Disruption between Hastings and Eastbourne expected until 21:00 

Route(s) affected

Between Ashford International and Eastbourne, and between Ore and London Victoria / Brighton

Description

A fault with the signalling system in the Bexhill area means that all lines are blocked. As a result, trains running between Hastings and Eastbourne may be delayed by up to 20 minutes, cancelled or revised to terminate and start back from alternative stations en route.

Disruption is expected until 21:00.

Customer advice:

Journeys will be subject to delays through this area, and your train may terminate and restart back early.

You may need to use an alternative route to complete your journey. You may need to travel on a different train to normal, or change trains at an intermediate station to complete your journey.

For the latest information, you should listen to announcements, check station screens, and consult journey planners.

The expected service plan:

We are expecting the following alterations to our normal timetable:

• Services which run between Ore/Eastbourne and London Victoria and will run between Polegate or Lewes and London Victoria

• Services which run between Eastbourne and Brighton will be cancelled

• Services which run between Ore and Brighton will run between Ore and Eastbourne and only

Ticket acceptance:

Your ticket will be accepted on the below at no additional cost:

• London Underground services between London Terminals

• Southeastern services between Hastings, London Bridge and London Charing Cross

Replacement buses:

Buses have been requested, but there has been no confirmation as of yet.

If a bus service can't be provided, we'll let you know by updating this message.

Bus journeys will take longer than your usual train journey on this route, and if we can, we'll provide a time estimate here.

If you're waiting on a train which is delayed between stations:

If your train is delayed between stations, please remain where you are and listen to announcements, or speak to staff for further information. Work is being done to get you moving as soon as possible. Teams will be doing everything they can to help you continue your journey.

Please don't leave the train unless you are asked to do so. Other trains may still be moving in the area, and the track is also a very hazardous environment. In areas where the trains are powered by an electric third rail, this usually stays live and dangerous during incidents, and looks the same as other rails.

Planning your journey:

For help planning your journey, check live departure boards, view a live network map or see alternative route guides.

If you’re travelling within London, you can use the TfL Journey Planner.

Stay up to date on the move with Southern’s WhatsApp channel. Live updates are available Monday to Friday, 07:00–21:00.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

An axle counter failure is disrupting trains which travel from Bexhill towards Eastbourne.

This part of the network uses axle counters to detect whether trains are in the area. These are electrical systems which check the passage of train wheels and monitor whether a train is on a section of track. They operate as part of the signalling system, which is designed to be "fail safe".

When an axle counter fails, the signalling system will interpret this as a train remaining in place, even though there may not be a train present at all, or the previous service may have long since left the area.

As a result, further trains cannot be automatically allowed onto the relevant section of track. Train drivers will be stopped by red signals on approach. They will then get verbal permission from the signaller so that they can proceed, and will run at a heavily-reduced speed as far as the next signal. This is so that the drivers will stop safely if they see anything ahead of them.

In some areas, the sections between signals can be several miles long, so this can result in delays building up. Even with shorter sections of track affected, there would still be a delay of at least a few minutes to each journey.

Axle counter faults can be caused by a number of different issues, including electronic faults and debris coming into contact with them. Network Rail manage the signalling system, including axle counters, and their staff will be investigating as quickly as possible.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail real-time Journey Planner.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.