Train operators Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express — all part of the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) network in southeast England — urged passengers on Wednesday morning to avoid travelling “if at all possible” due to what they described as “multiple incidents,” News.Az reports, citing The Telegraph.
The problems include a train derailment inside a depot in Selhurst, southeast London, as well as a signalling system fault affecting the route between London Blackfriars and Norwood Junction.
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Southern warned passengers that journeys across its network could be delayed and that alternative routes may be required. The operator advised travellers who can do so to postpone their journeys until later in the day.
National Rail Enquiries said the signalling fault has reduced the number of available rail lines between Norwood Junction and London Blackfriars, with trains on the remaining lines required to operate at reduced speeds.
As a result, services are suspended on several routes, including London Bridge to East Grinstead, Orpington to Luton, Brighton to Cambridge, and Bedford to Three Bridges.
Trains that normally run between Welwyn Garden City and Sevenoaks are operating only between London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks, while services between Rainham and Luton are limited to the Rainham-to-Dartford section.
Some trains that usually operate between Horsham and Peterborough, or Brighton and Bedford, may be diverted via Selhurst instead of Norwood Junction.
GTR, which also includes the Great Northern operator, is the UK’s largest rail franchise by passenger numbers. The company says around 18% of all train journeys in the UK are made on its services.
