Rail passengers travelling north from York face disruption over the next four weekends.
A range of railway upgrades are planned for various sites between York and Newcastle for four weekends – 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29 March.
Network Rail says for most passengers travelling through the north-east during the upgrades, trains will still be running. An hourly service using a diversionary route will connect customers between York, Northallerton and Newcastle, via Sunderland.
Rail replacement buses will be available for 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.
The work in the north-east includes the renewal of more than 2.3 miles of track, as well as new switches and points at three locations.
On Sunday 15 March, there will also be further testing of new equipment in Hertfordshire between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin, under the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP).
Services will start and terminate at Peterborough on this day, with frequent coaches connecting passengers to Bedford and Thameslink services to and from the capital.
Gunnar Lindahl, joint operations director for Network Rail and LNER, said: “We’re 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.
“The improvements, including renewing track and switches and crossings as well as progress with the Darlington station upgrade and East Coast Digital Programme, are important steps towards an even more modern, greener, safer and more reliable railway.
“We appreciate this work does mean changes to weekend services, and we’re grateful to passengers for their patience while we complete these upgrades.”
