Disruption between Hastings and Eastbourne expected until 13:00 

Route(s) affected

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

Description

A fault with the signalling system between Hastings and Eastbourne means that trains have to run at reduced speed on all lines. As a result, trains running between these stations may be delayed or revised.

This is expected until 13:00.

Customer advice:

Trains will be running at reduced speeds between Bexhill and Eastbourne. This is due to a fault with the signalling system in the Normans Bay area. Services will be congested in this area and may experience delays and last-minute alterations.

Changes to services:

Southern services between Ore and London Victoria will now run between Eastbourne and London Victoria and until further notice. Southern services between Ashford International and Eastbourne will run as booked.

If you are travelling from London towards Hastings and Ore, please change trains at Eastbourne for additional Southern services to complete your journey.

For the latest information, check station screens and use online journey planners.

Ticket Acceptance:

Your ticket may be used at no extra cost on the following:

• Additional Southern and Thameslink services between London and Brighton

• Southern services between Ashford International and Ore / Hastings, Brighton

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.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Axle counters are part of the signalling system and are used to detect where trains are on the railway. They count train wheels as they enter and leave a section of track, allowing the signalling system to confirm when that section is clear.

If an axle counter fails, the signalling system may show that a train is still in the area even when the section of track is clear. This means the signals protecting that section will remain at red and trains cannot proceed normally.

Trains may still be able to run, but drivers will need to stop before the affected section and get permission from the signaller before passing the red signal. They must then travel at a reduced speed so they can stop safely if they see anything ahead of them. This takes longer than usual and can cause trains to queue behind one another. In severe cases, services may need to be cancelled, revised or diverted to prevent delays from building up across the wider network.

Network Rail signalling specialists are investigating the fault and will work to repair the affected equipment. Once the fault has been fixed and the signalling system is working normally, trains will be able to run at normal speeds again and the scheduled service can begin to recover.

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.