Changes to Great Northern services to and from King’s Lynn
There will be some changes to Great Northern services between Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn from the start of August due to some speed restrictions being introduced between Ely and King’s Lynn.
These speed restrictions are being introduced by Network Rail following a prolonged period of dry weather, which has affected ground conditions in some areas and caused sections of track to move. Trains therefore need to run at reduced speeds as a precautionary measure, helping services continue to run safely and smoothly and reducing the risk of further short notice disruption
Why is the track becoming uneven?
Prolonged dry weather has affected ground conditions across parts of the wider national rail network, including on the Fen Line. Parts of the Fen Line sit on peat soil, which can shrink and degrade during long periods of dry weather, affecting the ground beneath the railway.
This means the base on which the rails sit can move, causing sections of track to become uneven. When this happens, speed restrictions are put in place to ensure trains can continue to run smoothly.
What this means for services
Our timetable needs to change to account for the additional journey time caused by these speed restrictions.
The changes that will be introduced from 3 August 2026 are:
Weekdays:
- The 16:11 from King’s Lynn to London King’s Cross will not run.
- The 19:18 from London King’s Cross to King’s Lynn will terminate at Cambridge
- From 22:45 on Monday 10 to Thursday 13 August, and after 21:45 each night from Monday 21 to Thursday 24 September, buses will replace trains between Ely and King's Lynn while Network Rail carries out engineering work.
Weekends:
Saturday
- The 10:45 from King’s Lynn to London King’s Cross will start from Ely at 11:17
- The 11:51 from Ely to London King’s Cross will start from King’s Lynn at 11:16, calling at all stations to Ely
- The 18:17 from King’s Lynn to London King’s Cross will start from Ely at 18:52
- The 10:24 from London King’s Cross to Ely will terminate at Cambridge
- The 16:54 from London King’s Cross to King’s Lynn will terminate at Ely
Sunday:
- The 17:10 from Kings Lynn will start at Downham Market at 17:22
- On Sunday 23 August, the 23:24 from King’s Cross to King’s Lynn will terminate at Cambridge, at 00:25. A replacement bus will then operate between Cambridge, Ely and King’s Lynn.
As the speed restrictions will affect how trains and crews can be utilised across the route, some services will have fewer carriages than usual as we will be redeploying trains to maximise the number of services we can operate across the day.
We are very sorry for the disruption and inconvenience this will cause. We recognise that these changes will make journeys longer, and we are grateful for your patience and understanding while these arrangements are in place. These changes are designed to provide a more reliable timetable while the speed restrictions remain necessary and to help prevent delays building up throughout the day.
How long will these changes be in place?
Network Rail will continue to monitor and work to improve ground conditions. The amended timetable will remain in place until the speed restrictions are no longer required. Although Network Rail are working hard to get the speed restrictions lifted as soon as possible, it may take some time due to the amount the ground has been impacted.
You can find out more information on this issue and what Network Rail is doing to address it in their press release here: Service changes as Anglia soil dries out in the heat
How to replan your journey
Journey planners are updated as quickly as possible so that you can plan ahead, as train and journey times will differ from the usual timetable.