VIDEO: Passengers reminded of rail service changes south of Peterborough on Sunday 15 March

Broadcasters: B-roll of the testing is available here

Passengers are reminded that further testing of a new digital signalling system means there will be no trains on large stretches of the East Coast Main Line out of King’s Cross, south of Peterborough, on Sunday 15 March.

All day on Sunday 15 March no Thameslink or Great Northern trains will run between:  

• Potters Bar and Letchworth Garden City
• Potters Bar and Peterborough until 12:00
• Potters Bar and St Neots from 12:00
• Hertford North and Stevenage

A limited rail replacement bus service will run between:

• Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City
• Bedford and Peterborough via St Neots until 12:00
• Bedford and St Neots from 12:00
• Hitchin and Peterborough via St Neots until 12:00
• Hitchin and St Neots from 12:00
• Stevenage and Luton Airport Parkway via Hitchin
• St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield
• Hertford North and Stevenage
• Potters Bar and Hitchin

An amended Thameslink and Great Northern train service will run between:   

• London King’s Cross / Moorgate and Potters Bar
• London King’s Cross / Moorgate and Hertford North
• Letchworth Garden City and Cambridge / Ely / King’s Lynn
• St Neots and Peterborough from 12:00
• Finsbury Park and Brighton

Long-distance train services from the north of England will start and terminate at Peterborough on this day, 15 March, with frequent coaches connecting passengers to Bedford and Thameslink services to and from the capital.

The landmark £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) scheme is set to introduce digitally signalled passenger trains on a section of main line between Welwyn and Hitchin later this year, meaning more reliable, greener, and even safer journeys.

Rigorous testing is required to check the interaction between lineside equipment, onboard equipment and signalling control at York Rail Operating Centre.

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s Head of Access Integration, ECDP, said: “We thank passengers for their patience while further rigorous testing work is done ahead of the introduction of digital in-cab signalling on services from later this year. We expect Sunday 15 March to be the last significant ECDP related closure until late August, and it provides another step towards a more reliable, greener and even safer railway”.

Thameslink and Great Northern Customer Service Director Jenny Saunders said: “We’re looking forward to the greater reliability that the digital signalling system will bring to our passenger services. In the meantime, please do check online at national rail enquiries before you travel on Sunday 15 March and allow extra time as your journey may involve taking a bus.”

A range of railway upgrades are also planned for various sites between York and Newcastle for four weekends in March: 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29 March. For most passengers travelling through the north-east during the upgrades, trains will still be running, with an hourly service using a diversionary route to connect customers between York, Northallerton and Newcastle, via Sunderland (see notes to editors).

Passengers are advised to allow extra time to complete their journeys.

For more information, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk/engineering

ENDS

Notes to editors

7-8 March

CrossCountry: Rail replacement road transport will operate between Leeds, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. Alternative rail services will run between Leeds and York.

Grand Central: Amended and reduced service running between York and London King’s Cross.

LNER: A revised service will run between Newcastle and Edinburgh and London King’s Cross and York. An hourly service will run via a diversionary route around the Durham Coast, connecting customers across the LNER route. Rail replacement services will be in operation for customers travelling to or from Darlington and Durham. Services will call at Northallerton on Saturday but will not call at Northallerton on Sunday.

Lumo: An amended and reduced service will run between Newcastle and Edinburgh/Glasgow Queen Street.

Northern: Trains will start/terminate at Eaglescliffe. Buses will be provided between Eaglescliffe and Bishop Auckland and between Darlington and Newcastle via Durham and Chester-le-Street.

TransPennine Express:

• On Saturday: Rail replacement buses will operate between York and Newcastle. Trains to / from Redcar Central will run as normal.
• On Sunday: Rail replacement buses will operate between Newcastle and York/Northallerton. Trains to/from Redcar Central will not call at Northallerton.

14-15 March

CrossCountry: Buses replace trains between York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle.

LNER:

• An hourly service will operate between Newcastle and York, via Sunderland, keeping customers connected. For Durham and Darlington, rail replacement buses will operate to / from Newcastle and York / Northallerton. On Sunday, no trains will call at Northallerton.
• On Sunday, LNER will also be operating an amended service starting and terminating at Peterborough. Rail replacement coaches will run between Peterborough and Bedford, where passengers can join Thameslink or EMR services to London St Pancras.

Lumo: An amended and reduced service will run between Newcastle and Edinburgh/Glasgow Queen Street only.

Northern: Buses will replace trains between Darlington and Saltburn.

TransPennine Express: Rail replacement buses will operate between York and Newcastle, and between Middlesbrough and Redcar Central.

An amended timetable will run between:

• Liverpool Lime Street and York
• Manchester Airport and York
• York and Middlesbrough (on Sunday services will be unable to call at Northallerton)
• Wakefield Kirkgate and York