Delays between Gatwick Airport and Purley expected until 11:00 

Route(s) affected

Gatwick Express between Brighton and London Victoria

Southern between Portsmouth Harbour / Bognor Regis / Eastbourne / Littlehampton / Hastings / Ore and London Victoria, and also between Gatwick Airport and Redhilll

Thameslink between Horsham and Peterborough, and also between Haywards Heath / Three Bridges and Bedford

Description

A safety inspection of the track between Gatwick Airport and Purley means that trains have to run at a reduced speed on some lines towards Purley. Trains running between these stations may be delayed by up to 15 minutes.

Disruption is expected until 11:00.

Customer advice:

You can continue to travel using your normal route but it may take up to 10 minutes longer than usual to reach your destinaiton.

You may need to wait longer than usual for a train to complete your journey.

Trains which usually call at Earlswood and Salfords have been suspended due to disruption elsewhere on the network. Alternative trains will call additionally at these stations. Please check your journey before you travel as your train may now depart at a different time.

Planning your journey:

Please check journey planners and station information boards before you travel and allow extra time to reach your destination.

You can see live departure boards for trains, and you can check a live map for services to see if your journey has been affected.

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

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Operators have had a report of a possible issue with the track in the affected area. Network Rail's engineers are attending as quickly as possible to carry out a detailed inspection.

There are various different types of defects, and the first advice usually comes from drivers or other staff travelling through the area. Response staff will check the location which has been specified and find out whether the track is still supported correctly, whether the rails themselves are in the usual condition, and if there are any problems with the fixings and metalwork which attach the rails to the sleepers.

Until this is done, trains will need to run at a much slower speed than usual, which will lead to a delay to your journey. This is a necessary safety precaution.

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.