Major track and drainage work is set to take place on the East Coast Main Line (EMCL) across the next four weekends. Passengers are therefore advised to plan their journeys well in advance.

Work in Scotland will begin on Saturday 16 September, while work in England will commence a day earlier.

In Scotland, £5.7m will be invested in vital improvements. This means that the line between Edinburgh and Berwick will close at 22.40 on Saturday 16 and Saturday 23 September, reopening at 05.55 the following Monday.

Timings will be a little different on the following weekends, with the line closing from 01.30 on Saturday 30 September and Saturday 7 October until 05.30 the following Monday.

In addition, the North Berwick and Borders lines will both be closed on Sunday 17 and Sunday 24 September, with the North Berwick will see no services on Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October.

The work in England will mean that the ECML north of Newcastle as far as Berwick will close across four weekends. The line will close at 23.00 on Fridays 15 and 29 September and Friday 6 October, reopening at 06.00 the following Monday. The line will also be closed from 00.25 on Saturday 23 September until 04.30 on Monday 25 September.

Cross-border services will be affected and rail replacement buses will be operating.

In Scotland, 820 yards of drainage improvements will take place at a number of location between Reston and Drem.  This is being undertaken in order to stabilise and embankment.  Some 3.8 miles of worn track will be replaced which will include rails, sleepers and new stone ballast.  In all, more than 30 engineering trains will be used. Devegetation works will also take place at various points on the line,

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail route director for Scotland, said: “The work we are undertaking is vital for the long-term future reliability of the line.

“Our engineers will be working around-the-clock to complete these complex projects as quickly as possible.

“We understand the inconvenience these works will cause to some passengers and residents and we thank them for their patience. We are committed to completing this work quickly and limiting disruption where possible.”