Incident resolved: disruption at Arlesey and Biggleswade expected until 12:45 

Route(s) affected

Between Horsham and Peterborough

Description

Lines have reopened following a fault with the signalling system between Hitchin and Peterborough. Whilst service recovers, trains running towards Peterborough may still be unable to call at Arlesey and Biggleswade.

This is expected until 12:45.

Customer advice:

Trains can now start to call at Arlesey and Biggleswade.This is after an earlier signalling fault at Biggleswade.

The first Northbound service to call at these stations will be the 09:55 Horsham to Peterborough service. This arrives at Arlesey 11:56.

For the latest information, please check online journey planners and live departure boards or speak to station staff.

Ticket acceptance:

You can use your existing ticket on the below services at no extra cost:

• Alternative Thameslink services between London and Peterborough

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 Thameslink's WhatsApp channel. Live updates are available Monday to Friday, 07:00–21:00.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

A fault with a signal is affecting trains on the route between Hitchin and Peterborough. This means a freight train is currently blocking the Northbound line at Biggleswade due to this fault.

Signals tell train drivers when it’s safe to continue into the next section of track. The signalling system will show a green light when the track is clear for a long distance ahead, and drivers will then be shown one or two yellow lights to warn them when they are approaching a red signal. This means that they can anticipate the amount of braking that's required to stop before they reach another train or any form of problem on the line.

If a signal develops a fault, it may be unable to show the normal sequence of coloured lights. The signalling system is designed to keep trains safe when this happens, so the affected signal will show a more restrictive indication. Drivers may need to stop and get permission from the signaller before continuing, or travel at a reduced speed through the affected area.

These additional safety measures mean journeys through the area take longer 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.

Trains can now run as usual 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.