Commuters across south-east England have been urged to avoid rail travel this Wednesday morning after three major train operators issued emergency alerts.
Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express, all operated by the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise, told passengers to stay away from services “if at all possible” following what they described as multiple incidents.
The disruption stems from two separate problems: a derailment at Selhurst Depot in south-east London, and signalling equipment failure on the route between London Blackfriars and Norwood Junction.
Services cancelled in both directions so far include London Bridge to East Grinstead, Orpington to Luton, Brighton to Cambridge, Bedford to Three Bridges.
GTR represents Britain’s largest rail franchise by passenger numbers, carrying approximately 18 per cent of all UK train journeys.
The derailment occurred near Selhurst Depot, where a train came off the tracks and is now obstructing routes towards both Norwood Junction and London Bridge.
Network Rail Kent and Sussex confirmed its teams were on site investigating the incident, with specialist personnel supporting the response effort.
Crucially, the infrastructure operator stated there were no confirmed injuries resulting from the derailment.
Passengers were told to stay away from services ‘if at all possible’
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“We’re responding to a suspected derailment involving a train near Selhurst Depot, which is blocking the lines towards Norwood Junction and London Bridge,” Network Rail said, adding that further updates would follow as the situation developed.
The signalling malfunction between London Blackfriars and Norwood Junction has significantly reduced available track capacity, forcing trains on remaining operational lines to run at reduced speeds.
According to National Rail Enquiries, this has resulted in complete service suspensions on several key corridors: London Bridge to East Grinstead, Orpington to Luton, Brighton to Cambridge, and Bedford to Three Bridges. Passengers have been warned to expect delays of up to sixty minutes if they must travel.
Southern advised customers: “If you can, please delay your journey until later today. Please check your train before travelling and allow an additional 60 minutes for your journey.”
GTR represents Britain’s largest rail franchise by passenger numbers, carrying approximately 18 per cent of all UK train journeys
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Several services have been rerouted to maintain some level of connectivity across the network.
Trains normally travelling between Horsham and Peterborough, or Brighton and Bedford, may now operate via Selhurst rather than Norwood Junction.
The Welwyn Garden City to Sevenoaks service has been truncated, running only between London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks. Meanwhile, trains on the Rainham to Luton route are terminating at Dartford.
Southern urged passengers who could postpone their journeys to do so, recommending they wait until later in the day when disruption may ease and to check services before setting off.
Govia Thameslink Railway said it was “very sorry for the disruption” experienced by passengers.
“A fault with the signalling system between Norwood Junction and London Bridge, along with a train derailment at Selhurst depot are causing the disruption”, a spokesman says in a statement.
The rail franchise added that it was “working with Network Rail to resolve these issues as quickly as possible” and passengers should check its website for the latest updates.