Passengers travelling on Thameslink and Southeastern trains should brace themselves for lengthy delays as issues on several rail routes look set to continue well into the afternoon.
While disruption on the Elizabeth line and Heathrow trains from London Paddington has ended, elsewhere commuters face chaos.
Southeastern trains between Rochester and Gravesend have been delayed by up to 30 minutes after an electricity supply failure at Strood. Meanwhile, Thameslink has suspended services between Rainham and Luton as there are no trains available to cover the route, National Rail said.
If your journey is delayed by more than 15 minutes, you might be able to claim delay repay compensation. Scroll down to find out more.
Flooding on tracks delays Gatwick Airport trains
The railway tracks between Ash and Guildford have been flooded after heavy rain.
Footage shows the railway line resembling a muddy river.
It means trains won’t be able to run through the area which is causing 30-minute delays and cancellations.
National Rail estimates the issue to be resolved by 3pm.
Here are the affected operators and routes.
- Great Western Railway between Reading and Gatwick Airport
- South Western Railway between Farnham and Guildford
How to claim delay repay if your train is late
When you fork out money on a train ticket, the last thing you want is to run into any problems that could hamper your journey.
But when trains are delayed, the thin silver lining is getting compensation.
Read on for a recap of what schemes are available for compensation.
- All train operators offer compensation, but it might vary what scheme they use
- The most common one is Delay Repay scheme – it gives passengers 50% back for their ticket price when the train is delayed between 30 minutes and an hour
- Another scheme is known as ‘delay repay 15‘ – passengers can get 25% back when a train is delayed between 15 and 29 minutes, and the scheme allows compensation even for bad weather
- The third scheme is the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. However, if the delay isn’t the operator’s fault, passenger will be left empty-handed.
- Claims will be usually made through your train operator
- National Rail has a website with all train operators in the UK and you can find it here
Why are Southeastern and Thameslink trains delayed?
An electricity supply failure and problems at one of the train depots mean journeys in Kent are disrupted into the afternoon.
Here are details of the issues affecting Southeastern and Thameslink services.
Southeastern
While lines have reopened after an electricity supply problem at Strood, trains between Rochester and Gravesend could still cancelled, delayed by up to half an hour or revised.
- The affected route is between Maidstone West / Broadstairs / Faversham and London St Pancras International, and between Gillingham and Paddock Wood / London Cannon Street, and between Maidstone West and Gravesend, and between Tonbridge / Paddock Wood and Strood, and between Strood and London Charing Cross
Thameslink
An issue at one of the depots means there are no trains that can cover the route. As a result, some services will be axed, with disruption expected until about 3pm.
Passengers were told to allow an extra 60 minutes to journeys between Dartford and Rainham as alternative travel options will take longer.
- Thameslink services between Rainham and Luton are suspended
- The disruption is also affecting the route between Rainham and West Hampstead Thameslink / Bedford, and between Gillingham and Dartford / Luton
Waterloo & City line remains suspended
The central London commuter Tube line has been suspended for hours after a signal failure at Bank this morning.
With just two stations, Waterloo & City is the shortest line on the London Underground.
The latest TfL travel update says: ‘No service while we fix a signal failure at Bank.’
Railway floods in Hampshire after heavy rain
Parts of the UK saw heavy downpours this morning, including in Hampshire where the tracks became submerged.
The railway is waterlogged between Aldershot and Alton after heavy rain caused flooding.
South Western Railway trains could be delayed, cancelled or revised until at least 11am when the issue is expected to be resolved.
National Rail said: ‘A speed restriction between Aldershot and Alton means trains are running at a reduced speed between these stations following heavy rain flooding the railway earlier today in the Aldershot area.’
Traffic grinds to a halt on the M27 near Portsmouth
A crash outside Portsmouth on the M27 is causing traffic delays eastbound between junctions J11 and J12.
One lane out of three has been closed after the incident which is causing 30-minute hold-ups on the motorway.
There are also severe delays on the westbound carriageway stretching all the way between Portsmouth and Southampton Airport. Traffic has ground to a halt between junctions J7 and J9.
Collision on the M3 causes delays
Congestion is building up on the M3 outside Basingstoke, Hampshire, after a crash on the motorway.
The crash happened on the exit ramp northbound at junction J6.
Recovery work has now been completed and the barriers are being repaired following the crash.
There are 15 minute delays in the area and one lane remains closed on the exit slip road for the repair works.
Delays on the M25 in Essex after crash
Motorists in London woke up to less-than-ideal conditions after heavy rain in the early hours of the morning.
The M25 in Essex is seeing long delays after a crash at junction J28 roundabout near Brentwood earlier today.
It is causing congestion for a couple of miles before J29 on the anticlockwise carriageway from Dartford Crossing.
Points failure hits trains CrossCountry trains from Birmingham
Points failures have caused travel chaos this morning across the rail network.
Another points issue at Water Orton, Warwickshire, means CrossCountry trains between Birmingham New Street, Tamworth and Nuneaton have delays of up to 30 minutes, cancellations and diversions.
Engineers are at the site repairing the fault and service is expected to resume back to normal by 8.15am.
Passengers can use their tickets on London Northwestern Railway between Tamworth and Nuneaton both ways at no extra cost. It is worth keeping hold of your ticket and making a note of the travel times as you might be entitled to compensation through your train company.
Delays on London Underground and Overground
Most of the TfL network has been disruption-free so far this morning, but there are some issues on the Waterloo & City line and part of the Overground.
- London Overground – No service between Upminster and Romford after a faulty train at Upminster. The rest of the line has good service
- Waterloo & City line – The line is suspended while engineers fix a signal failure at Bank
Disruption on Cornwall trains after points failure
CrossCountry and Great Western Railway passengers should prepare for cancellations, delays and revisions after all lines have been blocked in St Erth.
This affects service between Falmouth Docks, St Ives, St Erth and Penzance after one train became stuck earlier. It has since been released and is making its way to Truro, but services could be cancelled until it arrives, National Rail said.
The disruption is expected to clear by 9am.
Delays on Elizabeth line and Heathrow trains at Paddington
Londoners have woken up to wet weather – and delays on the rail network set to last throughout the rush hour.
It comes after a safety inspection of the track between Paddington and Reading which has blocked some lines.
Elizabeth line trains on the London Underground, Heathrow Express and Great Western Railway trains could be delayed by up to 20 minutes, cancelled or revised, National Rail warned.
It said the disruption is expected until 9am.
Here are the affected routes.
- Elizabeth line between Shenfield / London Paddington and Heathrow Airport and also between Abbey Wood and Heathrow Airport / Maidenhead / Reading
- All Great Western Railway services to / from London Paddington
- Heathrow Express between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport
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