Hitchin rail passengers are being urged to plan ahead over the August bank holiday weekend as major engineering work on the East Coast Main Line will lead to disruption on services to and from London.

Network Rail says the work is part of the final testing before the introduction of digital in-cab signalling between Welwyn and Hitchin, with trains expected to begin using the new technology later this summer.

The engineering work will affect journeys between 8pm on Saturday, August 29 and 8am on Monday, August 31, with disruption on routes south of Peterborough towards London. Some services will be replaced by buses while others will run to amended timetables.

For Hitchin passengers travelling on Thameslink, Great Northern or LNER services, journeys to London King's Cross, St Pancras and other destinations on the East Coast Main Line are expected to take longer, with travellers advised to check before setting off.

The work forms part of the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme, which will replace traditional lineside signals with digital information displayed directly in drivers' cabs. Network Rail says the technology will ultimately deliver a more reliable, safer and greener railway while reducing delays.

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail's Head of Access Integration for the East Coast Digital Programme, said: "The work taking place involves the final preparations for us to begin a gradual introduction of digital in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line.

"The ability to control trains in this way will enable a more resilient and reliable railway that is fit for the future.

"We have carefully planned this work to avoid the busiest times of the August bank holiday weekend, and where possible passengers may be able to avoid this disruption by travelling before or after Sunday 30 August."

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The first section of the East Coast Main Line to use the new signalling technology will be the stretch between Welwyn and Hitchin, making the town one of the first areas in the country to benefit from the upgrade.

Passengers travelling over the bank holiday weekend are advised to check journey planners before travelling, allow extra time and be prepared for rail replacement buses or amended train services. National Rail says journey planners will be updated with the latest timetable information ahead of the engineering work.