Storm Warning: London Public Transport

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 125 months ago
Storm Warning: London Public Transport

windy_271013

Update 4pm 28 October: So here's the reality:

  • Southern's Metro services are all running but expect changes to the rush hour timetable. Mainline trains are running at most two an hour.
  • Greater Anglia is running a half hourly service between Chingford and Liverpool Street and trains at 20 minute intervals between Shenfield and Liverpool Street. The rest of the network remains suspended.
  • Southeastern is running an hourly or half hourly on all lines apart from Deal and Dover, Bat and Ball and Sevenoaks, Eynsford and Shoreham, Otford and Maidstone East.
  • South West Trains an amended service is running on most lines, check the website.
  • c2c: all trains still cancelled with no indication of when services will resume.
  • First Capital Connect: power lines are damaged between Luton and St Pancras so there are no trains at all. Expect delays and cancellations on all other lines. Best avoided.
  • Chiltern: all lines are clear and services are running, but with severe delays.
  • London Overground trains are running between Highbury & Islington and West Croydon/Crystal Palace with minor delays, and Gospel Oak to Barking has re-opened with severe delays. No service on all other lines.
  • Tube: several lines were and still are blocked by debris. Expect severe delays on the District and Piccadilly lines.
  • Follow @BBCTravelAlert for news of road blockages and delays caused by damage to signals.

We asked Twitter for the transport reality, too (as of 9.30am):

  • @mattj_uk: No District between Upminster and at least Barking, which TfL seem to not want to admit.
  • @Jon404: Priory Lane #SW15 is closed due to a fallen tree
  • @bartszy: touch more busy on northern line and DLR but otherwise easy journey !
  • @LandonPhoebe: travelling from islington into Central London is clear, Kings Cross seems fine
  • @ApphiaParsons: Jubilee line almost back to normal westbound
  • k9: District line @ Parsons Green running ~9 min headway, trains arrive completely packed.
  • @LondonAssyrian: Shepherds Bush station looking like a rave 20 minutes ago. Weren't allowing entry. Avoid.
  • @thedirtybadger: Buses from Hackney all fine. All trains cancelled out of Hackney Downs until past 10AM. Overground disrupted too.
  • @aisaacs90: the met line is down between watford and moor park, local buses are being suggested as alternatives and were quick
  • @geofftech: Balham & Tootings on the Northern Line clogged, as all of south London swamp the tube, unable to use SWT ...
  • @arabellanr: mahoooosive queues on all four entrances at tooting Bec - they don't appear to be moving!
  • @agreeninn: Buses from Islington/Angel seem to be fine. Not much traffic at all, actually.
  • @girlondon: there were loads more people at my bus stop this am due to no trains at Battersea Park.
  • @VGarcia_Torres: manor house station is crowded had to wait about 40 mins before I made it through the gates
  • 10.30am @darryl1974: Broken down train at North Greenwich not helping westbound @jubileeline at moment
  • 11am @BettsieBonBon: no first capital connect all day from st pancras power lines are down

Original article: Batten down the hatches, there be a storm coming! The wind and rain headed our way from the Atlantic – named St Jude after the patron saint of desperate situations and lost causes, and whose saints day is on Monday – isn't predicted to directly hit London (though there's a slight possibility that it'll take a more southerly path). Even if it does track more over Wales and the South West we're in for some hefty gusts of wind, and that's affecting travel.

Train companies are saying they won't run services until Network Rail has checked the tracks for obstructions (fallen branches, etc) and given the all clear. This is likely to be after the morning rush hour, and even then revised timetables, slow running trains, delays and cancellations are inevitable. Some specifics:

  • South West Trains don't expect to run anything before 8am and then, trains will travel at no more than 50mph. Check the website for details of a reduced timetable.
  • Southeastern's worst case scenario is that trains may not run before 9am. See the website for what services will be running.
  • Southern simply say there will be no trains until Network Rail say it's safe.
  • Greater Anglia will also run a reduced service; again, see the website for details. Update: all services are suspended until 9am.
  • c2c will run a reduced service and recommend following its Twitter account and website for information. Update: services also suspended until 9am.
  • First Capital Connect is currently hedging its bets about a revised timetable. Keep checking the website for details. Update: FCC also gives 9am as the expected time when services will resume.

At the time of publishing Transport for London has no information on its website, but keep an eye on the live travel news page for updates. Airports recommend checking the status of your flight with the airline and, if it's still taking off, allow extra time for travel. Eurostar is remarkably chipper and expects to run a normal service.

We also think it's safe to say the Emirates Air Line won't be running.

Update: London Overground has tweeted to say there will be no service before 9am and, as Greg Wesson points out in the comments, Eurostar has now announced a revised service.

Photo by psyxjaw from the Londonist Flickr pool

Last Updated 28 October 2013