Engineering works to the East Coast Main Line will see no trains between London and Peterborough and Royston for two consecutive weekends. The works will take place on January 25 and 26 as well as February 1 and 2 and will also affect trains going to Stevenage via Hertford North.
King’s Cross station will be closed on both weekends to facilitate vital improvements to the track. These include the line north of Stevenage being renewed, investments in bridge timbers south of Finsbury Park and upgrades to switch and crossing equipment to allow tracks to separate, cross and rejoin.
There will also be tunnel drainage works at Hadley Wood, as well as improvements to the overhead line at Biggleswade and Bounds Green. Further works will also be carried out as part of the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme.
King’s Cross will be closed during the two weekends
(Image: David Williams/Getty Images)
The scheme will use in-cab digital signalling to deliver greener journeys for the southern section of the East Coast Main Line. The planned works will consist of under-track cables being installed between Biggleswade and Peterborough.
Simon Pumphrey, Network Rail Infrastructure Director, said: “The work our teams will be carrying out over both these weekends goes well beyond regular maintenance tasks.”
He added: “This work is carefully planned to maximise the time when there are track closures, allowing us to undertake several projects at once and avoiding more frequent track closures. We’re sorry to passengers affected by the disruption and thank them for their patience as we make improvements that will help make the railway more reliable.”
Thameslink and Great Northern services will also not be running between London and Peterborough, Royston or Stevenage via Hertford North on the affected dates. Rail replacement bus services and shuttle trains between Royston and King’s Lynn will run during the disruption. Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check their journeys before they travel.
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