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East Coast Digital Programme Upgrade Work

The East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) is a landmark scheme that will introduce in-cab digital signalling on the southern part of the East Coast Main Line, between London King’s Cross and Grantham

Major upgrades affecting train services on multiple weekends between Saturday 31 January and Sunday 22 February

As work continues to modernise the railway’s signalling system, services on the East Coast Main Line will be significantly impacted on these weekend dates:

  • Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February

  • Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 February

  • Sunday 15 February

  • Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 February

Journeys to and from London will take considerably longer than normal and we advise you to check before you travel.

You can find full details of the work taking place by selecting the relevant section below.

Upgrade works: January and February 2026

How will passenger services be impacted on these dates?

Grand Central

There will be no Grand Central services.

Hull Trains

Hull Trains will be running an amended train service which will divert to run to and from London St Pancras International.

LNER

LNER will 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.

Please note: If you are travelling between the North and London we strongly advise you to use LNER services to and from Peterborough and apply a search filter to specify travel via Peterborough. Please avoid travelling via Sheffield, Derby or Chesterfield if possible due to extremely high passenger numbers on this route.

Lumo

Lumo will operate an amended service between Edinburgh and Newcastle only.

Thameslink and Great Northern

There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains between London and Peterborough/Royston, or between Moorgate and Stevenage.

No trains will run between:

  • London King’s Cross and Peterborough

  • London King’s Cross and Royston

  • Moorgate and Stevenage via Hertford North

  • London St Pancras International and Finsbury Park

A rail replacement bus service will run between:

  • Peterborough and Bedford via St Neots

  • Peterborough and Hitchin

  • Royston and Hitchin

  • Stevenage and Alexandra Palace via Hertford North

  • Stevenage and Luton Airport Parkway via Hitchin

  • Cockfosters and Potters Bar via Hadley Wood

Trains will run between:

  • Royston and Cambridge/Kings Lynn

How will passenger services be impacted on this date?

Grand Central

There will be no Grand Central services.

Hull Trains

Hull Trains will be running an amended train service which will divert to run to and from London St Pancras International.

LNER

LNER will 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.

Please note: If you are travelling between the North and London we strongly advise you to use LNER services to and from Peterborough and apply a search filter to specify travel via Peterborough. Please avoid travelling via Sheffield, Derby or Chesterfield if possible due to extremely high passenger numbers on this route.

Lumo

Lumo will operate an amended service between Edinburgh and Newcastle only.

Thameslink and Great Northern

There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains between Potters Bar and Letchworth Garden City/St Neots, between Hertford North and Stevenage, or between Moorgate and Finsbury Park.

An amended train service will run between:

  • St Neots and Peterborough

  • Letchworth Garden City and Cambridge/Kings Lynn

  • London King’s Cross and Potters Bar/Hertford North

  • Finsbury Park and Brighton

A rail replacement bus service will run between:

  • Hertford North and Stevenage via Watton at Stone

  • Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage

  • Potters Bar and Hitchin

  • St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield

  • St Neots and Hitchin

  • St Neots and Bedford

How will passenger services be impacted on these dates?

Grand Central

There will be no Grand Central services.

Hull Trains

Hull Trains will be running an amended train service which will divert to run to and from London St Pancras International.

LNER

LNER will 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.

Please note: If you are travelling between the North and London we strongly advise you to use LNER services to and from Peterborough and apply a search filter to specify travel via Peterborough. Please avoid travelling via Sheffield, Derby or Chesterfield if possible due to extremely high passenger numbers on this route.

Lumo

Lumo will operate an amended service between Edinburgh and Newcastle only.

Thameslink and Great Northern

There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains between London and Peterborough/Royston, or between Moorgate and Stevenage.

No trains will run between:

  • London King’s Cross and Peterborough

  • London King’s Cross and Royston

  • Moorgate and Stevenage via Hertford North

  • London St Pancras International and Finsbury Park

A rail replacement bus service will run between:

  • Peterborough and Bedford via St Neots

  • Peterborough and Hitchin

  • Royston and Hitchin

  • Stevenage and Alexandra Palace via Hertford North

  • Stevenage and Luton Airport Parkway via Hitchin

  • Cockfosters and Potters Bar via Hadley Wood

Trains will run between:

Royston and Cambridge/Kings Lynn

Further upcoming impacts on train services

After the 21 and 22 February weekend work the next set of significant disruption arising from ECDP work will be on 15 March 2026.

Upcoming affected dates are listed below. This is the agreed industry plan but may be subject to alteration.

We advise you to plan ahead and check before you travel during these periods.

2026

Sunday 15 March

No trains between Potters Bar and Peterborough/Royston.

No trains between Stevenage and Hertford North.

From 22:00 Saturday 29 August to 08:00 Monday 31 August

No trains between Potters Bar/Hertford North and Peterborough/Royston

Plan Your Journey

About the East Coast Digital Programme

Work on the East Coast Main Line is taking place as part of the Government-funded transformational East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), that will see state-of-the-art digital signalling introduced, providing continuous, real-time information to the driver’s cab. This is aimed at improving reliability for passengers, while also reducing emissions. The digital technology is already being used on Great Northern passenger services between Finsbury Park and Moorgate in London.

If you would like to know more about ECDP please visit the East Coast Digital Programme website(external link, opens in a new tab).

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