Disruption between Bedford and Luton expected until 18:00 

Route(s) affected

Between Bedford and Luton

Description

A fault with the signalling system at Leagrave is causing disruption to journeys between Bedford and Luton. Trains running between these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

This is expected until 18:00.

Advice for East Midlands Railway customers:

Connect services (between Corby and London St Pancras International) will have a reduced service of one train an hour in either direction. Mainline services will run as normal however there are likely to be congestion, delays and late notice cancellations due to the ongoing disruption.

Trains running through the affected area will be delayed up to 15 minutes in both directions between Bedford and Luton, there will be congestion in the area as trains run at reduced speed.

How do I get where I need to be?

You should continue to travel as originally planned, however your journey may be delayed by 15 minutes.

You may use your tickets to travel on Thameslink services between Bedford and London St Pancras International, in both directions, at no extra cost.

Advice for Thameslink customers:

A signalling fault at Leagrave is causing disruption between Bedford and Luton.

Trains in this area will have some minor delays, and we are having to also make service changes to reduce congestion.

Trains in this area will have some delays, and train operators are having to also make service changes to reduce congestion.

As you may need to wait longer for a train, or change trains more often to get to your destination, please check our journey planners before you travel.

Allow at least 15-20 minutes of extra time if you are affected.

Service changes and alternative journey options:

Thameslink services on the route between Bedford and Three Bridges (via Redhill) will be cancelled at present.

Alternative services will be available for this route, as follows:

• Between Bedford and East Croydon, alternative Thameslink trains will run every 30 minutes (these alternative trains are on the route between Bedford and Brighton, which is still running)

• There will be alternative East Midlands Railway services Bedford, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway and London St Pancras International as well, and your ticket will also be accepted at no extra cost on these services, although their network is also disrupted

• Between East Croydon and Three Bridges, the stations via Redhill will also be served by alternative Thameslink services (these are on the route between Peterborough and Horsham)

• The Thameslink services on the route between Peterborough and Horsham will stop additionally at Purley, Earlswood and Salfords

• There will be alternative Southern services between London Victoria and Redhill as well, and your ticket will also be accepted at no extra cost on these services

• There will be alternative GWR services between Redhill and Gatwick Airport (non-stop), and your ticket will also be accepted at no extra cost on these services

• Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges stations will also be served by the Thameslink services which are still running between Bedford and Brighton

The above changes will apply in both directions, northbound and southbound.

There may be a few other ad hoc service changes if needed. Along with the above changes, these will be shown on the journey planning tools.

Planning your journey:

Live departure boards can be found here, and you can also view a live map of the network here.

You can also see an alternative route guide here.

You can also use Thameslink app to find up-to-date information.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Network Rail are dealing with a signalling fault near Leagrave station. Trains on each of the four lines will need to be stopped, and the drivers will then be given verbal instructions to continue.

This takes extra time, and causes delays. As a result, Thameslink will need to also reduce the number of trains in the area.

Thameslink are closely monitoring Network Rail's progress in fixing the fault. Staff have been working on this issue since the early hours of the morning.

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.