{"id":390112,"date":"2026-03-20T18:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T08:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=190877"},"modified":"2026-03-20T18:10:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T08:10:08","slug":"midway-milestone-reached-in-extensive-railway-upgrade-programme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=390112","title":{"rendered":"Midway milestone reached in extensive railway upgrade programme"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Passengers have been thanked for their patience at the midway point of an extensive programme of East Coast Main Line improvements.<\/p>\n

A range of upgrades are taking place between York and Newcastle over four weekends this month, and Sunday 15 March also included important digital signalling testing carried out in Hertfordshire.<\/p>\n

Over the next two weekends, there will be further track renewal at Low Fell, south of Newcastle, and new track and renewal of switches and crossings at Northallerton.<\/p>\n

For most passengers travelling through the north-east during the upgrades, trains will still be running, with an hourly service using a diversionary route to connect customers between York and Newcastle, via Sunderland.<\/p>\n

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Rail replacement services will connect customers travelling to or from Darlington and Durham with trains at either York or Newcastle. Passengers are advised to allow extra time to complete their journeys.<\/p>\n

Gunnar Lindahl, joint operations director for Network Rail and LNER, said:\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re carrying out a significant package of upgrades on the East Coast Main Line to keep trains running safely and reliably for the millions of passengers who depend on the route.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe appreciate this work does mean changes to weekend services, and we\u2019re grateful to passengers for their patience while we complete these upgrades.\u201d<\/p>\n

Passengers using rail replacement services are reminded to only bring luggage they can carry comfortably and be mindful of transfer times between train and bus\/coach.<\/p>\n

Improvements carried out during the first two weekends (7-8 and 14-15 March) included:<\/p>\n