Network Rail is reminding passengers that over the next two consecutive weekends, 13-14 and 20-21 September 2025, there will be no trains running on the East Coast Main Line north of Newcastle.

During the weekend closures, several projects will be taking place on the line between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

Work will include replacing life-expired track, including some points and cross-overs at Belford and Stannington.

The ballast under the track on the approaches to Newham Level Crossing will also be addressed. A new drainage system will also be installed at Killingworth, while between Pegswood and Widdrington, sections of the overhead wires will be upgraded.

Travel Information

All Lumo services will continue to run as normal, but will start and terminate their journeys at Newcastle. The 20:56 Edinburgh to Newcastle will not run on the 13th and 20th of September.

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) services will still serve Edinburgh, but will be diverted via Carlisle and will run an hourly service, making journey times longer than usual.

Rail replacement coaches will replace LNER trains between Newcastle and Edinburgh, serving Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Reston and Dunbar.

LNER also reiterate that their services at the southern end of the East Coast Main Line will also be affected by these engineering works, with some trains working to revised stopping patterns. Passengers should check their services or LNER travel alerts before they travel.

Northern services will also be affected. Trains from Carlisle via Hexham and Morpeth to Chathill will only run between Carlisle and Newcastle. Buses will replace trains between Newcastle, Morpeth and Chathill. Train services on the Northumberland line will be unaffected by these engineering works and will operate as normal.

Scotrail services between Edinburgh, North Berwick and Dunbar will be replaced by buses on the 13th and 20th of September only.

All CrossCountry services between Newcastle and Edinburgh will be replaced by buses across both weekends.

“We’re investing in the future of rail in the North-East by carrying out these essential upgrades to track, points, drainage and overhead line equipment. These improvements will help deliver more reliable journeys for passengers and freight in the years ahead.

“We appreciate that this work will mean a couple of weekends of where some journeys will take longer than usual, and we’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out these improvements.”

Sam MacDougall, Network Rail operations director