Major work will be carried out this Christmas on the Northern City Line as Network Rail continues with major upgrades to the track and signalling system.

After the last service on Christmas Eve and ahead of the first train on Wednesday the 29th of December, engineers will carry out the installation of brand new signalling equipment which in due course will allow signallers to communicate with state of the art in-cab technology onboard trains.

The essential work will increase reliability and bring a reduction in delays for the Northern City Line.

Further work will also be carried out to upgrade track on the route through the festive period and will be a significant step to achieving more reliable journeys into London for summer 2022.

The work being carried out is part of the East Coast Digital Programme and the Northern City Line is should be fully digitally signalled by 2023.

Taking place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, this latest part of the project can take place whilst there are no timetabled services on this part of the railway and means that disruption can be avoided for passengers. As the project is very complex work will need to continue on Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th of December with changes put in place for passengers.

Changes to services on Monday the 27th & Tuesday the 28th of December:

• Trains from Finsbury Park to Moorgate will divert into London King’s Cross
• Passengers will also be able to use their ticket on London Bus route 271 and on London Underground between London Kings Cross/London St Pancras International and Moorgate

Passengers are being asked to leave plenty of time for their journeys and check ahead of travelling via Great Northern or National Rail Enquiries.

People travelling are also reminded to follow the latest Government guidance and wear a face covering on public transport and in stations, unless exempt.

Toufic Machnouk, Network Rail’s Director, Industry Partnership Digital, said “We’re taking the opportunity to make major progress on work to upgrade the track and signalling when no timetabled services are running on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. These improvements are a vital step towards more reliable journeys for passengers on the Northern City Line.

“Trains are being diverted on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December to keep passengers moving. We advise passengers to check their journey and would like to thank people for their continued patience.”

Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director for Thameslink and Great Northern, said: “We’re delighted with this investment to replace the ageing signalling system on our popular route into the City of London with the latest in cutting-edge digital technology.

“Closing the line for vital work such as this is never an easy decision but with trains diverted into King’s Cross, passengers will still be able to reach Moorgate, using their tickets on the Tube or 271 bus.”