Hitchin rail passengers are being warned to plan ahead with no trains running through the town for much of the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Engineering work connected to the £1.4 billion East Coast Digital Programme will affect Great Northern and Thameslink services from around 10pm on Saturday, August 29, throughout Sunday, August 30, and until approximately 8am on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31.

During the work, no Great Northern or Thameslink trains will run between Potters Bar/Hertford North and Royston/Peterborough.

This means Hitchin passengers travelling towards London, Stevenage, Peterborough, Royston and Cambridge will face significant changes to their usual journeys.

A number of rail replacement bus routes will operate through or from Hitchin.

These will include buses between Hitchin and Peterborough, calling at all stations, and between Hitchin and Royston.

Replacement buses will also operate between Potters Bar and Hitchin, calling at all stations, from Saturday evening and throughout Sunday.

Passengers looking for alternative routes will also be able to use replacement buses between Luton Airport Parkway and Stevenage via Hitchin.

The disruption is part of the final stages of testing ahead of the introduction of digital in-cab signalling on the East Coast Main Line.

The technology will replace traditional lineside "traffic light" signals with information sent directly to train drivers' cabs.

Digital signalling has already been introduced on the Northern City Line in London and is due to be introduced on the East Coast Main Line between Welwyn and Hitchin this summer.

Network Rail says the technology should ultimately provide a more reliable, greener and safer railway.

Ricky Barsby, Network Rail 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.

"We're sorry to anyone whose journey is affected and grateful to passengers for their patience and understanding."

A spokesperson for the train operators said they had worked with Network Rail to keep passengers moving and minimise disruption.

They added: "We encourage customers to plan ahead and check their journey before travelling so they can choose the option that best suits them."

Normal services are expected to begin resuming from around 8am on Bank Holiday Monday.

Passengers travelling from Hitchin over the weekend are being urged to check their journey before setting off.