BANK holiday rail travellers could see up to an hour added to their journey times this weekend when engineering work takes place on the East Coast Main Line.

Work by Railtrack to replace a crossing at Newark is likely to lead to delays for North-East passengers travelling south and in the opposite direction from London.

The railway at Newark will be closed from 1.10am on Saturday to 5.30am on Tuesday.

As a result, some northbound GNER services are being replaced by a bus service between Newark Northgate and Grantham.

Some southbound services will also be replaced by buses between Retford and Grantham.

A limited number of high speed 125 trains will be able to make continuous journeys, but will be diverted through Lincoln.

The engineering work involves replacing the crossing and dismantling the trackbed.

A new crossing is being built at the side of the East Coast Main Line, which will be lifted on to the site by a 500-tonne crane.

Richard Fenny, regional director of Network Rail, said: "This work has been specifically programmed to ensure that peak commuter travel periods remain unaffected when, on average, twice as many people use the trains even compared to peak holiday travel time."

Phil Bustard, a spokesman for GNER, said the work could add between half an hour and an hour to journey times on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

For more travel information, contact National Rail Inquiries on 08457 484950.