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 31st January and Sunday 22nd February.
As work continues to modernise the railway’s signalling system, services on the East Coast Main Line will be significantly impacted on these dates
Journeys to and from London will take considerably longer than normal and passengers are advised to check before they travel.
Further information for specific dates:
Sat 31 Jan and Sun 1 Feb, Sat 7 and Sun 8 Feb
Sun 15 Feb
Sat 21 and Sun 22 Feb
Sat 31 Jan and Sun 1 Feb, Sat 7 and Sun 8 Feb
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. Rail replacement coaches will run between Peterborough and Bedford, where customers can join Thameslink or EMR services to London St Pancras.
NB - 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 services 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.
Please see the full service summary below.
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
Sun 15 Feb
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. Rail replacement coaches will run between Peterborough and Bedford, where customers can join Thameslink or EMR services to London St Pancras.
NB - 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 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
Rail Replacement buses will run between
- Hertford North – Stevenage via Watton at Stone
- Luton Airport Parkway – Stevenage
- Potters Bar – Hitchin
- St Albans City – Stevenage via Hatfield
- St Neots – Hitchin,
- St Neots – Bedford
Sat 21 and Sun 22 Feb
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. Rail replacement coaches will run between Peterborough and Bedford, where customers can join Thameslink or EMR services to London St Pancras.
NB - 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 services 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.
Please see the full service summary below.
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
Upcoming impacts on train services
After the February 21/22 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.
Customers are advised to plan ahead and check before they travel during these periods.
2026
Sunday 15 March
No trains between Potters Bar and Peterborough / Royston.
No trains between Stevenage and Hertford North.
Saturday 29 August evening (2200) to Monday 31 August morning (0800)
No trains between Potters Bar/Hertford North and Peterborough/Royston
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