Work will be carried out on the Northern City Line between Finsbury Park and Moorgate from the 30th of April to the 2nd of May inclusive, in order to commission new signalling equipment.

Originally part of the London Underground, the Northern City Line has kept the 45-year-old London Underground equipment and is now in need of replacement. The work being undertaken will provide more reliable journeys for thousands of customers who use the line each day.

The work comes as part of the East Coast Digital Programme which is set to bring digital signalling to the route and will mean that signallers can communicate using the latest in-cab technology in trains.

The technology will allow real-time responses and will bring increased reliability, cutting delays and improving service for passengers using the route.

In order to carry out the work safely, it needs to take place when no passenger services are in operation with the early May Bank Holiday weekend providing the perfect opportunity as no trains will operate between Finsbury Park and Moorgate, with intermediate stations also being closed. Trains travelling to and from Moorgate will see a diversion to London Kings Cross.

Passengers are being advised to give plenty of extra time for their journeys and to check ahead of travelling using either National Rail Enquiries or http://greatnorthernrail.com

Toufic Machnouk, Network Rail’s Director, Industry Partnership Digital, said:

“By commissioning new equipment on the Northern City Line and removing antiquated assets, we will improve reliability for passengers on the route. It also means we can move forward to the next stage where we introduce digital signalling, enabling further improvements for passengers.

Tom Moran, Managing Director for Great Northern and Thameslink, said:

“We expect the new signalling system to significantly reduce the delays caused by signal failures. This will benefit our customers but it can’t be done without closing a part of our railway. This means we won’t be able to run trains along the route to and from Moorgate this early May Bank Holiday weekend. We’re sorry for the inconvenience and encourage passengers to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys.”