Drivers caught in long delays on M5 after crash

Thank you for following Metro’s live travel coverage today.

You can keep up to date with the latest weather news, including the snow and ice descending this weekend, on our live blog here. Safe travels.

A failure of the electricity supply between Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International has been causing major disruption today.

Highspeed trains are unable to run between the stations. Services are only running between Ashford International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory only, or between Ebbsfleet International and London St Pancras International only.

This is now expected to last until the end of the day.

The southbound M40 is closed between J16 at Hockley and J15 for Warwick after a lorry caught fire.

Pictures of the aftermath show the charred contents of the vehicle with the sides and roof of its trailer missing or burnt away.

Vehicles caught in the closure were gradually released. All three southbound lanes remain closed.

it is not expected to return to normal traffic conditions until 8pm.

The fire service is on the scene, but an ambulance was not required.

A signal failure at Queen’s Park is causing severe delays between this station and Harrow & Wealdstone on the Bakerloo line.

There is good service reported on the rest of the line.

A points failure in Dore & Totley, between Sheffield and Nottingham stations, is causing disruption on several lines.

Services will be cancelled or delayed by up to 20minutes until Network Rail resolves the issue. This is expected until 6.15pm.

The affected services are:

• CrossCountry between Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and Plymouth, and between Newcastle / York and Reading, and between York and Birmingham New Street
• East Midlands Railway between Norwich / Nottingham and Liverpool Lime Street, and between Sheffield and London St Pancras International
• Northern between Leeds and Nottingham, and between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly
• TransPennine Express between Cleethorpes and Liverpool Lime Street

National Highways is urging motorists to be careful on the tarmac over the weekend as England is set to be blanketed in snow.

Two amber warnings, which come into effect tomorrow at 6pm and 9pm, warn that up to 40mm of the white stuff could fall. Public health officials have even called on vulnerable people not to go outside.

Drivers should exercise similar caution tomorrow as the snow spreads north-eastwards across southern and central England.

National Highways said: ‘National Highways, in conjunction with the Met Office, are strongly advising that travel is likely to be extended or even disrupted.

‘Road users should heed messages on the overhead signs and listen for radio updates. Road users are advised to take extra care if travelling over the weekend.’

A stretch of the A1 today has been congested for hours – and things won’t get better anytime soon.

National Highways says both lanes are closed on the  A1 southbound between the junctions with the A52 and the A607.

Normal traffic conditions won’t resume until as late as 10.30pm.

Southern and Thameslink trains running to and from East Croydon and London Bridge will be delayed today, National Rail says.

Officials say this is because of a signalling system fault, leading to 10-minute-long delays.

Impacted routes include:

• Southern between Caterham / Epsom / Norwood Junction and London Bridge as well as West Croydon and London Victoria
• Thameslink between Horsham and Peterborough, and also between Three Bridges/Horsham/Haywards Heath and Bedford.

Southern and Thameslink trains running to and from East Croydon and London Bridge will be delayed all day, National Rail says.

Officials say this is because of a signalling system fault, leading to 10-minute-long delays.

Impacted routes include:

• Southern between Caterham / Epsom / Norwood Junction and London Bridge as well as West Croydon and London Victoria
• Thameslink between Horsham and Peterborough, and also between Three Bridges/Horsham/Haywards Heath and Bedford.

Trains between Faversham/Margate/Ramsgate and London St Pancras International will be disrupted all day because of an issue with the electrical supply.

The issue, between Ashford International and Ebbsfleet International, means highspeed trains like Southeastern’s can’t run, Network Rail says.

A notice on the delays adds: ‘Services between Ashford International and London St Pancras International will be revised to run between Ashford International and Ramsgate via Dover Priory only, or between Ebbsfleet International and London St Pancras International only.’

Bad news for drivers hoping to use the A1 today. A collision has led to severe traffic and both lanes closed southbound between the junctions with the A52 and the A607.

The earlier incident won’t be cleared up until 7.30pm, highway officials say, around the same time when the traffic will ease.

A road vehicle collided with a bridge between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley this morning, leading to delays and cancellations on the West Midlands Railway.

Disruption on the line will last until 11.30am, Network Rail says.

Southern and Thameslink trains that run to Gatwick Airport are seeing delays of about 10 minutes.

This is due to a signalling default between the two stations.

Network Rail, which says the delays will last until midday, adds: ‘Southern and Thameslink services that from Horsham towards Three Bridges/London will be delayed by 5-10 minutes in the Faygate area.’

Yes, somehow things are even worse now on the M25.

National Highways says there are delays of about an hour on the motorway anticlockwise between junctions J25 and J23.

This will be the case until 2.45pm.

A motoring expert has called on drivers today to be wary of ‘snow-capping’, when driving around with a layer of snow on your car.

‘While cars are made to carry this sort of weight inside them, placing it on the roof can have a huge impact on the weight distribution of a vehicle, making it top-heavy and unstable, especially when cornering or braking,’ said Halfords’ motoring expert Andy Turbefield.

‘For example, the maximum weight capacity for a typical roof box is around 50-75kg, so this is double that.

As cars trundle along. there’s a chance all the snow topping the vehicle can fall off.

‘If this happens during a corner, the weight of the vehicle could immediately change by 119kg, destabilising the car and potentially leading to an accident,’ explained Turbefield.

‘What’s more, during braking, the entire mound of snow could tip forward onto the windscreen, completely obscuring the view of the driver. It could also be a danger to other road users if it ends up on someone else’s vehicle, potentially breaking their windscreen.’

The entire Metropolitan line was suspended this morning after a signal failure at Wembley Park.

TfL says the line has partly opened – there’s no service between Aldgate and Harrow-on-the-Hill – with severe delays on the rest of the line.

There are a fair few yellow weather warnings for ice this morning as the nation’s thermometers plummet to zero.

As icy patches form and snow dusts the landscape, this can make driving a tad trickier.

The RAC recommends that people think about ‘whether your journey is really necessary’ as ice makes braking distances longer.

‘Even if you avoid an accident, your car may get stuck – potentially leading to a long walk home,’ the insurance company adds.

‘Traffic congestion is likely to be worse, too. If you don’t get stuck, the driver in front of you probably will.’

Drivers should pack a mobile phone charger, snacks, water and a blanket in case they’re stuck.

And here’s what the RAC says about how to drive on icy roads:

• Anticipation and smoothness are key for driving on icy roads.
• Look well ahead for potential hazards – including, of course, patches of ice – and keep your speed well down.
• Accelerate, brake, steer and change gear as smoothly as possible to reduce the risk of a skid.
• A higher gear may be more appropriate to aid grip on packed ice. This helps manage engine power delivery, making it easier to find traction.
• If it’s a manual, you might need to slip the clutch a little to prevent the car from stalling. 
• Many automatics will let you select second gear at a standstill to pull away in.

• Circle line: Severe delays as engineers deal with a signal failure on the Metropolitan line.
• District line: Severe delays between Barking and Upminster. Minor delays on the rest of the line.
• Hammersmith and City line: Severe delays as engineers deal with a signal failure on the Metropolitan line.
• Metropolitan line: Speaking of the line, it’s not running at all.
• Piccadilly line: No service between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.
• Bakerloo line: Minor delays.
• Jubilee line: Minor delays after train cancellations.
• Windrush: Part-suspended between Sydenham and West Croydon due to a signal failure in the Norwood Junction area. 

A ‘shortage of trains’ is causing minor disruption on the Bakerloo line, TfL says.

Over on the Windrush line, which is part of the London Overground, there is no service between Norwood Junction and West Croydon due to a signal failure in the Norwood Junction area.

‘Severe delays due to an earlier faulty train at Temple. London Buses are accepting tickets.’

This is the latest from TfL on the Circle line, just in time for the morning rush hour. This is having the knock-on effect of severe delays on the District line eastbound between Earl’s Court and Upminster and minor delays on the rest of the line.

Earlier delays to the Metropolitan line have since curdled into the line being suspended altogether so engineers can fix a signal failure at Wembley Park.