Lines reopened: disruption between Hitchin and Cambridge until the end of the day 

Route(s) affected

Great Northern services between London Kings Cross and Cambridge / Ely / Kings Lynn, also between Letchworth Garden City and Cambridge

Thameslink services between Brighton / London Kings Cross and Cambridge

Description

All lines have now reopened following earlier damage to the overhead electric wires between Hitchin and Cambridge. Trains running between these stations may continue to be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised.

Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

A visual disruption map video is available.

Customer advice:

All lines have now reopened between Hitchin and Cambridge, however, there will be disruption to services throughout the evening whilst Great Northern and Thameslink work to return them to their booked timetables.

Due to the severe disruption, it has caused for crew and stock displacement so it will take some time for services to resume on routes between London, Hitchin and Cambridge.

If you are planning on travelling on this route, please allow at least an extra 60-90 minutes as it may still involve you using an alternative route.

A very limited replacement bus services remains in operation between Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City Royston and Cambridge. Please speak to station staff for more details on this.

To assist you can use your ticket at no extra cost with:

• Greater Anglia services between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge / Ely

• London Underground via any London terminal

• Great Northern and Thameslink services on any reasonable route including to / from alternative nearby stations

• East Midlands Railway services between Peterborough and Ely

• Arriva Buses routes:

  • 55 between Stevenage and Letchworth

  • 98 / 97 between Hitchin and Letchworth / Baldock

  • 301 between St Albans, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Knebworth and Stevenage

Please note, that using an alternative route will extend your journey time by at least an extra 60 minutes.

If you are travelling between London and Cambridge:

Your quickest option will be to use local London Underground services to London Liverpool Street, where you'll be able to travel to / from Cambridge, and make connections to Ely and Kings Lynn.

If you require stations between Hitchin and Cambridge:

Ticket acceptance is in place with local Arriva buses between Hitchin and Letchworth Garden City. A very limited replacement bus service is running between Hitchin, Royston and Cambridge. Please speak to station staff for the latest information on the timings of these.

If you require Peterborough:

A direct service is in operation between London Kings Cross and Peterborough, and this will continue to operate.

Planning your journey:

You can check train departures from your station:

• Great Northern live departure boards

• Thameslink live departure boards

You can view live maps of the network:

• Great Northern live route map

• Thameslink live route map

You can see the alternative route guides:

• Great Northern alternative route guide

• Thameslink alternative route guide

You can also use the apps to find up-to-date information.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Last night, we were made aware that a section of overhead electric wires had de-wired in the Royston area. Network Rail teams have been working overnight to repair the damage and have conducted the repairs. Lines have now reopened.

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.