LNER and EMR Share Tips to Help Keep Weekend Journeys On Track During Planned Engineering Work

Across all weekends in February 2026*, teams at Network Rail will be carrying out further work between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin to introduce digital signalling on the East Coast Main Line which will help improve journey reliability and safety for customers.

The engineering work means that on the affected weekends there will be no LNER trains between London King’s Cross and Peterborough, but customers can remain connected with frequent rail replacement services between Peterborough and Bedford to join rail services to and from London.

Because of the work, EMR services from Sheffield and Nottingham towards London St Pancras are expected to be incredibly busy, with the potential for trains to be standing room only.

To help spread demand and support customers to have a smoother and more comfortable journey, LNER and EMR are encouraging those travelling to and from LNER stations to use the dedicated rail replacement services, using accessible, clean and modern coaches.

This means that customers from Scotland, the North East, and Yorkshire will board an LNER train to Peterborough, take a comfortable and modern coach from Peterborough to Bedford, and complete their journey to London St Pancras using frequent Thameslink trains to the capital.

For customers travelling from London towards the north, frequent Thameslink trains will operate to Bedford from platform B at London St Pancras low level. From there, coaches will connect onto Peterborough where customers can join LNER train services to their destination.  

Onboard LNER services and at stations, announcements will be made, helping customers to understand the best travel options for their journey.

Colette Casey, Customer Experience Director at LNER, said: “Engineering work is a key part of maintaining and running a safe and reliable railway, but we know that it can be disruptive to the journeys of our customers. There is never an ideal time to carry out work, but we are working hard to keep customers on the move by train for as much of their journey as possible and rail replacement coaches to help them reach their destination.

“We work with trusted partners to provide coaches that reflect the high quality and comfort that customers come to expect when travelling on LNER trains. These modern, accessible, comfortable coaches will regularly connect customers between Peterborough and Bedford to join rail services during the weekend work.”

Philippa Cresswell, Customer Experience Director at EMR, said: “We’re working closely with LNER and Network Rail to help customers make informed choices during this important programme of engineering work.

“To have the most predictable and comfortable journey possible, we strongly encourage customers travelling to and from the North East, Yorkshire and Scotland to follow the recommended East Coast Main Line routes and use the dedicated rail replacement services provided.

“Taking this advice will help spread demand more evenly across the network and help customers plan their journeys with confidence during the engineering work.”

Customers can keep up to date with the latest travel information by visiting LNER.co.uk, eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk, or via National Rail Enquiries.

Further information about digital signalling, the East Coast Digital Programme, and the benefits it will bring can be found here: https://eastcoastdigitalprogramme.co.uk/home