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 Sunday 24 August

As work continues to modernise the railway’s signalling system, services on the East Coast Main Line will be significantly impacted from 20:00 on Saturday 23 August to 08:00 on Monday 25 August.

Journeys to and from London will take considerably longer than normal and passengers are advised to check before they travel.

The work has been carefully planned to avoid the busiest times over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

How will passenger services be impacted?

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 (some services will start/terminate at Doncaster). Rail replacement coaches will run between Peterborough and Bedford, where customers can join Thameslink or EMR services to London St Pancras.

Please note: passengers traveling between the North and London are strongly advised 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 customer numbers on this route

Lumo

Lumo will operate an amended service to/from Peterborough with most services starting/terminating at Newcastle. A non-stop rail replacement coach will be provided for Lumo customers between London King’s Cross and Peterborough.

Great Northern and Thameslink

There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains between Potters Bar, Peterborough/Royston, or between Hertford North and Stevenage.

Please see the full service summary below.

Saturday 23 August, from approximately 20:00 until end of service

No trains will run between:

• Potters Bar and Peterborough

• Potters Bar and Royston

• Hertford North and Stevenage

From approximately 20:00, a rail replacement bus service will run between:

• Potters Bar and Hitchin

• Hitchin and Royston

• Hitchin and Peterborough

• Hertford North and Stevenage

• St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield

• Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin

Sunday 24 August

No trains will run between:

• Moorgate and Finsbury Park

• Potters Bar and Peterborough

• Potters Bar and Royston

• Hertford North and Stevenage

A rail replacement bus service will run between:

• Potters Bar and Hitchin

• Hitchin and Royston

• Hertford North and Stevenage

• St Albans City and Hitchin via Hatfield

• Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin

• St Neots and Bedford

• Hitchin and Peterborough

Trains will run between:

• Royston and Cambridge / Kings Lynn

• London King’s Cross and Potters Bar

• Finsbury Park and Potters Bar / Hertford North

Monday 25 August, from the start of service until approximately 09:00

No trains will run between:

• Potters Bar and Peterborough

• Potters Bar and Royston

• Hertford North and Stevenage

A rail replacement bus service will run between:

• Potters Bar and Hitchin

• Hitchin and Royston

• Hitchin and Peterborough

• Hertford North and Stevenage

Upcoming impacts on train services

After the August Bank Holiday weekend work the next set of significant disruption arising from ECDP work will be at the end of November. There are some weekends affected during winter 2026, but no significant work is planned for weekdays during that period.

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

Customers are advised to plan ahead and check before they travel during these periods.

2025

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November

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

2026

Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 January

No trains between New Barnet and Welwyn Garden City.

No trains between Hitchin and Peterborough.

Long distance services to/from London King’s Cross will divert via Cambridge

Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February

No trains between London King’s Cross and Peterborough/Royston.

No trains to/from Stevenage via Hertford North.

Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 February

No trains between London King’s Cross and Peterborough/Royston.

No trains to/from Stevenage via Hertford North.

Sunday 22 February

No trains between London King’s Cross and Peterborough/Royston.

No trains to/from Stevenage via Hertford North.

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).