Network Rail has thanked passengers in and around St Neots for their patience following several weekends of major engineering work on the East Coast Main Line, including upgrades and testing carried out locally.
The work forms part of the East Coast Digital Programme, which will see traditional lineside signals replaced with digital in-cab signalling on the route later this year.
Over recent weekends, engineers carried out track renewals in St Neots, as well as at nearby Sandy and Offord, alongside upgrades to overhead line equipment between Sandy and St Neots. The work required significant service disruption, including line closures and replacement buses.
Network Rail says the programme also included successful testing of digital signalling systems, with teams completing a full set of test cases to check reliability, safety and the interaction between trains and signalling equipment.
Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration for the programme, said passengers’ patience had been appreciated.
“We’re sorry for the impact this has had on journeys, but we’ve made significant progress with testing that takes us much closer to running digitally signalled services on the East Coast Main Line.”
One further day of testing is planned for Sunday 15 March, ahead of the phased introduction of digital signalling from summer 2026.
Network Rail says the changes will lead to more reliable services, fewer delays and more efficient energy use for passengers travelling through stations such as St Neots in the years ahead.
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