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Tuesday 1 Oct 2024

Weekend rail upgrades on the East Coast Main Line this October

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: East Coast

East Coast Main Line passengers are being advised to plan their weekend journeys in advance this October during essential railway upgrades.

Network Rail is carrying out important improvements to track and railway equipment from this Saturday (5 October) to make journeys more reliable in the future.

So engineers can safely carry out their work, parts of the line between Doncaster and Grantham will need to be closed to trains on:

• Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October
• Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October
• Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October

Passengers are being advised to allow extra time to travel, that trains still running may use diversionary routes and will be busier, and some journeys could involve a rail replacement coach service*.

The best way to find out if your journey could be impacted is to check before you travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk or find detailed information on your specific train operators’ website at:

• LNER – Planned Timetable Changes
• Lumo -  Planned engineering
• Hull Trains – Planned improvements and altered services
• Grand Central – Engineering calendar

The vital work to keep passengers and freight moving smoothly in future will see:

• Switches and crossings – the moving sections of track which allow trains to change lines – replaced or refurbished in Newark, Doncaster and Grantham. 
• Railway drainage upgraded in Peascliffe Tunnel near Grantham.
• Track upgrades near Grantham and Newark.
• Station canopies refurbished in Retford.
• Structures repaired at Creeton Cutting between Peterborough and Grantham.

Paul Rutter, Network Rail’s East Coast route director, said: “I’d like to thank people in advance for their understanding ahead of our essential railway upgrades this October. When complete our work will bring mean better, smoother and more reliable journeys for passengers and freight on the East Coast Main Line.

“However, upgrading complex equipment like switches and crossings means we have no choice but to close sections of railway and stop trains running so engineers can quickly and safely carry out our work. I’d urge anyone wanting to travel over the weekends concerned to check National Rail Enquiries and plan ahead, allow extra time to get to where you need to be, and be prepared for some of your journey to be by coach.”

A spokesperson on behalf of all train operators, said: “We’re working closely with Network Rail on plans to keep customers on the move during the vital railway upgrades over consecutive weekends this October. We’re advising people to check before they travel to see exactly how their journey could be impacted. Please allow extra time for your journey, with trains which are running expected to be busier than normal and rail replacement coaches in place to get customers to where they need to be.”

Long-distance rail travellers are also being given advanced notice of further engineering work at the end of October and beginning of November on the East Coast Main Line between York and Darlington.

That will see some rail replacement coaches on the weekends of 26 and 27 October and 2 and 3 November.