Passengers across south-east England have been advised not to travel this morning after multiple incidents caused widespread disruption to rail services operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).
Train operators Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express issued warnings of severe delays and cancellations following a train derailment at Selhurst Depot in south-east London and a separate signalling fault between London Blackfriars and Norwood Junction.
Network Rail confirmed that a train derailed inside Selhurst Depot earlier today and is currently blocking lines towards Norwood Junction and London Bridge. There have been no confirmed injuries as a result of the incident.
At the same time, a signalling system fault on the busy corridor between London Blackfriars and Norwood Junction has compounded the disruption, significantly affecting services across the GTR network.
National Rail said major disruption is expected across Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink routes, warning that trains may be cancelled, severely delayed by up to 90 minutes, or revised at short notice. Disruption is currently expected to continue until at least 13:00.
Several routes have been cancelled in both directions until further notice, including:
- London Bridge – East Grinstead
- Orpington – Luton
- Brighton – Cambridge
- Bedford – Three Bridges
National Rail advised passengers to avoid travelling where possible. In a statement, it said: “We advise you do not travel on Thameslink and some Southern services this morning. If you must travel, you should allow an additional 60–90 minutes for your journey and check before travelling.”
All lines across the Gatwick Express, Southern, and Thameslink networks are currently affected.
Govia Thameslink Railway apologised to passengers for the disruption. A spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the disruption passengers have experienced this morning. A fault with the signalling system between Norwood Junction and London Bridge, along with a train derailment at Selhurst Depot, are causing significant disruption to our services.”
To help passengers complete their journeys, ticket acceptance has been put in place across London Underground and local bus networks at no extra cost.
Passengers are being urged to check the latest travel information before setting out and to consider alternative arrangements where possible.
Image credit: Network Rail
