Earlier this week the rail company issued travel advice that a revised timetables would operate from today until Friday, 2 January 2015 inclusive. This revised timetable will now operate from Sunday as trains will not now either leave or depart from King’s Cross due to ongoing engineering works.
This is the updated information:
Due to overrunning engineering works near London Kings Cross, journeys to and from this station on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 December will be significantly disrupted. The planned track improvements in the London Kings Cross area are taking longer than expected to complete.
Saturday 27 December
Trains are unable to run between Finsbury Park and London Kings Cross.
Train services that are already scheduled to terminate at, and start from Finsbury Park will run as planned.
East Coast will be running an amended service from Finsbury Park towards Stevenage trains will be departing Finsbury Park on the hour and 30 minutes past the hour to Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland.
Passengers may use:
London Underground ( Victoria / Piccadilly lines) and London Buses (bus 259 to / from York Way East Side of London Kings Cross) between London Kings Cross and Finsbury Park (Seven Sisters Road)
Great Northern between Finsbury Park and Moorgate, to complete the journey.
East Coast and Thameslink have mutual ticket acceptance between Luton and London St Pancras International also with Abellio Greater Anglia between Ely / Cambridge to London Liverpool Street.
There will be a connecting service on the hour between Peterborough and Leeds
East Coast passengers may not use East Midlands Trains between Sheffield and London St Pancras.
Grand Central passengers with a ticket for travel on Saturday 27 December may use their ticket on Sunday 28 or Monday 29 December.
Sunday 28 December
The reduced service to and from London Kings Cross is expected to operate as planned on Sunday 28 December, but journeys may be retimed, or take longer than expected.
A revised timetable is currently being developed and will be made available as soon as possible. Please check our website regularly for updates.
You can follow this incident using the hashtag#KingsCrossTrains
East Coast Managing Director Karen Boswell said: “Our trains will be very busy both before and after Christmas, and following the New Year celebrations, as people across the route travel home or on holiday by train.
“In the three days up to and including Christmas Eve, we have over 87,000 reservations for travel on our services. Our busiest day is expected to be Saturday 27 December, when we have over 32,800 reservations.
“Where possible, we advise our customers to make reservations for travel on services during these peak holiday periods, to ensure a comfortable journey.”
Today and tomorrow delays and disruption seem inevitable.
Services over Christmas and the New Year are normally busy, and customers are advised to book in advance to secure a seat, at www.eastcoast.co.uk, by calling 03457 225225 or at stations or rail travel agents.
East Coast services on New Year’s Eve will finish earlier than usual. The last East Coast services to and from London King’s Cross are as follows:
New Year’s Eve, Wednesday 31 December 2014 – northbound departures from London King’s Cross:
• 18.00 for Edinburgh Waverley, calling at York, Darlington, Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Dunbar and Edinburgh Waverley
• 20.00 for Newcastle, calling at York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle
• 20.35 for Leeds, calling at Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark North Gate, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate and Leeds
New Year’s Eve, Wednesday 31 December 2014 – southbound departures to London King’s Cross:
• 17.31 from Edinburgh Waverley, calling at Dunbar, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Newcastle (19.06), Darlington, York (20.05), Doncaster, Peterborough, Stevenage and London King’s Cross
• 19.16 from Leeds, calling at Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Grantham, Stevenage and London King’s Cross
East Coast says passengers can bring up to three pieces of luggage with them on-board its trains. Of these, two can be larger items (no bigger than 90 cms x 70 cms x 30 cms) plus one piece of hand luggage: oversized luggage might be refused in passenger accommodation if it is likely to obstruct doorways, gangways or corridors.
For those making a journey from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley and vice versa, a free luggage check-in service will be operating for most daytime services until Sunday 4 January 2015 inclusive. Staff will be available on the platform to stow luggage safely and securely in the guard’s van, which can then be reclaimed at the end of the journey. The service will be available from 30 minutes before train departs, and will close 10 minutes before departure time: those wishing to take advantage of this service are advised to allow plenty of extra time to reach their departure point.
Services over Christmas and the New Year are normally busy, and customers are advised to book in advance to secure a seat, at www.eastcoast.co.uk, by calling 03457 225225 or at stations or rail travel agents.
For customers travelling in First Class accommodation, for the period until Friday 2 January 2015 inclusive, a simplified complimentary catering offer will be available to customers travelling in First Class.
East Coast’s usual Foodbar service will be available throughout the festive season, offering a tempting selection of drinks, snacks and hot and cold food.
Full details of all Christmas and New Year East Coast train services, bookings and facilities for passengers are available online at www.eastcoast.co.uk, by telephone on 03457 225225, and from staffed stations and rail agents.
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