Disruption at Ely and at Cambridge expected until 10:00
Service alteration details
Incident reported: Thursday 20 November 2025 at 07:33
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Last updated
Thursday 20 November 2025 at 08:47
Train operators affected
Route(s) affected
CrossCountry services between Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport
East Midlands Railway services between Liverpool Lime Street / Nottingham / Sheffield and Norwich
Great Northern services between Cambridge / Ely / Kings Lynn and London Kings Cross
Greater Anglia services between Ely / Norwich / Ipswich and Cambridge, between Peterborough and Ipswich, between Norwich and Stansted Airport, also between Cambridge / Cambridge North / Ely and London Liverpool Street
Thameslink services between Cambridge and Brighton
Description
A points failure in the Ely area means all lines are currently disrupted. As a result, trains running through this station may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised.
An additional fault with the signalling system at Cambridge means some lines are closed. Trains running through this station may be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised.
Disruption is expected until 10:00.
East Midlands Railway customer advice:
Trains running through the area in both directions may be delayed by up to 60 minutes, and will be subject to alterations / cancellations while East Midlands Railway work to recover their service.
How do I get where I need to be?
You should continue to travel as originally planned however your journey may be delayed by up to 60 minutes.
A rail replacement bus is expected to arrive at Norwich at 08:55 which will run to Ely and from there will shuttle between the stations. A bus will arrive at Ely to run in the opposite direction at approximately 09:15.
You may use your ticket between Peterborough and Grantham in both directions with LNER.
You may use your ticket on CrossCountry trains between Ely and Leicester at no extra cost.
You may travel between Norwich and Ely by using Greater Anglia services between Norwich and Ipswich where you can for a train to Ely. Please be aware the Ipswich to Ely train is a 2 hourly service therefore we recommend that you check your journey before departing Norwich.
East Midlands Railway are currently looking at sourcing rail replacement buses to keep you on the move.
Great Northern and Thameslink customer advice:
Great Northern and Thameslink services to / from Cambridge are expected to be disrupted this morning.
Delays, cancellations and alterations are expected as a result. Some services may have cancelled stops, or will terminate and restart at a different station to normal.
Please check your journey before you travel and allow extra time for your journey - we'd advise at least an extra 20 - 30 minutes. For most journeys you should be able to travel using your normal route but you may need to change trains in order to complete your journey.
Tickets will be accepted for no extra cost on the following alternatives:
Great Northern and Thameslink services via any reasonable route
Greater Anglia services between Ely, Cambridge and London Liverpool Street
London Underground between London Terminals
Planning your journey:
You can check train departures from your station:
You can view live maps of the network:
You can see the alternative route guides:
If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner.
You can also use the apps to find up-to-date information.
Greater Anglia customer advice:
Advance purchase tickets holders will be allowed to travel on earlier or later trains if their booked service is cancelled.
Specific train service alterations and live departure boards are available to help plan your journey.
You can check your next train and alternative options using the live map.
Can you tell me more about the incident?
This part of the network uses track circuits to detect trains. If a circuit fails, the system may think a train is still there, blocking others from moving forward.
Drivers must stop at red signals and get verbal permission to proceed at a reduced speed, which can cause significant delays, especially in areas with long track sections.
Faults can be caused by electronic issues or track obstructions. Network Rail is investigating, and we’ll share updates as soon as we have them.
Check before you travel:
You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.
For helpful advice if you need to travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility and bicycle information, please use our Rail Replacement Services page.
You can find the pick-up and set-down location of rail replacement services by checking station signage or by searching for your station on our Find a Station page.
Please be advised that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey.
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.