Disruption between Cambridge and Hitchin expected until 08:00 

Route(s) affected

Great Northern between Kings Lynn / Ely / Cambridge / Royston and London Kings Cross

Thameslink between Cambridge and Brighton

Description

There is a fault with the signalling system in the Meldreth area. This means that trains will run at a reduced speed on some lines.

As a result, trains running between Cambridge and Hitchin may be delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

This is expected until 08:00.

Customer advice:

Some services that normally run between London Kings Cross and Kings Lynn and will now run a shuttle service between Cambridge and Kings Lynn. Please allow up to 30 minutes additional time to complete your journey.

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

Planning your journey:

You can see live maps of the network here:

• Great Northern live map

• Thameslink live map

These maps will now show where your journey is likely to be delayed.

You can also use the Thameslink or Great Northern apps to get more information about your journey.

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.