Rail travellers facing days of disruption
Rail travellers have been warned to face three days of disruption as part of a multimillion pound project to ultimately improve services.
Replacement bus services will be in operation along the Durham Coast line from Sunderland to Hartlepool and beyond when work begins this weekend.
Stations at Seaham, Horden, Seaton Carew and Billingham will also be affected by the signalling work in and around Middlesbrough Railway Station.
No Northern trains will operate in either direction betweenSunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and intervening stations on Saturday and Sunday.
Replacement services will run between Sunderland, Hartlepool, Stockton and Mid-dlesbrough stations.
Grand Central trains from Sunderland to Northallerton will be rerouted via Gates head.
Buses will run instead between Hartlepool, Eaglescliffe and Northallerton stations.
On Monday, Northern services between Sunderland and Hartlepool will be restored with replacement buses running between Hartlepool, Stockton and Middlesbrough stations.
Grand Central services are not affected on Monday.
As part of the£45m project, around six miles of signalling equipment will be renewed with two traditional signal boxes demolished.
Kerry Peters, regional director at Northern, said: "The upgrades being carried out by Network Rail will provide our customers with an even more reliable railway.
"We are sorry for any disruption during the improvement work and our customers can be assured that both Northern and Network Rail will do everything possible to keep it to a minimum.
"Bus replacement services will be available for our customers.”
Trains from Stockton to Middlesbrough and beyond are also likely to be affected on the weekend of November 27-28.
Contact National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.