Engineering works will disrupt Great Northern and Thameslink services in Enfield, Barnet, and Haringey across five weekends starting January 18
Engineering Works to Disrupt Rail Services in North London
Five weekends of engineering works will affect Great Northern and Thameslink rail services through Enfield, Barnet, and Haringey. The works will start later this month.
Details of the Engineering Works
Network Rail announced that the weekend engineering work will take place from Sunday, 18th January to Sunday, 15th February. This work aims to deliver improvements as part of the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). The ECDP replaces traditional lineside signals with real-time information delivered directly to the driver’s cab.
These upgrade works will cause disruption to routes in North London over five weekends. Not all stations will close for the entire period, but significant disruption is expected. Rail replacement buses will operate at many stations.
Weekend Service Disruptions
| Date | Service Disruption | Stations Closed |
|---|---|---|
| 18th January | No trains between New Barnet and Welwyn Garden City, and Hertford North and Stevenage. | New Barnet, Hadley Wood |
| 24th/25th January | No trains between Alexandra Palace and Stevenage via Welwyn Garden City. | New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood |
| 31st January/1st February | No trains north of Alexandra Palace. | New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood |
| 7th/8th February | No trains north of Alexandra Palace. | New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood |
| 15th February | Disruption on the Moorgate line south of Finsbury Park. | Not specified |
Rail Replacement Services
On the weekends of 31st January/1st February and 7th/8th February, rail replacement buses will operate between Cockfosters and Potters Bar via Hadley Wood, between Alexandra Palace and Stevenage via Hertford North, and between Alexandra Palace and Welwyn Garden City.
A normal service will run on Saturday, 14th February. Network Rail aims to avoid disrupting passengers celebrating Valentine’s Day. However, engineering works will resume on Sunday, 15th February, affecting the Moorgate line south of Finsbury Park.
Official Statements
Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration for ECDP, stated, “As well as the progress we’re making on digital signalling, we’re also taking the opportunity to complete a wide range of essential maintenance and renewal work. We appreciate that these upgrades will affect journeys, and we’re grateful to passengers for their patience while our teams carry out this essential work.”
A spokesperson for Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Great Northern and Thameslink services, said, “We’ll be working hard to keep passengers moving while this essential work takes place. Rail replacement services and revised timetables will help people reach their destinations, and our teams will be on hand to support customers. We encourage everyone to check their journey before travelling.”
