Two weekends of railway work to disrupt trains to london

Anyone planning a weekend trip to the capital is being warned to expect disruption for the next two weekends running. The ongoing Network Rail work will mean no trains between Bedford and

London on Saturday, May 25, Sunday, May 26, Saturday, May 31 or on Sunday, June 1. All East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains will stop at Bedford on those four days and passengers will have to

switch to the buses. The buses will take them to Hitchin where a train will take them into Kings Cross, which is next door to St Pancras Station in London. The good news is that the work

will be the last in a series of nine weekends since February to see work taking place to upgrade the overhead lines that power trains between Bedford and London. Network Rail has said the

improvements will mean smoother and more reliable journeys for everyone travelling between South Yorkshire, the East Midlands and London on EMR services. READ MORE: EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT:

WHAT TIME SHOULD I ARRIVE FOR MY FLIGHT AND OTHER CRUCIAL FAQS Meanwhile, new drainage systems will also be installed, signal and communications equipment refurbished, and track maintained

during the weekend closures. Network Rail said this Saturday (May 24) is likely to be very busy with Sheffield United fans travelling to Wembley for the Championship Play-Off Final, which

kicks off at 3pm. There will also be Sunderland supporters heading to the same fixture, and music festivals at Stevenage and Hatfield, which will make alternative routes into London King’s

Cross very busy. Dan Matthews, Network Rail head of operations delivery, said: “We’re continuing to make great progress on transforming the Midland Main Line, and this run of weekend working

enabled major steps to be taken. “Our engineers are carrying out upgrades to the overhead power lines which will make services more reliable and enable the introduction of EMRs new trains.

We’re also installing new drainage and maintaining track. “We know this work can be disruptive for passengers. We’re sorry to those whose journeys will be affected but ask passengers to bear

with us and plan ahead while we carry out these essential upgrades.” Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director for East Midlands Railway, added: “We recommend customers planning to

travel to or from London St Pancras over the next two weekends, to check their journey in advance as EMR services are disrupted due to essential engineering works. “Rail replacement buses

will be in place between Bedford and Hitchin where customers can connect to services to London King's Cross. “On Saturday 24 May, services are expected to by particularly busy as

Sheffield United travel to Wembley for the Championship Play-Off Final, to help supporters get to the match. “Additionally, extra staff and crowd management resources will be in place at

Sheffield station, and customer information will be regularly updated on the EMR website. There will also be EMR staff present at Kings Cross station to support LNER, whose services are

expected to be busy. “We would like to thank our customers for their patience whilst Network Rail carry out the engineering work on the overhead line equipment. This work will greatly

benefit our customers in the future with more reliable journeys to and from London.” Jenny Saunders, customer services director at Thameslink, said: “Network Rail’s investment is good news

not only for passengers on long-distance EMR services but also for people using our Thameslink trains, who will enjoy more reliable journeys. “We’ll have staff at our stations ready to help

but these last two weekends of the project are going to have a significant impact on our services. So, please plan ahead at www.nationalrail.co.uk and leave plenty of extra time for your

journey.”