Network Rail has announced that the testing, part of a £1.4 billion digital signalling project, will impact passenger services on the weekend of November 22 and 23.
A significant portion of the railway between Peterborough and London will be closed.
The new equipment will be tested between Welwyn Garden City and Hitchin in Hertfordshire, as part of the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP).
Why is this happening?
This scheme aims to introduce in-cab digital signalling on the line, promising greener, safer, and more reliable journeys for passengers.
The November testing will see trains transitioning in and out of the digitally controlled section while the trackside equipment for digital signalling is also developed.
Alongside the testing, other work such as track renewal at Letchworth Garden City, rerailing at Welwyn and Wymondley, and drainage improvements at Stevenage will also be carried out.
This engineering work will necessitate changes to passenger services over the weekend.
Grand Central services will not operate, while Hull Trains will run an amended service to and from London St Pancras.
LNER will provide rail replacement coaches between Peterborough and Bedford, and Lumo will operate a modified service between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Which routes will be affected?
Thameslink and Great Northern trains will not run between Potters Bar and Peterborough/Royston or between Hertford North and Stevenage.
A revised train service will run between Royston and Cambridge, Ely, and Kings Lynn; Moorgate and Hertford North and Potters Bar; London Kings Cross and Potters Bar; Finsbury Park and Brighton; and Finsbury Park and Horsham on Saturday only.
Replacement buses will run between Potters Bar and Hitchin, as well as between Hitchin and Royston; Bedford and Peterborough via St Neots; Hitchin and Peterborough; Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin; St Albans City and Stevenage via Hatfield; and Hertford North and Stevenage.
Additionally, before 9.4am on Sunday 23 November, buses will replace trains between Finsbury Park and Stevenage via Hertford North.
Ricky Barsby, Network Rail’s head of access integration for the ECDP, said: “The work taking place, including further testing, is a further part of our preparations for the introduction of digital in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line.
“Its gradual introduction in the coming years will make the railway fit for the future and provide more reliable and greener services for passengers.
“We are also taking the opportunity to carry out vital work at other East Coast locations during the same weekend.”
A spokesperson for the train operating companies said: “We will be working hard to keep passengers on the move while this essential engineering work takes place.
“Rail replacement bus services and revised timetables will be in place to help people reach their destinations, and we’re encouraging everyone to check before they travel.”
The testing will involve a Great Northern commuter Class 717 train, recently upgraded to an updated version of European Train Control System (ETCS), and a Grand Central Class 180 passenger train.
