** Updated as of 11.30am.
A ‘do not travel’ alert’ by the UK’s largest railway franchise, Govia Thameslink Railway, has been lifted.
It was brought in just before 8am because of multiple incidents on Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express, including a train derailment in Selhurst.
Passengers are being warned, though, that disruption to services will probably continue throughout the day.
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A number of incidents across the Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink networks mean that all lines are disrupted. Trains across these networks may be cancelled, severely delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised.
Safety checks on South Western Railway between Raynes Park and Wimbledon also caused cancellations this morning.
A derailment within the train depot at Selhurst is also causing disruption to London Overground services.
Major disruption is expected until 1pm.
Further information from the train company is detailed below.
Customer advice:
We advise you do not travel on Thameslink and some Southern services this morning. A number of incidents means we cannot guarantee you will be able to reach your destination and you should use an alternative route, or delay your journey until later today.
Given this, you should allow an additional 60-90 minutes to travel this morning – and check before travelling.
A fault with the signalling system between Norwood Junction and London Blackfriars:
Fewer lines are available between Norwood Junction and London Blackfriars and trains running on the available lines will be travelling at slower speeds than normal.
services which usually run between Horsham and Peterborough will divert via Selhurst in the northbound direction only and will not call at London Bridge as a result. These trains will run as booked southbound.
services which usually run between Brighton and Bedford will will divert via Selhurst in the northbound direction only and will not call at London Bridge as a result. These trains will run as booked southbound.
The following services will continue to run as booked, but will be subject to delays and possible alterations;
services which run between Bedford and Rainham
services which run between London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks
services which run between Luton and Orpington
services which run between St Albans City and Sutton
The following services are cancelled in both directions until further notice:
London Bridge – East Grinstead
Orpington – Luton
Brighton – Cambridge
Bedford – Three Bridges
A derailment in the depot at Selhurst:
Southern services that normally run via Selhurst are being altered or cancelled and you may need to use an alternative route to reach your destination.
services which run between London Victoria and East Grinstead will run as booked, but will be delayed
services which usually run between London Bridge and Purley/Tattenham Corner will divert via Tulse Hill
services which usually run between London Bridge and Uckfield, will now only run between Uckfield and East Croydon in both directions
services which usually run between London Bridge and Epsom are suspended and will not run until further notice.
services which usually run between London Victoria and West Croydon are suspended and will not run until further notice.
Please delay your journey until later today.
Ticket Acceptance:
To assist you with your journey, you can use your ticket on the below alternative services at no extra cost:
Alternative Thameslink/Great Northern services towards your destination
Alternative Southern or Gatwick Express services towards your destination
Southeastern:
between London bridge and Sevenoaks
between London Bridge and Dartford (Not applicable on high speed services)
East Midlands Railway between London St Pancras International and Bedford
London Underground between London terminals
Elizabeth line between Farringdon and Abbey Wood
London Buses around central London
London Trams between Wimbledon, Mitcham Junction and East Croydon
Planning your journey:
You can view live departure boards, and a live map of the network.
You can also see an alternative route guide.
If you’re travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner. You can also use the app to find up-to-date information.
Can you tell me more?
This part of the network uses track circuits to detect trains. If a circuit fails, the system may think a train is still there, blocking others from moving forward.
Drivers must stop at red signals and get verbal permission to proceed at a reduced speed, which can cause significant delays, especially in areas with long track sections.
Faults can be caused by electronic issues or track obstructions. Network Rail is investigating, and will share updates as soon as they have them.
Additionally, a train derailment has occurred at Selhurst depot which means that multiple trains are unable to leave the depot. This means that services are cancelled or altered.
Check before you travel:
You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.
Compensation:
You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.
