Thursday, January 23, 2025 Network Rail has announced major upgrades on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) , impacting services on January 25–26 and February 1–2, 2025. Passengers are advised to plan ahead, check journey planners, and allow extra travel time as London King’s Cross station will be closed on both weekends for crucial engineering work. Rail replacement buses will operate, but there will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running between London and Peterborough, Royston, and Stevenage via Hertford North on Saturdays.
On Sundays, limited services will extend slightly south to Letchworth Garden City. Fans attending the Arsenal vs. Manchester City match at the Emirates Stadium on February 2 should note that rail replacement buses will not operate beyond Alexandra Palace to Finsbury Park between 12:30 pm and 8:00 pm due to safety concerns.
Alternative travel options include Midland Main Line Thameslink services to London St Pancras International and walking to Euston for Victoria Line connections. For real-time updates and journey planning, passengers are encouraged to use the National Rail and Transport for London (TfL) websites. The planned works are part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) and other infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving reliability, sustainability, and efficiency on the ECML.
Key projects include: Simon Pumphrey, Network Rail Infrastructure Director , highlighted the importance of these upgrades: “The work our teams will co.