Network Rail is urging passengers on the East Coast Main Line to book ahead as major work takes place later this month.
No trains will run in or out of London Kings Cross between the 25th and 30th December, before a reduced service will be in operation between the 31st December until the 3rd January.
The work is part of the £1.2bn East Coast Upgrade which will transform journeys between London and Scotland.
The lifting of COVID restrictions over Christmas has made knowing what demand will be more unpredictable.
Services on Christmas Eve are expected to be very busy, so passengers should plan their journey ahead of time, and passengers will need a seat reservation.
Over the six-day closure, engineers will complete crucial work to reconstruct, strengthen and divert Camden Sewer, which runs beneath the railway. This work means a large area of trackbed needs to be lifted, which can only be done when no trains are running. Work will also take place to install new overhead line equipment.
Additional services will operate on Thursday 24th December 2020 as Network Rail has postponed the start of the work until Christmas Day.
Network Rail is strongly advising passengers to only travel to or from London Kings Cross if absolutely necessary.
Grand Central will not run any services between 25 December and 1 January.
Hull Trains will not run between 25 December and 30 December.
Ed Akers, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail’s East Coast Upgrade, said: “We understand this Christmas is particularly special after what has been a difficult year, and that people want to spend time with their families if they can.”
“We’re asking people who do decide to travel to consider their journey, plan and book ahead, and be considerate of fellow passengers.”
“Our teams have been working hard over the past few months to do as much improvement work as possible without disrupting services. We now require the six-day closure at King’s Cross, so we can reach a major milestone on the East Coast Upgrade, which, when complete, will bring a more reliable railway for passengers.”
A spokesperson on behalf of train operators on the route said: “Please only travel on the East Coast Main Line to and from London if you have no other alternative, as train services are likely to be very busy.”
“This work on the East Coast Upgrade will bring a modern, more reliable railway, improving journeys for passengers travelling between Edinburgh, the north, Peterborough and London King’s Cross.”
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And at Werrington Junction with a new underpass currently under construction that once it’s completed. It will take the strain from the ECML and to end the bottleneck north of Peterborough.