Major disruption expected between Peterborough and London for rail passengers this December

Thameslink and Great Northern passengers are being urged to consider travelling the day before Sunday 3 December to avoid disruption to services caused by essential improvement work.

Key engineering work as part of the billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) will severely impact services between London and Peterborough, Cambridge and Kings Lynn, with many stations not being served all day.

On Sunday 3 December, there will be an extremely limited train and replacement bus service and many stations will not be served for the whole day.

Trains and bus services will be extremely busy, queuing systems will be in place and passengers may not be able to board their chosen service.

Passengers are strongly encouraged to travel on Saturday 2 December, where possible, and to allow plenty of extra time for their journey if travelling on Sunday 3 December is essential.

Great Northern will operate a reduced train service between King’s Cross and Potters Bar, Moorgate and Potters Bar, Moorgate and Hertford North, St Neots and Peterborough, and Cambridge and King’s Lynn.

A limited bus service will be in operation between key Greater Anglia locations on the route and stations with train connections to/from London with buses running between St Neots and Peterborough.

The ECDP will see the introduction of in-cab, digital signalling for trains running up and down the East Coast Main Line from King’s Cross, resulting in a more reliable railway for passengers, and lower carbon emissions.

Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail’s East Coast Digital Programme, said: “This work is vital for the introduction of digital, in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line which will provide a better service for passengers and reduce carbon emissions.

“Wherever possible, we seek to avoid engineering works on nearby routes happening at the same time but on this occasion this has not been possible. We want to thank passengers for their patience and understanding ahead of this work and understand that journeys will take longer than they normally would.

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

Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “We have taken the tough decision to close several of our stations between Potters Bar, St Neots and Cambridge so we can concentrate available buses on delivering a reliable service. This will give our customers more confidence when planning their journeys in advance.

“Unfortunately, some journeys will be difficult on this date, which is why we’re encouraging customers to travel on Saturday 2 December if possible.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience while this vital work takes place to improve journeys between London, Peterborough, and Cambridge in the future.”