South-east England Hit By Huge Travel Chaos As Train Derailment And Signal Failures Stop All Railway Services

Published on February 4, 2026

Passengers crossed south-east England are facing awesome disruptions aft a bid of incidents person severely impacted obstruction services. A “do not travel” alert was issued this greeting by nan Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) franchise, which operates Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express trains, urging commuters to debar recreation if possible. The alert is successful consequence to a train derailment and a signalling responsibility that person disrupted operations passim nan region.

Train Derailment and Signalling Fault Cause Widespread Disruptions

The ongoing recreation chaos began earlier coming pursuing a derailment wrong a depot astatine Selhurst, located successful south-east London. This incident, coupled pinch a signalling responsibility betwixt London Blackfriars and Norwood Junction, has resulted successful important delays and cancellations for passengers crossed nan affected areas.

The derailment occurred astatine Selhurst Depot, 1 of nan awesome train attraction hubs for GTR services, while nan signalling problem betwixt Blackfriars and Norwood Junction caused less tracks to beryllium disposable for trains, pinch those still moving forced to recreation astatine slower speeds. As a result, awesome disruptions person impacted recreation connected routes stretching crossed south-east England.

Affected Routes and Services

A wide scope of services has been impacted owed to these incidents. Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express trains are each facing delays, cancellations, and constricted services. Affected routes include:

• London Bridge to East Grinstead
• Orpington to Luton
• Brighton to Cambridge
• Bedford to Three Bridges

Additionally, services moving betwixt Welwyn Garden City and Sevenoaks are only operating betwixt London Blackfriars and Sevenoaks, while those betwixt Rainham and Luton are constricted to nan conception betwixt Rainham and Dartford. Some services that typically tally from Horsham to Peterborough and Brighton to Bedford are being diverted via Selhurst alternatively of Norwood Junction.

With less disposable tracks and slower speeds, nan business remains fluid, and passengers are advised to show updates from National Rail Enquiries. GTR has besides advised travelers to see replacement routes wherever possible.

GTR’s Urgent Request for Passengers

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has urged each passengers to hold their journeys if they tin and to cheque train services earlier traveling. The usability is recommending that commuters let for an further 60 minutes of recreation clip to relationship for delays. Services are expected to beryllium moving astatine a reduced capacity, and travelers are advised to beryllium elastic pinch their recreation plans.

Impact connected GTR’s Services and Passenger Numbers

GTR, nan UK’s largest obstruction operator, carries astir 18% of nan country’s train passengers. The franchise includes respective well-known operators, specified arsenic Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, and Gatwick Express. GTR’s services are captious for those walking crossed south-east England, and nan existent disruptions are expected to impact thousands of commuters, particularly during nan greeting unreserved hour.

The GTR web serves cardinal routes into London, arsenic good arsenic connections to celebrated destinations crossed nan region. The ongoing incidents are causing wide problems, affecting some section and long-distance passengers. GTR has yet to supply a clear timeline for erstwhile normal work will resume, but nan business remains nether adjacent monitoring by nan institution and carrier authorities.

Nationalisation of UK Rail Operators

The timing of these disruptions comes arsenic nan UK authorities continues its nationalisation of obstruction services crossed nan country. Last weekend, West Midlands Trains was nan latest usability to beryllium nationalised, pinch GTR expected to travel suit successful May. This move is portion of a broader effort to bring awesome obstruction companies backmost nether nationalist ownership, pursuing years of fragmented backstage operations. The nationalisation process intends to amended work reliability and trim costs for passengers, though existent delays item nan challenges nan strategy still faces.

Severe Delays Expected to Continue

For now, obstruction passengers successful south-east England are advised to debar recreation if possible. The derailment astatine Selhurst Depot and nan signalling responsibility betwixt Blackfriars and Norwood Junction person caused a ripple effect crossed aggregate services, pinch delays expected to proceed for nan remainder of nan day. The “do not travel” alert remains successful effect, pinch nan nationalist urged to enactment updated connected nan latest obstruction work information.

GTR has reiterated its committedness to resolving nan issues arsenic quickly arsenic imaginable but warns that nan business is apt to return clip to clear. As efforts to hole nan disruptions continue, passengers are encouraged to usage replacement forms of carrier aliases postpone their journeys to debar further delays.