Buses will replace a number of train services running from Potters Bar and Hitchin over the Christmas period.

Disruption caused by work on a billion-pound East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP) and Cambridge South station will run from Christmas Eve (December 24) until January 1.

On Christmas Eve, buses will replace trains for Great Northern and Thameslink passengers travelling between Potters Bar and St Neots, Potters Bar and Royston and Hertford North and Stevenage.

Before 9am, buses will also replace trains between Finsbury Park and Potters Bar or Hertford North.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Potters Bar train station.Potters Bar train station. (Image: Archant)

In the meantime, Great Northern will run shuttle services between London King’s Cross and Potters Bar, Moorgate and Hertford North - and London St Pancras and Finsbury Park - where customers will be able to connect into rail replacement bus services.

All services will also finish earlier on Christmas Eve, with the latest concluding at 9pm.

On Christmas Eve, work continues to focus on the stretch between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin and will see further installation and testing of key equipment in preparation for trains to operate using digital signalling in this area from 2025.

There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern services on Christmas Day (December 25) or Boxing Day (December 26).

Further engineering work will mean some changes to Thameslink, Great Northern, CrossCountry and Greater Anglia services between Wednesday, December 27 and New Year’s Day.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Hitchin train station.Hitchin train station. (Image: Archant)

On the weekends of January 6 and 7, and January 13 and 14, buses will replace trains for all stations between London and Grantham/Letchworth Garden City.

Sarah Hewlett, Network Rail’s programme manager for the East Coast Digital Programme, said: “The East Coast Digital Programme will transform the way trains operate on the East Coast Main Line and will result in a more reliable, resilient, and greener railway for our passengers.

“We want to thank passengers for their patience and understanding ahead of this vital work, especially as people travel ahead of Christmas, and appreciate that their journeys will take longer than normal.

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“We’re reminding passengers to check their journey before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or through their train operator.”

Jenny Saunders, customer services director for GTR, added: “We are sorry that some of our customers will have more difficult journeys over the festive period while this vital work to improve journeys between London, Peterborough and Cambridge is carried out.

"We would like to thank our customers for their patience and encourage them to check their journey each day before they travel over this period.”