The massive resignalling project on Britain’s prestige line takes another step forward this weekend. It may feel like a step back in the short term. Multiple agencies and operators warn that the East Coast Main Line will close this weekend. Digital signalling upgrades affecting journeys between London and Peterborough/Royston will be the pain before the gain.
No trains out of London King’s Cross. That’s the big takeaway from this coming weekend. From LNER and Limo, to Thameslink and Great Northern, passengers have been reminded that no trains will travel to and from London and Peterborough/Royston this weekend (17-18 May) as work to transform the East Coast Main Line continues. Network “Passengers First” Rail will carry out significant upgrades as part of £1.4 billion (€1.66bn) East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP), including removing familiar lineside signals. Freight operators may feel a little left out, but they’ll not be using the line either, unless supporting the project.
Busy booking buses
Network Rail has released another slick animated video, extolling the virtues of digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line. “Network Rail and the passenger operators have collaborated to produce the video,” says a statement from the infrastructure agency. “[The video] outlines the different stages involved with ECDP, and how it will ultimately deliver more reliable, less disrupted, and greener services for passengers on the East Coast Main Line.” Despite the UK Government’s stated ambition to grow rail freight significantly, the sector is ignored in this latest publicity effort.
Network Rail may be forgiven for the oversight. With no trains this weekend between London and Peterborough/Royston, or between Moorgate and Stevenage (via Hertford North), they have their hands full. After all, booking all those rail replacement buses doesn’t happen by itself.
Associated works this weekend
On the ground, however, there will be plenty of effort, which will ultimately benefit all rail users. Network Rail engineers will be testing digital signalling between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin. This exercise is ahead of this section going live in early 2026. They’ll also carry out preparatory digital signalling work between Biggleswade and Peterborough.
“The signal removal work between Moorgate and Finsbury Park marks a significant milestone, as this section becomes Britain’s first fully ‘no signals’ commuter railway, with trains operating solely with in-cab digital signalling, and not the traditional, trackside traffic-light signals,” says Network Rail. Passenger services operated by Great Northern already use digital signalling on this stretch, so removing the physical signals completes the transition to a fully digital railway route.
Cable theft is not yet a thing of the past
It could be a point of contention that the freight sector has been overlooked in this latest communiqué from Network Rail. Several freight operators have their headquarters on the East Coast Main Line, not least GBRf, Freightliner and DB Cargo UK. The latter has recently opened a training facility at Doncaster, which specifically supports digital in-cab signalling training.
“The testing work is another step towards the introduction of digital, in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line,” said Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration for the East Coast Digital Programme. “The work will also see the removal of traditional signals on a stretch of commuter railway in London, pointing the way to the next generation railway.”
This weekend will also see track switching equipment renewed and refurbished near Hornsey and Huntingdon, and drainage work completed near Fletton. Will digital signalling make a difference? Well, freight and passenger operators between Sheffield and Doncaster might think it can’t come too soon. All trains between those two cities were at a standstill this morning. The cause? A theft of signalling cables.