Disruption to Thameslink services between Gravesend and Rainham (Kent) expected until 15:00 

Route(s) affected

Between Bedford / Luton and Rainham

Description

A fault with the signalling system in the Gillingham (Kent) area means all lines are closed. Trains running between Gravesend and Rainham (Kent) may be cancelled, delayed by up to 40 minutes or revised.

Trains will not call at Rainham.

Disruption until at least 16:00.

Customer advice:

Thameslink services to / from Rainham will terminate and restart at Gillingham instead until further notice. Delays are also expected, as well as other short notice alterations and cancellations.

For journeys between Rainham and Gillingham, you'll need to use an alternative route to complete your journey this afternoon. Journeys will take around 60 minutes longer as a result, so please allow extra time.

Ticket acceptance on alternative routes:

Tickets will be accepted on the following for no extra cost to yourself:

• Southeastern services on any reasonable route (excluding high-speed services) - Please note these services are also being affected by this incident

• Elizabeth line services between Farringdon and Abbey Wood

• London Buses between London Bridge and Dartford

• London Underground on any reasonable route including between London Terminals

• Docklands Light Railway on any route including to / from Greenwich and Royal Woolwich Arsenal

• The following Arriva Bus routes:
  101 and 182 between Chatham and Gillingham
  190 between Gravesend and Chatham
  

Click to view the live departure boards, live map and alternative route guide.

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 Thameslink's app to find up-to-date information.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

A complete signalling failure in the Gillingham area is causing severe disruption to train services. The affected signals are showing only red lights, meaning trains cannot move forward on any line.

Because of the scale of the issue, it’s difficult to estimate delays. Network Rail are investigating the problem as quickly as possible.

Signalling failures can happen for various reasons, such as power issues, cable faults, or extreme weather. In some cases, multiple faults contribute to the disruption. Since this type of failure is a high priority, repairs will begin as soon as possible.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries 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.