Passengers reminded of East Coast Main Line closure for major work on August Bank Holiday weekend

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

Govia Thameslink Railway and Network Rail are reminding Great Northern and Thameslink passengers that there will be no trains on routes between Cambridge, Peterborough, Hertford North and King’s Cross, St Pancras International or Moorgate on Saturday and Sunday of the August Bank Holiday weekend (24-25 August 2019). Passengers are urged not to travel on these routes.

The closure will allow Network Rail to continue work on a major upgrade of the East Coast Main Line.

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 modern control centre in York, which will create a more reliable 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, or between Stevenage and Moorgate.

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. Other Thameslink routes will be operating, but are expected to be busier than usual. 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: “We are reminding passengers that there will be significant disruption to journeys on the East Coast Main Line this Bank Holiday weekend, with customers of many operators urged not to travel on 24/25 August.

“We understand that this work is disruptive and we are sorry for that. However, this is vital work that will improve the railway and provide benefits for passengers in the long run. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are affected for their patience.”

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

Ends