Leicester station shut 19-20 Sep: buses Kettering-Loughborough

What is happening and when

Network Rail is renewing about 350 metres of track alongside platform 3 at Leicester station across the weekend of Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026. The work excavates and replaces the stone and supporting layers beneath the track, using engineering trains and a rail-mounted crane. Over the same weekend, maintenance machines realign and compact track at Knighton Junction. The combination of the platform 3 renewal at Leicester and the track work at Knighton Junction is what closes the station and interrupts the usual service pattern through the East Midlands on both days.

The scale of the job explains why the railway cannot simply run trains past the work. Replacing the stone and supporting layers beneath the track is not a surface repair. It requires the track to be taken out of use, the ground beneath it to be dug out and rebuilt, and the new formation to be compacted before the track is put back. Engineering trains and a rail-mounted crane are needed to move materials and lift components in a confined station environment. At Knighton Junction, separate maintenance machines realign and compact track, which adds to the amount of equipment and staff on the network over the same two days.

For passengers, the practical effect is a full weekend closure of Leicester station and a changed timetable across the corridor between Kettering and Loughborough. The dates are fixed and advertised in advance, so the disruption is planned rather than emergency. That distinction matters for how tickets, refunds and compensation are handled, and it is covered in the analysis below. The work is described by Network Rail as improving track quality and reducing future maintenance, which is the standard rationale for renewing life-expired track components rather than patching them.

Buses and the reduced timetable

Rail replacement buses run between Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough. In addition, local buses between Leicester and Loughborough call at Syston, Sileby and Barrow-upon-Soar. That means the intermediate stations on the local route retain a bus connection over the weekend, even though the train service through them is suspended. Passengers should treat the bus legs as part of the journey time rather than as a short add-on, because road conditions and the number of intermediate stops affect how long each leg takes.

On the London side, a reduced service of one train per hour runs from London St Pancras to Wellingborough, and one train per hour runs from London St Pancras to Nottingham and Sheffield. These trains do not call at Market Harborough or Leicester, and they make additional stops at Wellingborough and Corby. The extra stops are there to cover some of the connectivity lost when the usual calls are removed, but they also mean the trains that do run are likely to carry more passengers than usual for the time of day.

The result is a timetable with two separate hourly London services rather than the normal mix of fast and semi-fast trains through Leicester and Market Harborough. Anyone used to boarding at Leicester or Market Harborough will need to use the replacement buses to reach a station that still has trains, or travel on a different day. The amended timetable should be checked before buying advance tickets, because an advance ticket is tied to a specific train and a specific route, and the trains normally used from Leicester or Market Harborough will not be running.

Leicester station closed all weekend

East Midlands Railway states that Leicester station is closed throughout the weekend with no access to the platforms. This is not a case of a reduced service from the station or a changed platform arrangement. The station itself is shut to passengers for both days, so there is no way to board or leave a train at Leicester during the closure. Passengers who normally start or finish their journey at Leicester need to use the replacement buses to another station, or travel on a different date.

EMR also says services are expected to be busier than usual and that customers travelling to or from London should allow plenty of extra time and check the EMR website before travelling. The advice to allow extra time covers the whole journey, not just the train. A journey that normally involves one train may now involve a bus to a station outside the closure, a wait, and a train that is carrying passengers displaced from Leicester and Market Harborough. Building in extra time is the practical way to absorb those connections.

Checking the EMR website before travelling matters because the amended timetable is specific to these two days. The pattern of buses and the two hourly London services is not the normal timetable with a few cancellations. It is a separate plan for the weekend, and details such as the last bus or the last connecting train may differ from what passengers expect. Passengers with accessibility needs, heavy luggage or young children should pay particular attention to the bus legs, because replacement buses may not offer the same facilities as the trains they replace.

What operators are saying

Network Rail operations director Eric Larocque apologised to affected passengers and said the work improves track quality and reduces future maintenance. The apology acknowledges the disruption caused by closing Leicester station for a full weekend and replacing trains with buses between Kettering and Loughborough. The stated benefit is a better trackbed alongside platform 3 and less maintenance work in future, which is the intended outcome of renewing the stone and supporting layers rather than continuing to patch them.

EMR customer experience director Philippa Cresswell thanked customers for their patience. That message sits alongside the operator's practical advice: Leicester station is closed throughout the weekend with no platform access, services are expected to be busier than usual, and customers travelling to or from London should allow plenty of extra time and check the EMR website before travelling. The two statements together set out the position for passengers: the closure is necessary for the renewal, and the operator is asking for patience while it is carried out.

For passengers, the statements confirm that this is planned work rather than an unplanned failure. That matters for what follows. Planned engineering work advertised in advance is treated differently from a delay caused by an incident on the day, both for refunds and for Delay Repay. The operators have not announced any special compensation scheme for the weekend, and the standard rules apply. The next section sets out how those rules work in practice for tickets bought for journeys that the amended timetable no longer supports.

Source: Network Rail media centre.

Related coverage on Kael Tripton: £1bn for 29 Battery-Electric TransPennine Trains: Manchester to Leeds Cut by 10 Minutes, From 2034, Train delayed in the heat? How Delay Repay works and what you can claim, Digital Pay-As-You-Go Rail Tickets: How the Trials Work, 16-17 Saver Railcard: Full-Year Rules and 16-25 Compared, Disabled Persons Railcard: How to Apply and How Much You Save.

Frequently asked questions

When is Leicester station closed?

Leicester station is closed throughout the weekend of Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026, with no access to the platforms.

Why is the station closed?

Network Rail is renewing about 350 metres of track alongside platform 3 at Leicester, excavating and replacing the stone and supporting layers beneath the track using engineering trains and a rail-mounted crane. Over the same weekend, maintenance machines realign and compact track at Knighton Junction.

What buses are running?

Rail replacement buses run between Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough. Local buses between Leicester and Loughborough call at Syston, Sileby and Barrow-upon-Soar.

What trains are running from London St Pancras?

A reduced service of one train per hour runs London St Pancras to Wellingborough, and one train per hour runs London St Pancras to Nottingham and Sheffield. These do not call at Market Harborough or Leicester and make additional stops at Wellingborough and Corby.

Can I get Delay Repay for the disruption?

Planned engineering work advertised in advance is not normally eligible for Delay Repay. The refund route is more relevant: a ticket bought before the timetable change for a journey no longer possible can be refunded without an admin fee under the National Rail Conditions of Travel.