The four‑weekend programme of engineering work on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) has reached its halfway stage, with Network Rail reporting strong progress across renewals, maintenance and preparations for the rollout of digital signalling later this year.
Significant track renewals have now been completed at Finsbury Park, St Neots, Sandy and Offord, alongside switches and crossings renewals at Hitchin and Woodwalton. Teams have also delivered overhead line equipment upgrades between Sandy and St Neots, drainage renewals at Stevenage, Biggleswade and Langford, and platform upgrades at Alexandra Palace.
As part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), engineers also reprogrammed onboard balises to support upcoming testing phases scheduled for 15 February and 21–22 February. These sessions will cover 101 test cases, including train movements, speed restriction management and shunting. A full system data update is also planned as the industry works towards introducing in‑cab digital signalling between Welwyn and Hitchin later this year—paving the way for more reliable, greener and safer operations.
Service Changes During February Closures
The next phase of testing requires further route closures, leading to significant changes to services:
15 February
No long‑distance services will operate between Peterborough and London. There will also be no trains between:
- Potters Bar and St Neots/Letchworth Garden City
- Moorgate and Finsbury Park
- Stevenage and Hertford North
Rail replacement buses will run between Peterborough and Bedford, with Thameslink and Great Northern operating additional bus links—some connecting with Midland Main Line services for travel into central London.
21–22 February
There will be no trains between Potters Bar and Peterborough/Royston, nor between Hertford North and Stevenage. Long‑distance operators will run amended timetables supported by rail replacement buses between Peterborough and Bedford. Thameslink and Great Northern will once again provide a mix of replacement bus routes, including connections to the Midland Main Line.
Industry Perspective
Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP, said:
“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience during the closures over the last two weekends. A huge amount has been done by our teams to deliver a wide range of vital work to upkeep and upgrade the network, and to prepare for further digital signalling testing.
“We have a further three days of route closures this month, as critical testing takes place ahead of the introduction of in-cab digital signalling later this year. This will be an exciting change to the way we operate the network, enabling more reliable services for the thousands of passengers who depend on the East Coast Main Line. We thank passengers for their understanding over the three upcoming affected days.”
A spokesperson for the train operating companies added:
“We’re grateful for passengers’ patience for the past two weekends of work. We’ll continue to work hard to keep passengers moving while this essential work takes place. Rail replacement bus services and revised timetables will help people reach their destinations, and our teams will be on hand to support customers. We encourage everyone to check their journey before travelling.”
Image credit: Network Rail
