Planned upgrades to affect Great Northern and Thameslink services over the Christmas period

Network Rail and train operators are reminding passengers to check each day before they travel throughout the entire festive period as further upgrade work for the billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) and Cambridge South station takes place over the festive period, from Christmas Eve.

On December 24 December, buses will replace trains for Great Northern and Thameslink passengers travelling between Potters Bar and St Neots, Potters Bar and Royston and Hertford North and Stevenage.

Thameslink and Great Northern customers are also reminded that services on all routes will finish earlier on Christmas Eve. All services will finish by 9pm, but on some routes it may be considerably earlier.

As normal there will be no Thameslink or Great Northern services on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

The project will see traditional, lineside signals replaced with signalling displayed inside drivers’ cabs, which will lead to more reliable journeys for passengers and a greener railway.

Further engineering work as part of the Cambridge South station and Cambridge resignalling projects will also mean some changes to Thameslink, Great Northern, CrossCountry and Greater Anglia services between Wednesday, December 27, and New Year’s Day.

For Great Northern and Thameslink passengers, buses will replace trains between Royston and Cambridge North on December 27 and 28, and between Royston and Cambridge from December 29 to January 1.

An additional direct bus service will operate between Royston and Cambridge North connecting with rail services to and from King’s Lynn from December 29 December to January 1.

Trains between London and Royston will run to an amended timetable throughout the period, from Wednesday, December 27 to January 1.

Greater Anglia passengers will also see buses replacing trains between Audley End and Cambridge North (via Cambridge), from December 27 to January 1, and between Cambridge and Cambridge North on December 27 and 28.

CrossCountry services to and from Stansted Airport will be affected, as trains are replaced by buses between Ely and Cambridge, Cambridge and Stansted Airport on December 27 and 28, and between Cambridge and Stansted Airport from December 29 to January 1.

Passengers are being encouraged to check their journey before travelling via National Rail Enquiries or through their train operator.

Sarah Hewlett, Network Rail’s programme manager for East Coast Digital Programme, said: “The East Coast Digital Programme will transform the way trains operate on the East Coast Main Line and will result in a more reliable, resilient, and greener railway for our passengers.

“We want to thank passengers for their patience and understanding ahead of this vital work, especially as people travel ahead of Christmas, and appreciate that their journeys will take longer than normal.

“We’re reminding passengers to check their journey before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or through their train operator.”

There will be further ECDP work taking place over the weekends of January 6-7 and 13-14, with no direct train services to and from London King’s Cross, St Pancras via Finsbury Park and Moorgate.

Buses will replace trains for all stations between London and Grantham/Letchworth Garden City.

For more information, visit networkrail.co.uk.