Rail passengers should be planning ahead for upcoming tests of the new digital signalling systems on the East Coast Main Line. The £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme will replace traditional lineside signals with in-cab displays, leading to more reliable and eco-friendly journeys.
On Saturday, 30 November, and Sunday, 1 December, high-speed testing will be conducted between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire. This is part of the preparations for trains to use digital signalling from late 2025.
To facilitate these tests, the railway will be closed, affecting long-distance services to and from London King’s Cross.
- LNER will be operating a reduced service starting and terminating at St Neots or Peterborough. Rail replacement coaches will run between St Neots and Bedford, where customers can join Thameslink or EMR services to London St Pancras.
- Hull Trains will be running a reduced train service of two trains in each direction which will divert and terminate in London St Pancras.
- Lumo will operate a reduced service involving a non-stop rail replacement coach between London King’s Cross and Peterborough.
- There will be no Grand Central services.
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 for rail replacement services to St Neots.
Thameslink and Great Northern services will be running into King's Cross, but only between London and Potters Bar, with onward journeys northwards served by rail replacement buses.
Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration, ECDP, said:
“The testing work is a further step towards 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 greener railway.”
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 European Train Control System (ETCS) testing planned for Sunday 30 November and Sunday 1 December is expected to involve both a Grand Central Class 180 passenger train and a Great Northern Class 717 commuter 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.
Photo credit: Network Rail
