East Coast Main Line closes for major work on August Bank Holiday

• Great Northern and Thameslink passengers among those advised not to travel between Cambridge or Peterborough and London on Saturday and Sunday 24-25 August

Great Northern and Thameslink are urging passengers not to travel from stations between Cambridge, Peterborough, Hertford North and London on Saturday and Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend (24-25 August 2019), with a warning that there will be no trains on these routes in or out of King’s Cross, St Pancras International or Moorgate.

Thameslink services between Bedford, London and the south will operate, as will the Greater Anglia line between Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and London Liverpool Street, but these routes are expected to be very busy.

Great Northern and Thameslink services will be altered as follows:

• No Great Northern or Thameslink services between London King’s Cross and Peterborough / Cambridge
• No Great Northern service between Moorgate and Welwyn Garden City / Stevenage (via Hertford North)
• No Thameslink service between London St Pancras and Peterborough / Cambridge
• Passengers are strongly advised NOT TO TRAVEL on these dates
• For essential travel only, there will be a limited replacement bus service
• LNER, Hull Trains and Grand Central are also affected and will not run between London King’s Cross and Peterborough
• A Great Northern service will still operate between Cambridge and King's Lynn

Network Rail is working on the East Coast Main Line between King’s Cross and Peterborough over the weekend as part of the East Coast Upgrade. The Upgrade is the route’s biggest investment in a generation, and will provide significant benefits for passengers.

Major work in and around King’s Cross station and at Stevenage includes moving control of the signalling system from King’s Cross signal box to a state-of-the-art facility in York, which will create a more resilient railway. To allow this work to take place safely, no trains will be able to run between Peterborough or Cambridge and King’s Cross or St Pancras.

Scott Brightwell, Planning Director for Great Northern and Thameslink, said: “Customers should avoid travelling anywhere between Peterborough or Cambridge and London St Pancras, King’s Cross or Moorgate on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 August. We thank our passengers for their patience during this essential work by Network Rail, which will result in more reliable services.”

Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail, said: “Major work to upgrade the East Coast Main Line will mean significant changes to services this August Bank Holiday weekend.

“We are urging passengers not to travel on 24/25 August as there will be significant disruption. We appreciate that this will impact on people, however this work is absolutely to vital to make sure we continue to provide a railway which is fit for purpose and this upgrade will bring significant benefits to passengers once completed.”

For more travel advice and more information, passengers should visit https://www.greatnorthernrail.com/ecupgrade and www.eastcoastupgrade.co.uk

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