Press release —
Rail upgrades mean no trains between Bedford and London over next two weekends
Network Rail has issued the following press release.
A significant package of railway improvement work will affect journeys between Bedford and London over the next two weekends.
Network Rail engineers will be working at various locations along the southern section of the Midland Main Line on 20-21 and 27-28 June. Passengers should plan ahead and check before they travel, as journeys are likely to involve a bus or may take a different route.
Among the projects being carried out are:
- refurbishing switches and crossings – the sections of track which allow trains to switch between lines – at West Hampstead to improve the reliability of the equipment.
- renewing 1km of track in north London – 600 metres at Hendon and 400 metres at Belsize Tunnel – for smoother, more reliable journeys.
- installing new switches and crossings and electronics as part of a rail junction being constructed at Radlett Strategic Freight Interchange
- renewing more than 1.2km of drainage at Harlington, Bedfordshire to prevent flooding, protect the railway and support safer, more reliable services
- Further progress on the Access for All project at Luton station, where an accessible footbridge and three lifts are being constructed. Piling and excavation work is under way in preparation for the new bridge being installed.
The work means that over both weekends, Thameslink will have no trains running between Bedford and London.
Rail replacement buses will run between:
- Bedford and Luton
- Luton Airport Parkway and Hitchin via Luton
- Harpenden and Potters Bar via St Albans
- Luton and London
Trains will run to an amended timetable between London King’s Cross and Peterborough/Cambridge (see Notes to Editor).
East Midlands Railway services between Sheffield/Derby/Nottingham/Corby and London St Pancras International will operate between Sheffield/Derby/Nottingham/Corby and Bedford only. Rail replacement buses will operate between Bedford and Hitchin to connect to alternative train services to London.
Dan Matthews, Network Rail operations director, said:
“We’re carrying out a significant programme of upgrades along the Midland Main Line over the coming weekends to make journeys more reliable and resilient for passengers and freight. This includes renewing track, improving drainage to reduce the risk of flooding, upgrading key track components, and continuing work to make stations more accessible.
“We’re sorry to anyone whose journey will be affected and we thank passengers for their patience while we carry out our work. We’re urging anyone travelling on the affected dates to check before they travel and allow extra time for journeys.”
A spokesperson for Thameslink and East Midlands Railway said:
“We’re working closely together and with Network Rail to keep customers moving while these essential upgrades are carried out. During the work, services will be amended and rail replacement buses will be in operation to help passengers complete their journeys. We strongly encourage customers to plan ahead, check before they travel and allow extra time, as journeys will take longer than usual.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Full Thameslink details:
20-21 June:
No trains will run between Bedford and London.
Trains will run to an amended timetable between:
- London Kings Cross and Peterborough/Cambridge
- London Bridge and Brighton/Rainham (Sunday only)/Horsham
- London Victoria and Sevenoaks
- Plumstead and Rainham (Saturday only)
No trains will run between London Blackfriars and Sutton. Tickets will be accepted on:
- Thameslink and Great Northern services between Hitchin and London King’s Cross
- Southwestern Railway trains between London Waterloo and Wimbledon
- Southeastern trains between London and Plumstead (Saturday only)
Paper tickets will be accepted on the following Transport for London services:
Buses between:
- Blackfriars - Streatham (via Tulse Hill)
- Streatham - Sutton (via Wimbledon and Mitcham)
- Kings Cross St Pancras - London Bridge/Elephant & Castle/Mill Hill Broadway
- Farringdon - East Dulwich (via Blackfriars/Elephant & Castle)
- Kentish Town/Kentish Town West – King’s Cross St Pancras
London Trams between:
- Wimbledon - East Croydon
London Underground between:
- Wimbledon/Victoria - Blackfriars
- Edgware/Mill Hill East/King’s Cross St Pancras/Kentish Town - London Bridge/Elephant & Castle/Morden
- West Hampstead - London Bridge
- London Bridge - Woolwich Arsenal
Elizabeth line between Farringdon and Abbey Wood.
London Overground between West Hampstead and Kentish Town West.
Additionally, from approximately 23.59 on Sunday to approximately 04.00 on Monday, rail replacement buses will run between London St Pancras and London Bridge, calling at London Blackfriars.
27-28 June
Buses will replace trains between Bedford and West Hampstead Thameslink.
A revised train service will run between:
- West Hampstead Thameslink and Brighton/Horsham (Sunday only)
- Kentish Town and Sutton via Wimbledon
- London Blackfriars and Sutton via Mitcham Junction (Saturday only)
- London Bridge and Rainham (Saturday only)
Rail replacement buses will run between:
- Bedford and Luton
- Luton and West Hampstead Thameslink
- Hitchin and Luton Airport Parkway via Luton
- Harpenden and Potters Bar via St Albans City
Tickets will be accepted at no extra cost on Great Northern and Thameslink trains between Hitchin and London.
Paper rail tickets will also be accepted at no extra cost on London Bus services between King’s Cross St Pancras and Mill Hill Broadway and on London Underground between Kings Cross St Pancras and Edgware/Mill Hill East/High Barnet.
On Sunday, no trains will run between London Blackfriars and Sutton via Mitcham Junction.
Paper rail tickets at no extra cost will be accepted on:
- London Underground between Morden and Edgware/Mill Hill East/High Barnet
- London Trams between East Croydon and Wimbledon
- London Buses between Streatham and Sutton via Mitcham, and between Wimbledon and Sutton
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For more information, contact the press office on 0203 750 2031.
GTR
GTR operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:
- Thameslink – cross-London services between Bedford/Peterborough/Cambridge and Brighton/Horsham/East Grinstead, and between Luton/St Albans and Sutton/Wimbledon/Rainham; plus services between London and Sevenoaks
- Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn
- Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)
- Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria
www.southernrailway.com, www.thameslinkrailway.com, www.gatwickexpress.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com
