingham, Doncaster, Retford, Grantham or Stevenage.
Lumo will have no trains between London and Newcastle, and will run a reduced service between Newcastle and Edinburgh.
There will be no Grand Central
Great Northern and Thameslink services will not run between London King’s Cross/London St Pancras/Moorgate and Royston/Peterborough. A shuttle train service will run between Royston and Cambridge/Ely/King’s Lynn, and rail replacement buses will run between:
- Bedford and Peterborough via St Neots
- Hitchin and Peterborough
- Hitchin and Royston
- Alexandra Palace and Stevenage via Hertford North
- Stevenage and St Albans City via Welwyn Garden City
- Stevenage and Luton Airport Parkway via Hitchin
- Alexandra Palace and Welwyn Garden City
- Cockfosters and Potters Bar via Hadley Wood

**On Sunday 15 February:

LNER will have an amended service north of Peterborough, with rail replacement coaches operating between Peterborough and Bedford to connect customers with services to/from London St Pancras. Passengers travelling between the north and London are strongly advised to use LNER services and provided rail replacement services to and from Peterborough and London and avoid travelling via Sheffield, Derby or Chesterfield due to extremely high passenger numbers on the Midland Main Line.
Hull Trains will run a reduced timetable between Hull and London St Pancras. Trains will not call at Beverley, Cottingham, Doncaster, Retford, Grantham or Stevenage.
Lumo will have an amended service between Glasgow Queen Street/Edinburgh and Newcastle only.
No Grand Central trains between London King’s Cross and Bradford Interchange/Sunderland.
Great Northern and Thameslink trains will not run between Potters Bar and Letchworth Garden City/St Neots or between Hertford North and Stevenage. There will also be no trains between Moorgate and Finsbury Park. Rail replacement buses will operate between:
- Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City
- Bedford and St Neots
- Hitchin and St Neots
- Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin
- St Albans and Stevenage via Hatfield
- Hertford North and Stevenage
- Potters Bar and Hitchin

***On 21-22 February:

LNER will have an amended service north of Peterborough, with rail replacement coaches operating between Peterborough and Bedford to connect customers with services to/from London St Pancras. Passengers travelling between the north and London are strongly advised to use LNER services and provided rail replacement services to and from Peterborough and London and avoid travelling via Sheffield, Derby or Chesterfield due to extremely high passenger numbers on the Midland Main Line.
Hull Trains will run a reduced timetable between Hull and London St Pancras. Trains will not call at Beverley, Cottingham, Doncaster, Retford, Grantham or Stevenage.
Lumo will run an amended and reduced service between Newcastle and Edinburgh only.
There will be no Grand Central trains between Sunderland/Bradford Interchange and London King’s Cross.
There will be no Great Northern/Thameslink trains between Potters Bar and Royston or Peterborough, as well as between Hertford North and Stevenage. Replacement buses will run between:
- Hitchin and Royston/Peterborough
- Bedford and Peterborough via St Neots
- Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin
- St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield
- Hertford North and Stevenage
- Potters Bar and Hitchin

In addition to the closures for ECDP works outlined above, there will also be closures in the two preceding weekends for routine maintenance and improvement works:

On Sunday 18 January, there will be no Great Northern or Thameslink trains between New Barnet and Welwyn Garden City and between Hertford North and Stevenage. Longer distance services will use a diversionary route, with amended journey times.
On Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 January there will be no Great Northern or Thameslink trains between Alexandra Palace and Stevenage via Welwyn Garden City. Longer distance services will use a diversionary route, with amended journey times.

Contact information

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03457 11 41 41

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Gareth Dennison
Media relations manager, Eastern region
Network Rail
07561 874858
gareth.dennison@networkrail.co.uk

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