Network Rail to replace almost 670 metres of rail near Newark as East Coast Main Line trains divert

Network Rail will replace almost 670 metres of rail near Newark on Sunday 18 October as part of a package of East Coast Main Line work that will divert trains between Doncaster and Peterborough for the day.

The infrastructure owner said rail replacement coaches would serve intermediate stations while its teams work at several sites along the route between the two stations.

Alongside the rail renewal, nearly 50 metres of drainage will be renewed at Grantham station, which Network Rail said would help prevent water-related problems and improve resilience during heavy rainfall. Brickwork repairs will be carried out at Stoke Tunnel, south of Grantham, and electrical components between Grantham and Bullpit Lane level crossing at Balderton will be renewed and replaced.

John Grainger, joint head of performance, LNER & Network Rail East Coast, said: "We're carrying out a series of upgrades along the East Coast Main Line to help deliver a more reliable railway for passengers and freight operators."

He said the improvements would help reduce the risk of infrastructure faults, improve resilience during severe weather and support smoother, more reliable journeys.

Service changes

According to Network Rail, LNER will run an hourly service each way between Scotland and London King's Cross and a two-hourly service between Leeds and London King's Cross. Both will use a diversionary route between Peterborough and Doncaster, adding about 60 minutes to journeys.

Rail replacement services will link Retford, Newark Northgate and Grantham with Doncaster and Peterborough. There will be no LNER services to or from Lincoln, with coaches running between Peterborough, Grantham and Lincoln, and no LNER services to or from Bradford Forster Square, Harrogate, Hull or Skipton.

Grand Central's 08.00 Bradford Interchange to London King's Cross will divert via Wakefield Westgate and will not call at Halifax, Brighouse, Mirfield or Wakefield Kirkgate. Its 10.00 and 13.00 King's Cross to Sunderland services and the 14.30 and 17.30 Sunderland to King's Cross services will not run, with other services diverted via Lincoln.

Lumo will run a reduced and amended service between Glasgow Queen Street/Edinburgh and Newcastle only.

Network Rail's release said Hull Trains would run a reduced and amended timetable diverting via Lincoln, with no calls at Beverley, Cottingham, Retford or Grantham. Hull Trains' own engineering works page gives a different account: it said three services would run in each direction with extended journey times, not calling at Retford, Grantham or Stevenage, and attributed the changes to engineering works in the Newark area.

A spokesperson for the train operators said: "These improvements are an important investment in the East Coast Main Line. While the work is taking place, some services will be amended and journey times may be longer than usual."

Background

In October 2024 Network Rail closed parts of the line between Doncaster and Grantham on three weekends for switches and crossings, drainage and track work, including drainage upgrades in Peascliffe Tunnel near Grantham and track upgrades near Grantham and Newark.

At the time, Paul Rutter, Network Rail's East Coast route director, said renewing track components along the East Coast Main Line was essential to get passengers and freight where they need to be.

Network Rail said its East Coast route carries more than 20 million passengers a year between London and Scotland and is in the early stages of a £1.2bn upgrade under the national Railway Upgrade Plan, intended to create up to 10,000 extra seats a day. Nationally, the company owns and operates 20,000 miles of track and 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts.

Network Rail advised passengers to check all parts of their journey with their train operator or National Rail before travelling on Sunday 18 October.