Work will be taking place right across the Christmas period as Network Rail engineers upgrade large sections of the Midland Main Line.

Most of the disruptive work will take place during Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when passenger trains do not operate, therefore reducing the impact upon passengers.

At the southern end of the line  two major projects will move towards completion.  Work to upgrade signalling at West Hampstead in North London will continue while a railway bridge at nearby Kentish Town will be strengthened.  Meanwhile, further north, improvements will be made to existing overhead line equipment which will allow new trains to run at 125mph while work will continue on the electrification of the line between Kettering and Leicester.

At West Hampstead, work to ‘recontrol’ the signalling will move control onto a modern, computer-based system. Control of the lines into London St Pancras will be transferred back to West Hampstead from the Three Bridges Control Centre.  As a result, operations teams in the East Midlands will directly manage train movements along the whole length of the line, which runs from London St Pancras to Sheffield.

A complex operation in Kentish Town will continue to strengthen the railway bridge which runs over the Midland Main Line. This will mean that Kentish Town Road will be closed at its junction with Leighton Road.  The closure will begin at 20:00 on Christmas Eve and will continue until 23.59 on Wednesday 27 December, although buses and pedestrians will still be able to the cross during the road closure.

Engineers will complete repairs to concrete and steel elements of the bridge, using high-pressure water to clean existing steel components.  A protective coating system will be applied to various parts of the steel structure while, on the top of the bridge, two 25-tonne excavators will demolish the parapet wall and a 350-tonne crane will lift out old girders and will lift in new girders along with precast concrete brick-faced parapets.

Gary Walsh, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Midlands route, said: “Our teams will be working incredibly hard over Christmas to carry out vital upgrades and maintenance that will mean more reliable journeys for our passengers. The work at West Hampstead will allow our signallers to make better decisions for passengers and the strengthening of the bridge in Kentish Town will make it safe for all users for years to come.

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience that will be caused to road users in Kentish Town but want to thank them for their patience and understanding while we carry out this necessary strengthening work.”

Mark Pavlides, Chief Customer Officer for Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “We’re also very grateful to our customers for their patience during this vital work that Network Rail have planned to carry out at the quietest possible time on the route. These major projects will improve our customers’ experience through better reliability and maintain safety for passengers for many years to come.”