Issue resolved: delays between Royston and Hitchin expected until 10:00 

Route(s) affected

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

Thameslink between Cambridge and Brighton

Description

Following a fault with the signalling system between Royston and Hitchin, trains can now run as normal on all lines. Whilst service recovers, trains running between these stations may still be delayed by up to 15 minutes.

This is expected until 10:00.

Customer advice:

Trains running in the direction of Hitchin from Royston have been delayed by up to 15 minutes.

Please talk to station staff, look at information boards or check your journey planner for the latest information.

Planning your journey with Thameslink:

For help planning your journey, check live departure boards, view a live network map or see alternative route guides.

Planning your journey with Great Northern:

For help planning your journey, check live departure boards, view a live network map or see alternative route guides.

If you’re travelling within London, you can use the TfL Journey Planner.

Stay up to date on the move with Thameslink's WhatsApp channel or Great Northern's WhatsApp channel. Live updates are available Monday to Friday, 07:00–21:00.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Track circuits are part of the signalling system and are used to detect where trains are on the railway. If one fails, the signalling system may show that a section of track is occupied even when there isn’t a train there. This means 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 request verbal permission from the signaller before continuing past the red signal. They must then travel at a reduced speed so they can stop safely should 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.

Ticket flexibility:

If your train is cancelled, you will be able to travel on an alternative service operated by any other participating train company, either two hours before or two hours after the original departure time of the cancelled service, in order to reach your destination.

If you decide not to travel or cannot complete your journey due to cancellations, you are entitled to a full refund from your original point of sale.

For further information and guidance please contact your train company or speak to a member of railway staff.

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.