Network Rail engineers will be working on part of the East Coast Mainline which runs through Darlington on Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th of February.

The work will see the renewal and replacement of switches and crossings alongside more than a mile of new rails in order to create an improved experience for rail customers travelling on the East Coast Main Line.

During the period of work, there will be some changes to rail services, including:

LNER Services:

• The rail operator will be running a reduced service with just one train per hour in each direction between London King’s Cross and Scotland
• A diversion will be in place, which means journey times will be longer than usual by up to one hour.
• Additional services from the north and south will terminate at Newcastle and York, respectively
• Rail replacement bus services will be in operation between Newcastle and York

CrossCountry and TransPennine Express services:

• A replacement coach service will be in operation across the weekend between York and Newcastle
• Sunday (only) will see rail replacement services connect CrossCountry passengers to and from Leeds
• TransPennine Express services will use a diversion around the engineering work between Leeds and York

For Northern services:

• Changes will be in place between Saltburn & Middlesborough and Darlington & Bishop Auckland
• These services will start and terminate at Eaglescliffe
• Rail replacement buses will be in operation between Eaglescliffe and Darlington and Bishop Auckland.

For Lumo services:

• A shuttle train service will operate between Newcastle and Edinburgh
• A rail replacement coach service will be in operation between Newcastle and Northallerton, which will allow customers to connect to a Lumo train to or from London on a daily return journey.

Jason Hamilton, Route Programme Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said:

“The work being carried out in the Darlington area over this weekend is vital in improving passengers’ journeys as they travel along the East Coast Main Line.”

“These upgrades will result in smoother and more reliable journeys for our passengers as we replace switches that have been in place for many years with brand new equipment.”

“We are sorry for the disruption this may cause to passengers’ journeys and encourage them to check before travelling via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator.”

A spokesperson on behalf of LNER, CrossCountry, Lumo, Northern, and TransPennine Express, said:

“Our teams will be working hard to keep passengers on the move and get them to their destination as quickly and as efficiently as they can during this work.

“All the latest travel information, including how passengers’ journeys may be affected, can be found on our websites, social media channels, or at our stations.”