All you need to know about disruption expected by upcoming engineering work on East Coast Main Line

Further digital signalling progress will be among various planned railway upgrades taking place affecting passenger journeys towards London.

Network Rail says the engineering work from January 31 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 (which can suffer from damage, vandalism and failure), with real‑time, continuous information delivered directly to the driver’s cab.

This 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.

Testing will check 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; and platform upgrades at Alexandra Palace.

On January 31-February 1 and February 7-8, 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 February 15 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 February 21-22 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.”

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.