Disruption between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport expected until the end of the day 

Route(s) affected

Gatwick Express between London Victoria and Brighton

Southern services via Redhill

Thameslink services via Redhill

Description

A points failure between Purley and Gatwick Airport means the line towards Gatwick Airport via Redhill is disrupted. As a result of this, trains between East Croydon and Gatwick Airport may be cancelled, delayed by up to 15 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Customer advice:

You may need to use an alternative service to travel and allow extra time to arrive at your destination.

• Gatwick Express services will be suspended until further notice. You will be able to use your ticket at no extra cost on alternative Southern and Thameslink services via any reasonable route between London Victoria and Brighton

• Thameslink and Southern trains towards Gatwick Airport continue to run, however those are being delayed by 10 - 15 minutes

• Services running towards London are not being affected

Planning your journey:

You can view live departure boards, a live map of the network, and the alternative route guide to help you complete your journey.

If you're travelling in the London area, you can plan journeys on alternative routes by using the TfL Journey Planner.

The app will also help you plan your journey.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

A points failure has been reported in the Purley area and this is preventing trains from using part of the Southbound route through this area.

Points are moveable sections of track which can send trains onto different routes at junctions. These are part of the signalling system, generally managed by Network Rail.

Points can stop moving correctly for a number of reasons. For example, there may be an obstruction in the moving parts, or the electronic control systems may have developed a fault.

There are various backup systems which allow signallers to try to "set" the points, and in some cases, the points may be available for trains in one of the directions they serve, but not another. However, with more severe failures, the line in question may be blocked entirely.

Network Rail have sent their specialist Signalling & Telecoms teams to site however they cannot access the affected equipment while trains are running without causing further delays to services. They will therefore carry out preliminary investigations with the aim of returning tonight to complete repairs.

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.