East Coast trains passengers warned of disruption

PASSENGERS travelling on East Coast trains between Scotland and London have been warned of “significant disruption” during today and tomorrow because of over-running Christmas engineering work by Network Rail near King’s Cross station in London.
East Coast Trains said customers would need to start or finish their journey at Finsbury Park in north London. Pictrue: PAEast Coast Trains said customers would need to start or finish their journey at Finsbury Park in north London. Pictrue: PA
East Coast Trains said customers would need to start or finish their journey at Finsbury Park in north London. Pictrue: PA

Travellers will be forced to switch to the Underground at Finsbury Park in north London because the southern terminus of the east coast main line will remain closed.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “We apologise that planned track improvements in the King’s Cross area are taking longer than expected to complete. Where possible, passengers are being asked to defer their journey to another date.”

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East Coast said it was “clearly disappointed” at the over-run, which it was only told about this afternoon.

The firm had expected to carry up to 30,000 passengers tomorrow, with some trains between Edinburgh and London 97 per cent full.

The train operator reserved judgment as to whether the work would be finished in time for even a planned reduced service to and from King’s Cross to operate on Sunday.

Some East Coast trains are due to start/terminate at Doncaster, Newark North Gate, Peterborough or Stevenage instead.

East Coast trains which operate from King’s Cross will leave the station up to 20 minutes early and those arriving will be up to 40 minutes late.

An East Coast spokesman said: “Whatever the circumstances, things are going to be very challenging over the next two days.”

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