Passengers aiming to travel on Christmas Eve this year are being advised by Network Rail and several train operators to check before they travel https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ with further upgrade works for the East-Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) planned over the Christmas break.

The billion-pound project to modernise the railway’s line-side signalling with a new digital system inside drivers’ cabs will ultimately provide a more punctual service and reduce carbon emissions.

The focus of the works on Christmas Eve will be in Hertfordshire on the section between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin. Key equipment and will be installed and tested to prepare for the implementation of the digital signalling in 2025.

There will be several changes to services as a result of the work, with no LNER, Lumo or Hull Trains running in or out of London Kings Cross station. There will be no Grand Central trains running.

Ahead of the Christmas holiday, LNER will finish earlier than usual and will run a reduced service between St Neots or Peterborough. Rail replacement coaches will be available between St Neots and Bedford, from where passengers can transfer to EMR or Thameslink services.

All electric Lumo, which runs exclusively on the East Coast, will only run between Edinburgh and Newcastle and there will be a reduced services on Hull Trains, with only one train in each direction, which will be diverted and will terminate at London’s St Pancras station.

Further ECDP works are planned for the New Year, with no direct train services to or from London King’s Cross, St Pancras via Finsbury Park and Moorgate on the weekends of 6/7 and 13/14 January. Rail replacement buses will run for all stations between London and Grantham/Letchworth Garden City

Sarah Hewlett, Network Rail’s Programme Manager for East Coast Digital Programme, said: “The East Coast Digital Programme will transform the way trains operate on the East Coast Main Line and will result in a more reliable, resilient, and greener railway for our passengers.

“We want to thank passengers for their patience and understanding ahead of this vital work, especially as people travel ahead of Christmas, and appreciate that their journeys will take longer than normal.

“We’re reminding passengers to check their journey before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or through their train operator.”

A spokesperson on behalf of LNER, Hull Trains, Lumo, and Grand Central said: “Our teams will be working incredibly hard to keep passengers on the move and to make sure they reach their intended destination as quickly as possible while these upgrades are carried out.

“The latest travel information can be found on our websites and through our social media channels and we recommend passengers check before they travel.”