This upcoming August Bank Holiday weekend rail passengers are being advised to plan their journeys in advance ahead of pioneering work to test 21st century digital signalling systems on the East Coast Main Line (ECML).
The £1.4 billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme will see traditional, lineside signals replaced with signalling displayed inside drivers’ cabs, which will mean more reliable journeys and a greener railway for passengers in the future.
On Sunday 25 August, the first long-distance train will test the newly installed system between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin at high speed.
This is in preparation for trains to run on this route using digital signalling from late 2025. For the testing to be carried out under controlled conditions, the railway needs to be closed affecting long-distance trains in and out of London King’s Cross.
LNER, Lumo, and Hull Trains will not be running direct services in or out of London King’s Cross between 8pm on Saturday 24 August and 8am on Bank Holiday Monday 26 August. Grand Central will be operating no services during that time.
Instead, rail replacement buses will keep passengers on the move, with people reminded to leave extra time for their journeys.
EMR services to and from London St Pancras are expected to be extremely busy and customers are advised to use Thameslink services and interchange at Bedford.
Thameslink and Great Northern services will be running into King’s Cross, but only between London and Potters Bar, with journeys between Potters Bar, St Neots and Royston, and between Hertford North and Stevenage, served by rail replacement buses.
Ed Akers, Network Rail’s industry partnership director, ECDP, said: “The testing work will take us a step closer to the introduction of digital, in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line, which will improve services for passengers and create a more reliable and resilient railway.
“We have carefully planned this work to avoid the busiest times of the August Bank Holiday weekend, and where possible passengers may be able to avoid this disruption by travelling before or after Sunday 25 August. I want to thank those passengers who will be affected for their patience and understanding of this work”.
The East Coast Digital Programme is being delivered in partnership with all train operators which operate on the East Coast Main Line to deliver the first-of-a-kind signalling project.
A spokesperson on behalf of LNER, Hull Trains, Lumo and Grand Central said: “Our teams will be working extremely hard to ensure passengers reach their destination as quickly as possible while these upgrades are carried out.
“The latest travel information can be found on our websites and on our social media platforms and we advise passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel.
The high speed European Train Control System (ETCS) testing planned for Sunday 25 August is expected to involve both a Grand Central Class 180 passenger train and a Network Rail Class 43 measurement train.
Testing and proving will continue between Welwyn and Hitchin at various stages in the coming months, involving different trains and onboard systems.
Much of the work will be done overnight, avoiding any impact on regular passenger services.
For further information about the ECDP visit www.eastcoastdigitalprogramme.co.uk.
Image credit: Network Rail
