Trains across southern England — including those running in and out of London — are being affected by a major radio fault this morning.
National Rail has declared a major incident, with services expected to be disrupted until the end of today (Thursday 7 May), saying that:
A fault with the radio system between the driver and the signaller is affecting services on the South England network. Some services may be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled as a result.
The issue is causing delays and cancellations to trains into and out of London stations including Victoria, with National Rail saying CrossCountry, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway, Southern, South Western Railway and Thameslink, as well as London Overground, are affected.
At present, TfL is operating a 'Good Service' on London Overground lines, with no reports of any delays there — though this could change throughout the day.
- Southern said: "This is affecting services along our whole network, in particular services to/from London Victoria, and along our West Coastway route (between Brighton and Portsmouth/Southampton)."
- Thameslink is warning of disruption "on Thameslink services running to/from Brighton, Horsham, and Three Bridges."
- Southwestern Railway says that "Train services running across the whole South Western Railway network may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised."
- Gatwick Express services "continue to be significantly affected by this issue".
In many cases, tickets are being accepted on local buses or alternative routes, though of course this isn't always viable for long-distance routes. Check with individual train operators for details, as well as info on Delay Repay schemes.
Advice is to avoid travelling today if you can... though that doesn't help the hundreds of thousands of commuters already in London who must find a way home. If you must travel, leave plenty of extra time for your journey, and be prepared for lengthy delays and last-minute cancellations.
Other operators running into and out of London, including Southeastern and LNER aren't currently affected — though it's always worth checking before you travel.
