Travel news: Trains cancelled and delayed after signal fault blocks route

  • london
  • October 3, 2024
  • Comments Off on Travel news: Trains cancelled and delayed after signal fault blocks route
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Anyone hoping to catch a train in Suffolk this afternoon could be facing delays and cancellations thanks to a fault with the signalling system.

The problem located at Westerfield means all lines are blocked between Ipswich and Felixstowe.

Trains running between these two stations will be cancelled, and the disruption is set to last well into rush hour.

A spokesperson for National Rail said: ‘Train services between Ipswich and Felixstowe and Lowestoft are being disrupted due to a fault with the signalling system at Westerfield.

‘This has been caused by damage to some cables in the area.

‘Network Rail engineers have been informed and on route to the site to investigate.’

What to do if you’re planning to travel on the Felixstowe Branch

National Rail says your train tickets will be accepted on local buses 75 and X7 (operated by First Norfolk & Suffolk).

Ipswich to Felixstowe services are currently suspended, while Ipswich to Lowestoft services may be cancelled or altered at short notice until the cables have been repaired.

Piccadilly line trains are getting their first new trains in 50 years

Commuters, rejoice, as the Piccadilly line is finally about to get air conditioning.

The line will start receiving 94 new trains by end of next year, which will be the first new trains on the line in half a century.

Siemens is building the new trains and they will be the first ‘deep level’ Tube trains to feature air conditioning.

They will be more spacious and have more headroom – and four of their nine carriages will ‘float’ on top of the rails as they won’t have wheels, or train ‘bogies’, underneath.

All 94 new trains should be in service by 2028, a year later than initially planned after TfL asked for a delay to help it manage its finances.

TfL is spending about £3billion on the Piccadilly line upgrade – and it’s currently running £62million over budget.

Delays on M25 after incident near Heathrow Airport junction

There are residual delays on the M25 after a police incident near to junction 15 for Heathrow Airport.

The road was closed in both directions for about 10 minutes while officers dealt with the issue between junction 15 and 16 for the M40.

National Highways says the incident has now concluded and the road is back open again in both directions, however there is still congestion on approach.

They warn drivers are facing delays of around half an hour in the area – important to bear in mind if you’re on your way to catch a flight at Heathrow this afternoon.

Darlington railways back open after trespassers cause delay

LNER have confirmed that railways between Darlington and Newcastle are back open after trespassers on the line caused heavy delays.

Scottish rail lines back open

Lines have now reopened between Polmont/Bathgate and Haymarket following an earlier incident where somebody was hit by a train.

National Rail have confirmed that emergency services have safely completed their work on the line, but services may still suffer cancellations and delays until around 1pm

Ryanair flight evacuated after flames start coming out of engine on runway

A Ryanair flight has been forced to evacuate today after an ‘explosion’ saw the plane burst into flames minutes before takeoff.

Read more about it here:

Trespassers near Darlington cause delays

All trains running between Darlington and Newcastle are delayed after trespassers were reported on the line in the area.

This is affecting CrossCountry, LNER, Lumo and TransPennine Express services and the disruption is set to last for the rest of the morning.

It’s currently hoped the disruption will clear by around 1pm.

Delays in Scotland after person hit by a train

A person has been hit by a train between Polmont/Bathgate and Haymarket, meaning all lines have had to be blocked while the emergency services access the scene.

It’s causing delays on ScotRail routes between Helensburgh Central, Glasgow Queen Street, Dunblane, or Inverness and Edinburgh and the disruption is set to last until 1pm.

If you’ve been affected by what happened on the network today, there is always someone to talk to. You can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 from any phone for a confidential chat.

Disruption to Thameslink services this evening

There’ll be a shortage of train crew on the Thameslink network this evening, meaning trains could be cancelled or revised.

Routes between Bedford, central London and Three Bridges or Brighton will be worst affected, in both directions.

Services via Luton Airport, St Pancras International and Gatwick Airport will also be impacted.

The disruption is set to last between 10.30pm tonight until 4am on Friday.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘Alternative public transport routes are very limited overnight, so Thameslink have requested a number of replacement buses, which are currently being confirmed by suppliers.

‘Once supplied they will be advertised on nationalrail.co.uk.

‘These will still only provide limited capacity compared to the trains which usually run.

‘We recommend you check a journey planner and travel at times when trains are shown to be running.

‘If you do need to travel by bus, we expect you will need to allow at least 45-60 minutes of extra journey time.’

Girl, 17, killed and three others seriously injured in M65 crash

A girl has died and three other teenagers were seriously injured in a crash on the M65 in the early hours of this morning.

A Seat Ibiza crashed at about 3.40am near junction 9 for Burnley and two other cars stopped to help at the scene.

The victim was a passenger in the car while the male driver, also 17, and two girls aged 17 and 19, were seriously injured and remain in hospital.

All four of the teens are from the Darwen area.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw the crash or who might have dashcam footage to get in touch.

Rail line blocked after passenger falls ill at Liss

A passenger has been taken ill on a train at Liss, which means the line towards Haslemere is blocked.

South Western Railway services which run through this station could be delayed, cancelled or revised.

Disruption is currently expected to last until midday.

A spokesperson for South Western Railway said: ‘We have been informed that a passenger has taken ill at Liss.

‘The emergency services have been called and we are awaiting attendance to offer support to the incident.

‘Until the arrival of the ambulance, the train cannot proceed in its journey.

‘For further information or onward travel advice please speak to a member of staff or use a station help point.

‘We are very sorry for any delay that this may cause to your journey.’

M6 blocked by vehicle fire

The M6 northbound has been stopped by National Highways because of a vehicle on fire.

The closure is between junctions 13 and 14 near Stafford.

There are delays of about half an hour in the area with about 2.5miles of congestion.

List of Gatwick Airport delays and cancellations

Arrivals

9am easyJet EJU8526 from Oporto – due 9.21am

9.05am easyJet EZY8673 from Amsterdam – due 9.40am

9.10am easyJet EJU8528 from Faro – due 9.35am

9.10am Norwegian D82766 from Helsinki – due 9.26am

9.25am easyJet EZY8512 from Lisbon – cancelled

9.45am TAP Air TP1334 from Lisbon – due 10.09am

10am Delta DL62 from New York – due 11.25am

10am Norse Z0784 from Orlando – due 10.41am

10.05am TunisAir TU792 from Tunis – due 10.36am

10.25am WizzAir W42801 from Vienna – due 10.58am

Departures

10.20am British Airways BA2530 to Jersey – delayed to 10.50am

For more details, visit the Gatwick Airport website.

Disruption caused by New Cross Gate broken rail has ended

The broken rail found at New Cross Gate overnight has now been repaired, and service has returned to normal significantly earlier than expected.

It was originally predicted that the disruption would last until 1pm, but Thameslink reckon service has already returned to normal.

Good news for travellers hoping to use those lines throughout the rest of the morning!

Merseyrail points failure fixed but disruption still expected

Lines have reopened as the points failure between Sandhills and Ormskirk/Headbolt Lane has been repaired.

However, as service returns to normal National Rail is warning that disruption is expected until around 9am.

Trains could still be cancelled, delayed by around 10 minutes, or revised.

Points failure causes problems on Merseyrail line

Trains between Hunts Cross and Ormskirk, and abetween Liverpool Central and Headbolt Lane, are facing disruption after a points failure between Sandhills and Ormskirk/Headbolt Lane.

Trains that run between Hunts Cross and Ormskirk, and also between Liverpool Central and Headbolt Lane will terminate or start from Sandhills.

National Rail say rail replacement buses have been requested, but they’re not in place yet.

Lines reopen through New Cross Gate but delays remain

Trains are now able to run through New Cross Gate after the broken rail found overnight was repaired.

However there are still delays in the area and National Rail still believe the disruption will last until around 1pm.

Disruption between Coventry and Birmingham due to staff illness

A member of train crew has fallen ill on a train at Canley, meaning the line between Coventry and Birmingham will be blocked.

This means the following routes may be cancelled, revised, or delayed by up to 40 minutes:

  • London Northwestern Railway between London Euston, Milton Keynes Central, or Northampton and Birmingham New Street
  • West Midlands Railway between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street or Rugeley Trent Valley

Police statement on Lancashire hit-and-run

The car, believed to be a dark-grey Toyota Prius with the registration FY62 MXC, did not stop at the scene and police are still trying to find it.

Detective Chief Inspector Jill Riley said: ‘This is an absolutely appalling incident which has resulted in the death of a little baby and has left his mother very poorly in hospital and my thoughts are with their loved ones.

‘Our investigation is making good progress, but I would still like to hear from anyone who may have footage or information which could help us piece together the events which led to this tragic collision and what happened afterwards.’

Officers want to speak to anyone who might have dashcam, doorbell camera, or phone footage of the crash or of the vehicle before or after the hit-and-run.

It happened on Station Road close to the junction with Longbrook Avenue and Fourfields in Bamber Bridge shortly before 8pm on Sunday, September 29.

Service changes caused by broken rail at New Cross Gate

North of London

  • Reduced Thameslink service between Cambridge and London, you’ll need to use alternative services to and from London Kings Cross and Cambridge
  • Reduced Thameslink service between Bedford and London, you’ll need to use alternative services to and from London St Pancras International

South of London

  • Until 07:00 no direct Thameslink service between East Croydon and London Bridge, you’ll need to travel on diverted services to London Blackfriars, or into London Victoria and use London Underground to cross London
  • Reduced Thameslink services across routes from East Grinstead and Gatwick Airport, you’ll need to use alternative services or travel into London Victoria. You may need to change trains at East Croydon
  • Revised Southern services between East and West Croydon and London Bridge with fewer services running, and those which do run will use a diversionary route
  • Until 07:00 no service from Crystal Palace into London Bridge via New Cross Gate